In some important ways, a home humidifier may place second for the appliance that offers you the most comfort during the heating season, just behind the furnace. Warmed air coming from the furnace makes your home habitable, but that same furnace dries out the already relatively dry cold wintertime air over the course of the winter. Dry air not only decreases comfort, but it also sets the stage for interior damage and health issues.
Ideal humidity levels range from 30 to 50 percent indoors during the winter, and when they fall below that, the air naturally starts to pull moisture out of your skin, respiratory passages and anything made from wood in your home. Stati
c electricity forms that can damage electronics, not to mention the irritation it can cause.
Solutions for low humidity include portable or whole-house humidifiers. While portable systems can be useful, they’re a fair amount of work to maintain and monitor and are best suited for small homes. A whole-house humidifier attaches to your home’s forced-air HVAC system and delivers a measured amount of humidity, keeping your entire home at an even humidity level, and everyone benefits.
Humidity in the healthy ranges prevents these problems:
- Health issues. Viruses and bacteria multiply when the air’s dry, and invade the vulnerable tissues in your respiratory tract more readily. Once you do pick up a cold or flu viruses, the dry air continues to irritate those tissues, making symptoms worse.
- Chapped skin is vulnerable to skin cracks and infections. Any existing skin condition can get worse, such as eczema and rashes.
- Home issues. Wood is a natural source of moisture for your home’s air, and it can shrink and crack if the lack of humidity is prolonged. Floors, cabinets and furniture are vulnerable, as are wooden musical instruments.
- Electronics. Static electricity can damage electronics with low-voltage components.
- Heating bills. Dry air feels cooler than humidified air; increasing the humidity can trim your heating costs.
For more information about a whole-house humidifier, please contact us at Geisel Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We’ve provided exceptional HVAC services for homeowners in the Greater Cleveland area for more than 78 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about humidifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
For those Do it Yourselfers who would rather take control of your own indoor comfort, you can shop our online store for replacement parts, products and accessories!
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
