The Benefits of Whole House Humidifiers – Why Every Home Needs One
Getting the right humidity level in your home improves your comfort and protects your family and possessions. Optimal humidity levels are also good for heating efficiency, which helps lower energy bills.
Dry winter air zaps moisture from your skin and can cause wood furniture to crack. A humidifier can help prevent these issues.
Reduces Allergies
As your home heats up, it removes moisture from the air. This can cause many problems, from dry, itchy skin and throat to nose irritation and coughing. Whole house humidifiers help reduce allergies and other symptoms by increasing the moisture in the air.
Whole house humidifiers are installed directly into your HVAC system, adding humidity in the form of water vapor as it passes through your return air ducts. It’s usually controlled by a humidistat, much like your thermostat, and it can deliver just the right amount of moisture throughout your home all year round.
The ideal indoor humidity level is between 30 and 50 percent, which can help ease allergy symptoms while keeping wooden furniture and hardwood floors from drying out. Humidified air also tends to feel warmer, allowing you to set your thermostat lower and save on energy costs. That’s why a whole-house humidifier is an ideal option for your home. It will keep your family healthy and comfortable without increasing your energy bills.
Reduces Dry Skin
Dry winter air is not only unpleasant to breathe, but it can wreak havoc on your skin as well. Itchy and flaky skin, cracked lips, brittle hair, and itchy eyes are just a few symptoms that can occur when your home’s humidity levels fall.
Humidifiers introduce moisture into your air to prevent these symptoms and more. Unlike portable humidifiers, which you might use in a single room of the house or to help your tropical plants thrive, whole-home humidifiers are installed directly into your ductwork to deliver a steady stream of humidity into your home’s air.
The additional humidity also helps your home feel warmer since the extra moisture enables it to hold heat better. This can save you money on your heating bill all season long. The moist air can also soothe irritated sinuses and improve your sleep. Whole-home humidifiers also reduce static electricity, preventing those annoying shocks that can jolt you or your clothing.
Reduces Cracking Furniture
Keeping indoor humidity levels comfortable can help you sleep better and avoid problems like dry skin, nose, throat, irritated sinuses and asthma, wood furniture cracking, and mold growth. Properly balanced humidity also reduces static electricity, which can be annoying, cause damage to electronics, and cause fire hazards by sparking flammable materials in your home.
A whole-house humidifier works to introduce moisture into your air through ductwork. This eliminates the need for you to use a portable humidifier, which is usually filled with water or evaporator panels and requires constant monitoring. Most ductwork humidifiers are installed with your heating system and require very little maintenance after installation.
A whole-house humidifier can make your house feel warmer at a lower thermostat setting, which can reduce energy bills and prevent costly repairs to your heating system. This makes it a worthwhile investment in your comfort and health, as well as protecting those belongings you value most.
Reduces Insects
When humidity is too low, mold and mildew can grow in damp areas, attracting unwanted insects. These problems can cause health issues and damage your home, especially in winter. A whole-house humidifier balances the moisture in your home and helps to prevent these problems.
Humidified air makes it easier to breathe comfortably and helps soothe dry sinuses, which can ease snoring and allow for a better night’s sleep. It also slows the loss of moisture from the skin, allowing it to stay hydrated. Humidified air also limits static electricity, which can damage sensitive electronics and shock you or your loved ones.
While most of us are familiar with the portable humidifiers that families set up in their nursery or to help a tropical houseplant thrive, whole-house humidifiers take this essential technology a step further. They install directly into your home’s heating and cooling system and introduce humidity as water vapor through your ductwork.
Benjamin Ortiz is a digital marketing expert. He currently runs an SEO agency and a survival gear review blog.
