One of the best home investments to prepare for the cold weather is a whole-house humidifier. This is important in the winter because of how dry things get indoors once your heating equipment kicks into gear. The air inside your home dries out, and besides being a health hazard for you and your home, it’s uncomfortable as well.
A whole-house humidifier will solve the dry air issue throughout your home. It attaches to your HVAC system and plumbing, and delivers water vapor through your air ducts. Once installed, the whole-house system works automatically, and the only necessary maintenance is simple end-of-season cleaning.
Increasing humidity using a central system is more energy efficient and convenient than portable humidifiers, each of which requires its own electricity, daily filling and weekly cleanup. Whole-house systems are also quiet, and there’s no risk of tipping over a portable humidifier, damaging floors or furniture.
A central humidifier is controlled by a humidistat, so the humidity levels throughout your home will be comfortable and even. Ideal indoor humidity ranges between 30 and 50 percent. At these levels, bacteria and viruses reproduce more slowly, which lowers the risk of spreading disease in your home. Dry air also promotes respiratory irritation, such as sore throats or sinus problems. Chapped skin can develop cuts, which may lead to infection.
Static electricity is annoying, but if you discharge it on a small appliance or electronics that use microprocessors or other low-voltage components, it can inflict serious damage. Dry air shrinks wooden items throughout your home, such as floors, cabinets and furniture. It can also damage musical instruments made from wood and make them harder to keep in tune.
Energy savings also will result because when you humidify the air, you can turn the thermostat down. Each 10 percent increase in humidity makes you feel a degree warmer, so if you increase your humidity from 10 percent to 50 percent, you can lower your thermostat by four degrees, resulting in substantial energy savings.
If you would like to learn more about a whole-house humidifier and its benefits, contact Ace Hardware Home Services. We’ve provided quality HVAC services for the Dayton area since 1978.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about whole-house humidifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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