Does the air in your home always feel dry during the winter months? Do you wonder if a humidifier would help? Are you worried that the dry air is affecting your family’s health? Dry air in your home may be more of an issue than you realize.
Why the Air in Your Home is So Dry During Winter
During the summer, the warmer air holds moisture but during the winter months cold dry outside air infiltrates the house and couple that with the fact that we heat our homes causing hot air to rise and the dry colder air to settle into the lower areas of your house. This is what causes the house to feel so dry.
The effects of dry air in your home may include:
- Static electricity
- Cold and flu infections
- Asthma and allergies
- Chapped lips and dry skin
- Peeling wallpaper
- Cracks in wood flooring
House too Dry? Here’s How to Offset the Dry Air in Your Home
If you’re reading this article, then you’re probably having issues associated with the air in your home being too dry for your comfort. What you may not know yet is what you can do to offset the dry air conditions.
- Add moisture to the air to offset the dry indoor air you are experiencing.
- Seal the cracks in your home to prevent cold dry air form pushing its way in
There are old-time home remedies of leaving a pot of water boiling on the stove or hauling in buckets of steaming hot water to create moisture in rooms throughout your home. These remedies are not only a hassle and can cause accidents, but not typically convenient or effective.
Why You Should Invest in a Humidifier
One of the most effective and efficient means of adding moisture to your home is with a humidifier. A humidifier is an appliance that increases humidity in your home. The most simple and common humidifiers are portable and used to humidify a single room. The most complete solution is a whole house humidifier attached to the air handler of your heating and/or cooling system.
Benefits of whole-home humidifiers:
- After a few seasons of energy savings, humidifiers pay for themselves.
- A humidifier restores healthy moistures level into your home’s air.
- After a little bit of time, you’ll find that the proper humidity levels makes your home feel more comfortable. ASHRAE — the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers — recommends maintaining a relative humidity (RH) between 30% and 60%. Publications from the US Environmental Protection Agency recommend between 30% and 50%.
It’s important to use a humidifier properly, only when conditions require it, and with the right moisture setting for existing conditions. If you choose to use room humidifiers, be careful to clean them and change the water regularly. Any humidifier, whole-house or room size will require some maintenance. Some types require more maintenance than others.
Call Crisafulli Bros. today at (518) 868-0494 or contact us online to learn more about the benefits of installing a whole-home humidifier in your Albany home! Your sinuses and skin will thank you!
