Installing a whole house humidifier to work in conjunction with your furnace can effectively provide the humidification your home needs during winter. Whole house humidifiers require little maintenance and use minimal energy while improving the overall comfort of your home. Having the right amount of moisture in the air is essential for your family’s health. Dry air in your home can result in or aggravate respiratory issues and make it easier for airborne illnesses to spread between family members. Winter is often blamed for respiratory issues and common colds during the season, but the actual cause is due to dryness of the air. Proper levels of moisture assist your immune system to better defend against indoor pollutants and irritants. These common winter ailments along with protecting your home can be prevented with a whole house humidifier.
How Does A Whole House Humidifier Work?
A whole house humidifier is installed directly in your heating system’s ductwork and connected directly to your home’s water supply. While your furnace heats the air in your home, it will also be humidified by the whole house humidifier. Depending on the type of humidifier, either a humidifier pad, a rotating drum or a steaming system will distribute water to your home’s air. The water will then continuously run down the humidifier pad, be collected by the rotating drum or be misted into the device, depending on the model. The air that goes through the humidifier will then join the rest of your home’s airflow. As a result, the distributed air will have higher moisture levels and raise the humidity of every room.
Benefits
Humidity in the home will affect your overall comfort. If the air in your home is extremely dry, it will absorb water from anywhere it can find it in the home including you. Therefore, causing the air, your skin and nasal passages to become dry leading to discomfort. Installing a whole house humidifier can help alleviate allergy and asthma symptoms and decrease your chances of becoming ill. Furthermore, proper humidity levels can help you save on energy costs. By keeping the humidity inside your home at proper and ideal levels, it can make the space feel warmer with lower temperatures. Dry air can also cause wood flooring to shrink and separate at the seams, and doors to warp and not fit in their frames. Keeping the humidity in your home at proper levels will lower the chance of dry air causing any damaging effect. When air is properly moisturized, it will also lead to reduced static electricity in the home.
Whole House vs. Portable Humidifiers
Unlike a whole house humidifier which is installed in connection to your furnace and ductwork, a portable humidifier can only adjust the humidity of one room in your home at a time. Keep in mind portable humidifiers also require frequent maintenance such as changing the water and keeping it clean. If you neglect portable humidifiers it can lead to mold inside of the unit. On the other hand whole house humidifiers require minimal maintenance. If you have a model that uses a pad or filter it typically only needs to be replaced once a year. If you have a humidifier that uses steam it needs to be cleaned annually. However, for those that are renting or are not able to install a whole house humidifier, a portable humidifier would be more convenient for portability. They are easy to use and do a good job of humidifying smaller areas.
Dry air is an air quality issue for many. To improve the comfort of your home consider installing a humidifier. Call us with any questions you may have about a whole house humidifier. You can contact us to schedule a consultation or to schedule furnace maintenance. To learn more about services we offer, please visit our homepage.
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