Humidifiers Make a Difference

The primary focus of most homeowners in the winter is to keep their house warm. However, heat and comfort don’t always go hand-in-hand and feeling cozy requires more than just the right temperature. The freshness and relative humidity of indoor air play a major role in the health and comfort of family members during the winter and to the proper care of the home. With windows and doors closed and the furnace running, both humidity and freshness suffer in the winter. If too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants can sometimes accumulate to levels that pose health and comfort issues.  Controlling dry air is also essential to health and comfort in the winter. Air that is not properly humidified can dry out eyes, noses, skin, and throats.  Many viruses also prefer dry conditions, so it’s easier to get sick in a home with low relative humidity. The home suffers, too during the winter months. The air draws moisture where it can and wood furniture and floors are a great source of moisture for that dry air to steal from.  Dry air causes walls, woodwork and hardwood floors to crack.  And, that dry air is a haven for static charge.  Static electricity poses a potential problem for electronics and it’s just downright uncomfortable to get that charge. While there are different humidifiers for different types of homes and needs, a whole house humidifier is the best solution for a home with a forced air furnace.  There are other options as well.  For example, steam humidifiers can be installed in any home even without forced air ductwork and can still provide the capacity for the entire home.  Whole-home systems deliver proper humidity levels throughout your entire home and require simple, inexpensive and infrequent maintenance once a year.