Hi, everybody and Merry Christmas. I'm not sure that this is the right forum, but I'll ask, anyway!
We live in northeast PA and just bought this house in July so this is our first heating season. We have set the thermostat at a constant 68 degrees and are quite comfortable. However, I am noticing that the house is becoming very dry.
We cannot afford to buy a humidifier and, right now, I have put bowls of water on top of the radiators but I was wondering if there is a more effective method for putting some moisture back in the air. By the way, we have gas heat.
Also, what is considered to be a comfortable humidity rate for the inside of a single story 6 room house? Thanks for the help!:confused: :)

I lived in a house like yours and I got a couple of old crock pots from the thrift store and kept them filled with water and potpourri stuff. It humidified the house while making it smell good, too.

Sorry, don't know the proper humidity level.

Is this an older house? Ordinarily living in a house puts large amounts of moisture into the house, showers, laundry, cleaning, cooking dishes, etc. If the moist air is constantly being replaced by outside air that becomes dryer as it warms, it is going to be very dry. It is a little to do much tightening up. Still you can buy the plastic and tape kits to cover the windows. Do they show past damage from condensation? Think new windows or at least storm windows next summer. Whether strip the doors. Go up to the attic and caulk around all the pipes and wires. If you have an unfinished basement, caulk between the foundation and plate, plate and band joist, and band joist and floor. If you have bathroom fans that come on with the light, disconnect them or add a switch.

Check with you utilities for more energy saving tips. Those things that reduce air infiltration not only save on heat, they help keep the moisture you have in the house. Some times they even give away the foam sealer things to go uner switch and outlet plates. With a leaky old house, you will have huge gas bills.

I bowl water on my stove when real dry in my home. I have terrible dry sinuses this year and I am having same problem, I have 3 humidifiers going and still have to bowl water from time to time.. It seems to help me a lot, just be careful not to have steam running down your windows that will cause mold to grow. I went through that so be careful of how much moisture you do put in your home... I have electric and its more drying than gas so I know how you feel, my sinuses get so dry that it bleeds and my eyes and throat dry out really bad its miserable.. Hope bowling steam helps as it does me. Any body else out there got better advice on putting moisture in the air?? We would love to here from you...

*BOIL* not bowl - a bowl is what you put cereal in