How a whole house humidifier can benefit you, your family, your pets, and even your home.
Excessively low humidity may occur indoors in artificially heated spaces. In winter, especially when cold outside air is heated indoors, the humidity may drop as low as 10-20%. This low humidity can cause adverse health effects, by drying out mucous membranes such as the lining of the nose and throat, and can cause respiratory distress. The low humidity also can affect wooden furniture, causing shrinkage and loose joints or cracking of pieces. Books, papers, and artworks may shrink or warp and become brittle in very low humidity.
In addition, static electricity may become a problem in conditions of low humidity, destroying semiconductor devices and causing annoying static cling of textiles, and causing dust and small particles to stick stubbornly to electrically charged surfaces. A relative humidity of 30% to 50% is recommended for most homes. A properly installed and located humidistat or thermostat should be used to monitor and control humidity levels automatically.
In Valparaiso Indiana, humidity has an impact on your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). During the heating season, humidifiers improve indoor air quality by adding water vapor to air with low humidity. Adding humidity during the winter months helps:
- Reduce the likelihood of spreading infectious diseases
- Avoid skin problems such as dry skin
- Keep your home and its contents healthier
- Use less energy for heating while still staying comfortable
One of the most important ways humidifiers improve indoor air quality is by reducing the chances of contacting infectious diseases. Bacteria and viruses have moist protective coatings, but when the air is too dry, the coating evaporates quickly. This makes them more viable when they come into contact with you, whether it’s on your hands or directly into your respiratory system. Dry air also irritates the entire respiratory system, including the nasal passages, throat and the sinuses tissues. This dryness makes them even more vulnerable for invasion by airborne viruses and bacteria and from surface contact. Additionally, skin cracks from dry air are not only irritating and painful, but they can also be the entry points for infectious bacteria that cause even more discomfort and potential problems.
As the air dries, the wood from which your home is constructed gives up its natural moisture and shrinks. The air seeks equilibrium and the retained water in anything made from wood in your home will evaporate. Wood floors, cabinets, artwork and musical instruments can all crack. If the shrinkage is excessive, they may not go back to their original condition when the humidity increases, requiring professional help to repair them.
While you may find static electricity shocks annoying, they can disable electronics that have low voltage components. Preventing these shocks by adding humidity can save you time and money should you need to repair or replace the devices.
Bryant whole house humidification systems come with a 10 year parts warranty! If you are interested in having a estimate to have a whole house humidifier installed call today!