The dangers of high humidity — mold, mildew, bacteria, and fungal growth — are well known, but did you know that low humidity can cause problems in your home as well? Dry air can lead to cracking skin, irritated lungs, easier transmission of viruses like the flu virus, increased irritation from allergies, and increased dust.
But there’s one more reason to consider running a humidifier during the winter: it can decrease your cooling bill.
The reason for this is that humid air holds heat better than dry air. To understand this, think of a hot water bottle or a cup of coffee or tea: these watery substances will continue to radiate heat for some time even after they’re no longer being heated. By contrast, if you hold your hand in front of a furnace vent or ceramic heater, when the heater is turned off, you’ll notice that the air in front of it cools quite rapidly.
When your humid indoor air sheds heat less readily, your furnace doesn’t have to work as hard to keep up with your home heating load. That means a more comfortable temperature, with a lower energy cost.
Adding a humidifier to your Dayton home can help you balance your humidity year-round, and keep you comfortable and healthy. Depending on your home environment, you may need to manage low-humidity seasons with a whole-house humidifier, and high-humidity seasons with a whole-house dehumidifier. Keeping your home humidity in the 40 to 60 percent range will keep your home environment safe from both moisture extremes.
If you’d like to learn more about how a humidifier can help your home, or would like to schedule a service appointment with your local HVAC experts, give us a call at Ace Hardware Home Services today! We’re proud to have been serving our Ohio neighbors since 1978.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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