Preventing Winter Dryness With a Humidifier
Cold air has a naturally lower humidity level, and when it’s cold outside, home thermostats are usually turned up.
Air in the home is especially prone to becoming dry in the winter. Dry air not only causes dry noses and itchy skin, but it can aggravate asthma and allergy symptoms. Even with allergies aside, many viruses, such as the common cold or the flu, thrive in environments with low humidity. Dry air doesn’t just harm people, though; it’s also unhealthy for the home. Dry air can affect the wood in the home, furniture can become brittle, wood molding can warp, and creaking or cracked floors are common. It can even cause paint and plaster to chip or peel.
Causes of low humidity in the home
Cold air has a naturally lower humidity level, and when it’s cold outside, home thermostats are usually turned up. This combination can cause the relative humidity in homes to drop by up to 15%. Turning the temperature up in the wintertime may make the home warmer, but it also causes humidity to decrease. Returning humidity to the air by running a humidifier can help the home feel naturally warmer, meaning the thermostat can be turned down a couple of degrees to cut costs. However, it can be counter-productive to run several individual humidifiers in various rooms in the home–not to mention the additional electricity it takes to run them. Consider the two types of humidifiers to determine which is best for an individual home.
A whole-house unit humidifier
A whole-house humidifier helps maintain humidity levels throughout the house, as it’s installed directly into the existing heating and cooling system. Additionally, it’s quiet and requires minimal upkeep once it’s installed. These units can adequately balance the humidity levels in the home using features that automatically control and monitor temperatures and change humidity as needed. A whole-home unit utilizes the furnace blower, making it both cheaper to purchase and to operate.
Portable humidifier
Portable humidifiers can be put anywhere in the house and require no installation. These units are ideal for homes that do not run the humidifier often or only need the humidity balanced in one room at a time. While they tend to cost more than a whole-home unit due to having its own furnace blower, they are budget-friendly if run infrequently. Unlike the whole-home humidifier, which is overall silent, portable humidifiers can be as noisy as having a window air conditioner.
Additionally, these humidifiers come with a lot of maintenance—expect to refill the water daily, change filters often, and clean the water tanks thoroughly every three days. These units are not recommended for daily, whole-house use. Instead, they’re great for occasional, room-specific use.
Dry air makes a home uncomfortable in the winter, so most households can benefit from having a humidifier to maintain an adequate humidity level. While there are many pros to a whole-unit house humidifier, a portable humidifier can be more useful in specific households. When in doubt, consult an HVAC professional to know which unit is best.
Modern Air Conditioning & Heating is a Boulder City-based HVAC company offering 15 years of experience in residential and commercial HVAC services for all makes and models. You can also call us directly at (702) 919-4365.
