Whole House Humidifiers Take on Winter Air
March 3, 2016
If you were to take a survey of the most hated season, winter would surely win that dishonor, and in a landslide, as well. How hated is winter? Many people list moving to warmer weather and away from winter as a life goal. There is a good reason for that: winter often feels unpleasant, like dry skin, bloody noses, and the sniffles. It isn’t actually Winter’s fault, it’s really all about the dry air in your home. The good news: there is a solution.
During this arid time of year, many people turn to cheap, portable humidifiers hoping to combat the dry air. Portable systems work by plugging into an outlet and evaporating a reservoir of water to put moisture back into the air. It’s one solution but many people find it lacking. Portable humidifiers may, as a bonus, look like a fog machine, but that’s about all they have going for them. They run out of water quickly, need frequent cleaning, and have a very limited area of effect.
Instead, many homeowners are taking a step up and choosing to install a whole house humidifier.
What is a whole house humidifier?
Whole house humidifiers, installed by HVAC professionals like One Hour Air, are attached directly to the heating system so the moisture is evenly dispersed throughout the house using the house’s ventilation system. Whole house humidifiers measure the levels of humidity in the house, using a hygrometer, and only delivers moisture when needed.
Connected to every room through the ducts, the more advanced whole house humidifier relieves dry air much more effectively than a portable one and also doesn’t need to be refilled with water. Portable humidifiers, pose no danger when clean, but neglect that duty for a few days, and it’s like having a rhino virus air freshener. Since the whole house humidifier only distributes moisture when needed, it eliminating the moisture over-saturation that could lead to mold.
Why use a whole house humidifier?
In addition to serving as a remedy for the aforementioned winter ailments, a whole house humidifier has several other benefits as well. For example, the common cold and the flu virus thrive in low-humidity environments. The Mayo Clinic, in fact, notes that a humidifier is an effective method to fight off those nasty winter viruses.
While a whole house humidifier keeps you healthier during the winter, it can do the same for your house. Dry, winter air causes damage to wooden furniture, hardwood floors, and even the walls of the house. If conditions get dry enough, all of these will start to crack and split. String instruments are particularly at risk to dry air. If the humidity falls below a certain level for long enough, the wood of the instrument will shrink, forever ruining its sound. So if you have an antique guitar or priceless violin laying around, you’d better have a whole house humidifier.
The ace in the hole for whole house humidifiers is that they save you money on your electric bill and let you feel warmer during the winter too. We’ve all had the feeling of turning up the thermostat and not feeling any better- because it’s not the temperature but the humidity. Humidified air can make you feel warmer without adjusting the thermostat. Feeling warmer while keeping the thermostat lower is a win-win.
Winter weather will always be bitterly cold and inconveniently dump inches of snow and ice on our roads. We can use whole house humidifier to fight off the effects of dry air, and maybe winter can jump to our second most hated season.
Contact Us to talk about a whole house humidifier and to take care of all your HVAC needs.