Winter is right around the corner, which means everyone will do everything they can to stay nice and warm. But one thing people tend to forget is that the warmer your air is, the drier it is too. That’s because during the heating process, your furnace strips the air of its moisture as it pumps throughout your home, causing the air to feel considerably dry.
Why is Humidity Important to your Air Quality?
One of the most important ways to maintain proper air quality is by adjusting the humidity. In the summer, we usually try to bring humidity levels down, but during the winter, humidity levels can drop way below the recommended range of 35-50%.
Overall, humidity helps keep your home and your family be more comfortable and healthier as it gets colder outside. You’re probably not willing to sacrifice warmth to keep your air less dry, so how can you maintain the right balance of both? Introducing: whole-home humidifiers.
How Does a Whole-Home Humidifier Work?
There are three types of whole-home humidifiers that can help you integrate more water into the ducts of your home’s HVAC system, keeping your air from drying out as it warms up.
- Steam Humidifiers – connects to your home’s water supply and electrical system, heating the water until it evaporates into steam before being injected into your home’s heating ducts.
- Drum Humidifiers – uses a rotating drum to wick water through a sponge, turning it into water vapor so as hot air passes through the center of the drum, moisture is introduced before spreading throughout the home.
- Flow-Through or Moisture Pad Humidifiers – only connects to your water supply with no moving parts or electricity needed. Hot air flows from your furnace to an evaporator pad where it picks up moisture and adds it to the stream of air flowing throughout your home.
The Benefits of a Whole-Home Humidifier
Whole-home humidifiers attach to your home’s HVAC system, using less energy to add moisture throughout your entire home versus single-room or stand-alone humidifiers. And the best part is you can actually feel the benefits.
Healthier Air
Just think of all the skin moisturizer and chapstick you use throughout the winter months. When the air’s humidity is low, it can dry out the nasal passages, leading to irritation of the eyes, nose, mouth, or even respiratory illness. Have a loud snorer in your home? The dry air may be to blame.
And just as it causes skin to harden and crack, it can actually do the same to wooden furniture and floors. Dry air can cause these items to shrink, warp or crack, and paper products, like books, posters, and photos, are at risk of the same fate, as they become more brittle. By maintaining that 35-50% humidity, both your family and your home will stay in tip-top shape throughout the season.
Lower Energy Bills
Who doesn’t like saving on their energy bills? By adding moisture in the air, your home will actually feel warmer at a lower temperature too. This means you can increase the efficiency of your heating system and feel more comfortable inside as it gets colder outside. Likewise, the less moisture in the air, the cooler it will feel, so instead of turning up the thermostat and jacking up those bills, a whole-home humidifier is the way to go.
Less Static
Dry air actually causes static too. So as your humidifier increases moisture levels, it will minimize the likeliness of clinging clothing and unexpected shocks for everyone in the household.
If making your home as warm and comfortable this winter sounds pretty good, our HVAC experts are happy to help! Contact us to learn more about our professional grade humidifiers, so you can be fully prepared for the cold winter months ahead.