Winter’s upon us and you may already be feeling itchy. That comes from dry skin thanks to low humidity in your home. You or other family members may also be suffering from dry eyes, sore throats and sinus pain for the same reason. People with asthma or allergies also suffer more with low humidity, and colds tend to linger for a longer time.
Humidity levels drop during cold weather and personal discomfort is just one of the problems that results. Low humidity also wastes energy. That’s because low moisture levels in the air make it seem 2-3 degrees colder, which causes you to crank up the thermostat unnecessarily. Furthermore, low humidity leads to painful and sometimes dangerous static electricity shocks when you touch a light switch, door knob or other metal surface. Adding a humidifier to your home can solve these problems.
You can purchase free-standing humidifiers, but a better solution is to incorporate a furnace-mounted unit. Furnace humidifiers have many advantages over free-standing units, including:
- Whole-house coverage. A furnace humidifier will cover the entire house, while you need a free-standing humidifier in virtually every room for maximum comfort.
- Automated control. The furnace humidifiers we install come with automated humidity controls so that you can set the humidity at your desired level and forget about it until you decide to change the setting. Generally speaking most homes are best served with a relative humidity level of between 40-50%.
- Automatic refill. Free-standing humidifiers have to be refilled with water manually about every day. A furnace-mounted humidifier will be tied into your home’s water supply and replenished automatically.
- Out of sight, out of mind. Free-standing humidifiers occupy space in every room where you have them, and they can be noisy. You’ll be much better off with a single unit attached to your home’s furnace, which is likely tucked out of the way in a basement or utility room. Your home will be roomier and tidier.
- Ease of maintenance. You’ll need to clean your furnace humidifier less frequently than you would free-standing units, especially if you have multiple humidifiers for different rooms.
Different models work with different types and brands of furnaces. Our expert technicians can specify which options are best suited for your heating system. Give us a call and arrange for an inspection and estimate at your convenience.