Romanticizing winter can be easy as we focus on the beauty and fun; clear, crisp air, sparkling snow, and gliding ice skates.
Of course, we all know winter can be challenging, too, with traffic, shoveling, and icy sidewalks.
But the irritants of winter are not all external; just staying home can cause problems.
As your furnace works hard to keep your house warm, it also dries out the air.
What are the health risks of dry air?
This dry air can lead to physical discomfort, including things like:
- Chapped lips
- Dry skin
- Dry eyes
- Bloody noses
- Sore throats
- Coughing
Dry air can also aggravate cold, flu, allergy, sinus, and asthma symptoms, and, in fact, according to some experts, it can actually encourage the spread of some illnesses.
In addition, pediatricians recommend keeping air humid as a way to help ill children feel better as they recover from colds or other illness.
As many of us know, dry air can frequently leads to embarrassing static cling in clothing, fly-away, staticy hair, and painful static shocks.
Does dry air only affect health?
Besides physical discomfort, dry air can also damage your home and belongings.
Wood and other porous materials dry up as the air does., so wood floors can shrink, move, or crack as the air dries, as can trim, doors, and cabinetry.
In addition, wood furniture and musical instruments can suffer in dry air.
Furthermore, dry air feels cooler than humid air at the same temperature – the drier the air, the colder your home feels, and the more you will pay to heat it.
What about portable humidifiers?
Most of us are familiar with small, portable humidifiers that can be used in a single room, but these have their own problems.
They require expensive distilled water, can be breeding grounds for mold and bacteria, are easily tipped or spilled, run dry, and cannot be set to reach a particular humidity level and then turn themselves off.
What’s the solution?
Installing a whole-house humidifier can help solve all of these problems.
Experts agree that a relative indoor humidity level of 40 to 60% is desirable, though as the weather gets cooler, that level must be adjusted downward to avoid condensation and ice forming on your windows.
A whole-house humidifier makes it possible for you to easily maintain the ideal humidity level in your home.
Here are five reasons to install one today:
1. A single humidifier
Instead of having multiple smaller humidifiers throughout your home which needing filling, cleaning, monitoring, and maintenance, you will have just one.
2. No need to fill it up
In addition, unlike a portable humidifier, a whole-house humidifier draws water directly from your water supply.
This means you do not need to remember to fill it regularly or worry that it is not working because it has run dry
3. No risk of spillage
If you have children or pets you won’t need to worry about a small humidifier getting kicked over and spilling water everywhere, potentially causing damage to your home or belongings.
This is one less thing to think about.
4. Easier to monitor air humidity levels
It is difficult to monitor air humidity when using small, portable humidifiers.
So unless you invest in a hygrometer, or humidity sensor, you cannot be certain of the humidity level in your home.
A whole house humidifier, however, works like your furnace and thermostat, enabling you to easily set, adjust, and monitor humidity levels.
5. Set it and forget it
A whole-house humidifier can be set to maintain the ideal level of humidity without needing anything from you.
Other than switching it on at the beginning of the season, off at the end, and an occasional cleaning, your whole-house humidifier will work by itself.
This means that you and your family will breathe easier and be more comfortable, and your wood floors, trim, and furniture will certainly thank you!
Conclusion
At Metro Heating & Cooling, we can help you choose the right whole-house humidifier and get it installed in time for you to enjoy all the benefits this season.
Contact us at (651) 294-7798 today to tell us what your new humidifier needs to do, and we’ll do the rest.
You’ll breathe easier, stay healthier, and protect your family, home, and belongings, in no time.
