answers:

I had this exact same problem. Go to walmart and buy a humidity thermometer. I bought a cool mist humidifier for my home for the same reasons you did and I couldn’t tell a difference either until I spent about 3 bucks {digital ones cost about 15 dollars} on the little humidity thermometer{they are located in the same section as the humidifiers and are small so you have to look hard for them}. What I found was the humidifier unless run 24 hrs a day did not put off enough humidification to bring the humidity level to a “comfort zone” according to the little humidity thermometer. Since we have gotten into the “comfort zone” I can tell a difference. Now the problem is when I check the humidity in other rooms where there are no humidifiers it is not within the “comfort zone” so I might just end up buying a humidifier {cool mist} that is made to humidify an entire home. There are also humidifiers that regulate the humidity all by its self my father bought one from Sears and it turns on and off depending on the humidity level in the home.

Also make sure the humidifier you purchased is the right size for the room you are trying to humidify

answers:

A humidifier adds moisture to the air. In almost every part of the country, air becomes dry at some time. Here in GA it’s dry in winter time. The advantage of having one is comfort level. Especially if you or a family member has allergy problems, dry air usually makes the problem worse. The down side would be that a whole house system ( assuming you have central heating/ air ) can be expensive. You’ll probably recover the cost when you sell the house though. Portable units are much less effective, and you’d need on for each room, plus you have to keep filling the reservoirs.

answers:

Try to find humidifier water treatment solution.
Or, ask Bosch what kind of acid/water solution will work (such as sulferic). I use acid (very little) on my tea kettle every 6 to 12 months and it does a great job.