Advantages of Whole-Home Humidifiers During the Dry, Cold Seasons

Whole-home humidifiers are very useful in the winter. In the winter, the air doesn’t just become colder — it becomes drier. As you crank up your heat to warm your home, air can become even drier and can result in unwanted physical symptoms and damage to your possessions.

The only way to prevent these issues is by restoring humidity levels in your home, through use of a humidifier system.

Humidifiers work by turning water from a tank into vapor and dispersing it throughout the air. Many people use individual portable humidifiers to improve the air in certain areas of their home, but they only treat a small area, and when the water tank runs out, they no longer work until they’re refilled. Individual humidifiers can be successful in treating small areas, but if the winter air is causing dryness throughout your home, a whole home humidifier may be the best option to create a more consistently comfortable environment.

Whole house humidifiers can be installed as part of your HVAC system to consistently maintain a comfortable humidity level throughout your entire home. With a whole house humidifying system, you can control the humidity level on your thermostat to ensure the ideal humidity level throughout the year.

Why Consider Whole-Home Humidifiers:

You want your home to be as comfortable as possible, especially in the cold, winter months when you are spending more time indoors and celebrating the holidays with your friends and family.

Dry air in your home can cause uncomfortable health symptoms, make you more susceptible to illnesses, cause hair and skin dryness, and even damage your surfaces, furniture, and prized possessions.

Increasing the humidity level in your home in the winter may offer you several benefits and solve issues in your home you never even knew were related to humidity.

Advantages of Using Whole-Home Humidifiers:

Better health: Certain viruses, including cold and flu viruses, thrive in dry environments, so if your home is too dry, you are more likely to become ill. Studies have shown that raising indoor humidity levels to at least 43 percent has the ability to make approximately 85 percent of airborne viruses ineffective. Dry air can also exacerbate existing allergy conditions and cause uncomfortable symptoms such as throat, chest, nose, or eye irritation. If you or any members of your family snore, reducing dryness in the air can also help solve that issue.

Smoother skin: Dry air can wreak havoc on your skin and lips in the winter, causing them to be dry, flaky, itchy, and irritated. Increasing the humidity level in your home will naturally help your skin to be more moisturized and prevent you from spending so much time slathering on lotion or scratching at your irritated skin.

Protection for your home: Many surfaces or items in your home can actually be at a higher risk for damage if the air is too dry. Items such as wood, paint, furniture, floors, electronics, and instruments benefit from a consistent humidity level. Wood items especially require a consistent level of humidity, so dry air can cause wood to crack, joints on furniture to come loose, and doors to become warped and difficult to open or close.

Static reduction: Dry air causes the annoying static electricity that makes your clothing and hair stick to you and causes electrical shocks. Severe static can even damage some sensitive electronics. A proper humidity level will reduce the static in your home.

Savings on heat: Humidified air tends to feel warmer than dry air, so if your air isn’t dry, you may be using less heat and saving money on your electricity or oil bill.

Better comfort: Overall, you’ll be more comfortable in a home with the perfect humidity level. You can feel it if the air in a room is too dry or humid, so having controls to consistently manage how the air feels will give you the maximum amount of comfort in your own home.

Before you begin using a whole-house humidifier, you should also be aware of how to use it properly. The ideal humidity level in a room is about 40 to 50 percent. Too much humidity in the air can cause dust or mold, which will exacerbate uncomfortable allergy symptoms. You can measure humidity level with a hygrometer, which can be purchased at a hardware store or online. Contact an HVAC professional today to help you install and use a whole-home humidifier that will make your home comfortable and healthy.

Call ProSolutions today to learn more about whole-home humidifiers!