Cold winter weather is just around the corner, which means it’s time to get your furnace up and running. Although the idea of spending a cold day in your nice, warm house may sound like a very nice idea, furnaces have the side effect of making the air in your home very dry.
Trying to keep a comfortable level of humidity in your home can be a challenge. Too much humidity can cause problems like mold and mildew or damage wood flooring and furniture. But air that’s too dry can cause problems too, not just for your home but for your health and overall comfort. If you’ve ever had problems with dry skin in the winter, a lack of humidity in your home may be the source of the problem.
If you don’t already have one, you may want to consider having a whole-house humidifier installed as part of your home’s HVAC system. A whole-house humidifier can offer a tremendous amount of benefits.
Lower Heating Bills
If you’ve ever been outside on a humid day in the middle of summer, you know exactly how high humidity levels can make the temperature seem much higher than it actually is. The same basic principle can be used in your home to lower your heating bills. When air is warmer, it’s able to hold more moisture which will, in turn, will make you feel warmer. If you don’t have a lot of humidity in your home, you might keep turning up the thermostat without feeling much of a difference. But by maintaining a good level of humidity in your home, you might actually be able to turn your thermostat down a little bit while still staying nice and warm.
Healthier Air and Improved Healing Times
We all know that winter is peak cold and flu season. But did you know humidity levels can play a big role in how easy it is for illnesses to spread? Studies have shown that in low-humidity environments, 77% of viruses can be spread through coughing, but that number dropped to just 14% in environments with a humidity level of 43% or higher. Even if you do end up coming down with a cold or the flu, the extra moisture in the air can help you recover more quickly.
Live More Comfortably
Some of the most common problems that come with living in a home with too little humidity are dry skin and sinus problems. Either of those problems can make the winter months absolutely miserable, but a home humidifier can help put an end to those problems. If you have asthma, the added humidity may help to make your symptoms more bearable.
Not So Shocking
If you don’t have enough humidity in your home, you’ll inevitably deal with a lot of static cling and electrical shocks, both of which are extremely annoying to deal with. Instead of constantly buying cans of Static Guard, a home humidifier will help you say goodbye to static cling and all those unexpected shocks.
Protect Your Home
Although too much humidity can be damaging for wood furnishings and other materials in your home, very low humidity isn’t necessarily good for your home, either. When humidity levels drop too low, the air can start drawing moisture out of things like wood and plaster, which can cause them to crack or look more aged than they really are. But a healthy level of humidity will help keep these things in good condition.
