August 14, 2013

Your home’s humidity level can save you money on heating, better your health, and increase your comfort level.

Winter months can be brutal. Not only do we contend with ice, snow, and frigid temperatures outside for many months at a time, conditions inside our homes may not be ideal either. The air inside our homes can become incredibly dry, due to the lack of humidity, and as many know, this can become absolutely unbearable.

Combating Dry Air

Some people combat the problem with small humidifiers. Most people put these in their bedrooms. In a small house, this may be enough to keep you going. Normal activities like showering, cooking, leaving a bathtub filled with water, boiling water on the stove, etc., help to keep some amount of humidity in the house, but for larger homes, this will most likely not be enough. Not to mention that some of these alternative solutions may not be appropriate for families with small children.

Some worry that increasing humidity levels in their homes may increase the risk of mold. Discussing these concerns with an expert may alleviate some of the hesitation you feel about installing a humidifying system. And it is important to realize low humidity levels can affect more than just your comfort level, it can affect your health.

Why You Need Humidity in your Home

Humidity levels lower than 35% can have a major impact on your health. Very dry air actually pulls moisture out of your body, making you feel even colder, and it leaves your skin dry and cracked and more susceptible to infection.

Additionally, low humidity is actually one of the reasons that more people become sick during the winter months. Low humidity provides a great environment for bacteria and our bodies are less able to filter out germs.

Allergies and asthma are also a huge problem for people in environments with low humidity as you are inhaling far more allergens than you would be if you had more protection from healthy mucous membranes.

Benefits of Whole House Humidifiers

Mold is an issue that you can discuss with the HVAC company you choose to install your whole house humidifier. But the truth of the matter is that most people are not increasing the humidity in their homes enough that mold becomes a likely issue. You are simply bringing humidity levels back up to a safe and adequate level.

Bringing your humidity levels up a few degrees can save you money on heating, as a higher humidity level will make you feel warmer.

Contact Scott-Lee Heating

You should discuss your options with a heating and cooling company. You have many different options of what types of whole-house humidifiers to choose from. You will benefit from advice from an expert as to what will be the perfect fit for your home and family. If you have questions about installing a humidifier in your home or office,  contact Scott-Lee Heating Company at (314) 200-0788.