If your home is too dry, will you buy a humidifier? You need to know when you should buy the humidifier for your home.

While some areas have been getting more moisture than they know what to do with, the colder months can be a time when dry air affects some people with allergies or sensitive skin conditions. If this is the case, a humidifier is a device that transforms water into mist or very tiny droplets to disperse in a room to help increase the humidity level.

Evaporative humidifiers work by evaporating water inside the humidifier which sends water vapour into the air, while non evaporative (or ultrasonic) humidifiers transmit moisture to the air in a visible or perceptible form without the need for a fan. Here are the common types of humidifiers you're likely to find in stores. 

. Warm mist humidifiers (evaporative) heat water to a boil and emit the steam to release moisture into the air. Some types use mineral filters that trap water deposits, and these filters need changing.

. Cool mist humidifiers (evaporative) use a fan to blow air over a wet wick and move the humid air into the room.

. Ultrasonic humidifiers (non evaporative) use a vibrating diaphragm to convert water into a vapour. While a fan isn't required, some units do include a small fan to increase the spread of vapour throughout the room. 

Humidifiers come in various sizes and prices. Before buying one, you need to figure out the size you need by measuring the dimensions of the room it'll be in (whether this is a bedroom or the living room, for example). For sleeping areas, ultrasonic models are said to be quieter than evaporative ones. You should also choose a humidifier that's easy to maintain and clean and make sure you drain, rinse and dry it every day. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions with disinfecting and cleaning your humidifier and any residue build-up to make sure the moisture the machine emits is safe to breathe.