When temperatures are on the warmer side, too much humidity can certainly make you feel uncomfortable, especially if the interior of your home is too humid. However, during the wintertime, you have to deal with the opposite problem: dry winter days mean there’s more of an edge to the cold.
Fortunately, you can beat these dry conditions, no matter what time of the year it is. How? With the installation of a whole-house humidifier. Read on as we uncover the various benefits of a whole-house system for your living space.
Whole-House vs. Portable
If you really wanted to, you could absolutely buy small portable room humidifiers to try to manage the dry air in your home. But these portable systems are really only good for one small area each. They’re most useful for young children or people who are ill and need a little steam in their room.
Also, portable humidifiers don’t allow homeowners much control over the humidity levels, meaning you could end up making it too humid in your home. The ideal relative humidity level in any given home is between 30%–50%. Anything outside of this range and you’ll start experiencing problems for both your family’s health and your property.
The Power of Whole-House Humidification
The number one reason most homeowners invest in a whole-home humidifier is to improve their comfort. When there’s a lack of moisture in the air, it enables heat to readily escape from the body, which can make cold temperatures feel even cooler. You can think of extra moisture in the air sort of like a blanket or coat—it slows down the transfer of heat. Other benefits of the whole-house system include:
- Energy Savings: Dry air can make your home feel 6–8° colder than it actually is. But when you have properly balanced humidity, you’ll feel warmer and you can adjust your heater’s thermostat accordingly, therefore using it more efficiently and draining less power.
- A Healthier Household: One reason you don’t want to have low humidity in your home is because it dries out people’s mucus and sinus membranes. This removes one of your body’s most important defenses against the spread of illnesses. A humidifier will help keep viruses and colds from transmitting among your household.
- Fewer Irritants: Things like dry skin, chapped lips, and eye irritation are all symptoms of low humidity, but you can overcome these problems with a whole-house humidifier.
- Less Static Electricity: Sure, this isn’t a major problem, but it’s definitely irritating, right? Static electricity during the winter can lead to painful static shock, but with more humidity in your home, this won’t be an issue.
We Install Whole-House Dehumidifiers, Too!
As we mentioned above, the ideal relative humidity level in any given home is between 30%–50%. So this means anything below 30% is too dry, while anything above 50% is too humid. Too much humidity can lead to discomfort, as well as mold growth that can affect your health and damage your property.
Ask us about the installation of a whole-house dehumidifier as well as humidifier, and start improving your indoor air quality so you and your household can breathe a little easier!
Contact Premier HVAC Services today for expert indoor air quality services in Hagerstown and beyond!