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The best relative humidity for your home is between 40 and 60 percent at any time of year. But, in the winter, it’s very easy for the levels to slip well below that window. A whole-house humidifier can make a huge difference in terms of comfort and health in your York, PA home.
In his article, we’ll touch on how winter humidity levels affect you and your family. But, for the most part, we’re focusing on what we think, in our expert opinion, is the best way to control those levels: A forced air humidifier or humidifier for a heat pump that treats your entire house.
We’ll explain how they work and why they’re worth it. Meanwhile, if you have any questions or want to learn more about them for your York, PA home, call or email us today at Air Comfort Technologies.
Why And How To Winterize Your Air Conditioner
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How Does A Home Humidifier Work?
At its core, a home humidifier works the same way a portable model. It turns liquid water into water vapor and distributes that vapor through the air. The result is the air becoming more humid. The difference with a whole-house humidifier is that it treats your entire home rather than just one room.
A forced air humidifier or dehumidifier for a heat pump hooks directly to your HVAC system. This way, it adds moisture to the air whenever your heater is running. And, it works on its own, just like your heater. You don’t have to turn it on and off.
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Instead, we hook it up directly to the water supply in your home. Then, you use a humidistat to adjust the humidity level, just like your thermostat controls the temperature.
Four Reasons A Whole-House Humidifier Is Worth It
Whether you’re getting a forced air humidifier or a humidifier for a heat pump, four reasons they’re worth the investment are that they:
- Make You Feel Warmer
- Prevent Nosebleeds And Dry Skin
- Protect Floors And Furniture
- Prevent Virus Transmission
Why Do I Need a Heater Tune-Up?
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Make You Feel Warmer
There’s a reason people don’t like humidity in the summer: It makes them too hot! Excess water vapor acts as a blanket, keeping heat close to your skin and preventing you from cooling off. But, in the winter, it could be just what you need.
Cold air naturally has less moisture in it than warm air. So, when it’s cold out, it’s less humid, and you have less insulation. In your home, your heater is warming up cold air. Now, you have unnaturally dry air: Cold, less humid air now has more heat with no increase in water vapor.
So, using a humidifier will make you feel a little warmer. That makes you more comfortable in the cold weather, and you don’t have to keep your thermostat as high.
Why Is Indoor Air Quality Important?
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Prevent Nosebleeds And Dry Skin
Everyone knows that one person who gets nosebleeds in the winter. And, if you’re that person, then this section is for you! The cause is dry air, and a home humidifier can help alleviate it.
Without enough moisture around, the capillaries, or tiny blood vessels, in your nose dry out. That makes it easier for them to break. When they do, your nose starts bleeding. A humidifier prevents that from happening. And, a model that treats the entire home is more effective than a portable one that’s only in one room.
The same also goes for dry, cracking skin in the winter. It’s the same idea: When there’s not enough moisture, your skin dries out and cracks. It’s uncomfortable but not as immediately bad as a nosebleed. However, dry skin also poses some other risks, which we’ll get to a little later.
Protect Floors And Furniture
Your body isn’t the only thing in your house that suffers from dry air. Wood furniture and real wooden floors can stress, crack, and break without enough moisture. The same problem with your skin and capillaries applies here: Wood needs a certain amount of moisture, and without that, it’ll dry out and crack.
Musicians, especially, take note! Your guitars and drum shells are made of wood and susceptible to the same problems. We’ve heard horror stories of beautiful acoustic guitars getting body cracks because someone left them in a cold, dry basement.
Prevent Virus Transmission
Here’s the big one for 2020: Higher humidity reduces your chances of catching a virus. It is not, repeat, NOT a cure-all. But, it’s an important first step and one that a forced air or heat pump humidifier can help you take.
How Will Humidity Affect Viruses This Winter?
Here’s why flu season occurs in the winter: Viral particles can travel further in the cold, dry air. During the summer, when it’s humid, those tiny pathogens get weighed down by water droplets. As a result, they drop to the ground much sooner than in dry air.
But in the winter, those particles travel much, much further. And, since they’re coming out of your nose and mouth, they’ll stay right in the path of someone else’s nose and mouth. Meanwhile, dry, cracking skin and ruptured membranes in your nose make it easier for those particles to enter your body.
In this way, a humidifier affects both sides of the transmission: By weighing down the particles with water droplets, it prevents the virus from spreading further. And by keeping your skin and membranes intact, it helps prevent infection.
Whole-House Humidifier Installation in York, PA
Controlling humidity is an essential part of your home comfort and indoor air quality. If you’re ready to make your York, PA more comfortable and healthy with a whole-house humidifier, call or email us here at Air Comfort Technologies. As HVAC experts, we can help you find a solution that’s perfect for you and your family.
