Benefits of a Whole-House Humidifier
With cooler winter weather comes dry air. As the temperatures start to dive you may consider purchasing a humidifier to help keep your family healthy and comfortable throughout the winter season. A whole-house humidifier helps put moisture back into the air of your home. Read on to learn why a whole-house humidifier may be just what your family needs.
What is Home Humidification?
Home humidification is the process of artificially regulating and adding moisture to the air in your home. Home humidity can provide many benefits to your home, health, and comfort. An optimal humidity level for your home is between 30 to 50 percent.
What are the Effects of Dry Air?
Low humidity can lead to many upper respiratory problems, such as colds, flu, viruses, and increased allergy & asthma symptoms. It can also cause sore throats, itchy eyes, dry skin, bloody noses, chapped lips, painful static shock and even an increase in snoring.
Dry air can also lead to damage in your home. It can cause wooden musical instruments, antique furniture, molding and hardwood floors to crack. It can even damage your electronics with static electric charges.
Last but not least, it can lead to high-energy bills. Dry air tends to feel colder so you set your thermostat higher to reach the same comfort level as humidified air. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), for every degree you lower your thermostat you could save an additional four percent on your heating bill.
What is a Whole-House Humidifier?
A whole-house humidifier delivers the right amount of moisture throughout your home, working to reduce the effects of dry air. Installed directly to your home heating system, a whole-house unit integrates with the blower system on your HVAC system and draws water from your water supply. You can easily have a humidifier installed when replacing your heating and cooling system or have a humidifier fitted to your current unit. Depending on the humidifier model and size of your home, you can expect to use 1.5 to 12 gallons of water per day while your system is operating.
Why Select a Whole-House Humidifier Over a Portable Humidifier?
Too much humidity in a home can be as much of an issue as too little. Many portable humidifiers do not include regulators to stop the humidification process, which can lead to mold, mildew, and dust mites. With a whole-house unit, relative humidity will be consistently monitored making sure the correct amount of moisture is applied to your home.
Compared with portable units, whole-house humidifiers require very little maintenance. They do not require refills as they draw directly from your home water supply. Portable humidifiers need to be filled almost daily. Many portable units have removable tanks, but some units require you to bring water to them.
Whole-house humidifiers require attention only one to two times per year. This includes a cleaning after the heating season to rid the unit of any mineral deposits from your local water supply. Portable units require frequent cleanings. They need to be emptied and filled with fresh (preferably distilled or demineralized) water and the filter needs to be changed often. If not cleaned thoroughly, portable units can become playgrounds for bacteria, mold, and germs.
Whole-house humidifiers are also virtually soundless, creating a peaceful home humidification process. Whereas, portable humidifiers tend to be quite noisy, often as loud as a window air conditioning unit.
You may be thinking, where’s the catch? Well, there is none! You’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that a whole-house humidifier is relatively inexpensive. In addition, they only cost pennies to operate each year. A portable unit may have relatively low initial costs but once you factor in maintenance and the size of your home you are looking at costs well above the price of a whole-house humidifier.
Have a question about whole-house humidification – Just Call Ranck