When it comes to home comfort and safety, having the right humidity levels is as important as having the right temperature. During winter, the cold, dry air can lead to several diseases. While there may be enough moisture outside, your furnace tends to dry out the inside of your home, causing major discomfort as well as certain health issues.
To keep your family safe from problems caused by insufficient humidity, consider using a whole-home humidifier. Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning is your reputable HVAC company in Anoka MN. We offer an array of energy-efficient humidifiers.
Humidity Basics
Humidity refers to the presence of water vapor in the atmosphere. It is completely transparent, just like the rest of the gases. Humidity impacts several aspects of our daily lives such as our breathing patterns, skin, eyes, sleep, and hair. It can also influence electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Having the ability to measure your home’s humidity levels is important to maintaining proper moisture. A hygrometer helps you evaluate the amount of moisture present in your home.
The Importance of Proper Humidity
Your home’s indoor air quality isn’t only about pollen, dust, and other airborne contaminants. Humidity also directly affects the quality of the air you inhale. If your home has insufficient moisture, you can suffer from respiratory problems. When you think about the most common health issues at home, such as dry, cracked skin, chapped lips, bloody noses, and dry sinuses, you can trace the cause back to low humidity.
Failure to maintain the right amount of moisture in your home can also cause problems not related to health. Poor humidity can damage wood surfaces such as hardwood floors, furniture, and musical instruments. When humidity is too low, wood doesn’t have sufficient moisture to maintain its form. The wood fibers swell as they soak up moisture and shrink as they release it, causing the wood to expand and contract. Typically, relative humidity lowers during winter. And since you’re running your heating systems, your home’s relative humidity is generally different indoors than out.
Understanding Humidifiers
A humidifier is a device, usually an electrical or electronic appliance that adds humidity in a single room or an entire house. It moisturizes your skin and helps clean your pores, giving your skin a healthier look while keeping your body temperature at a safe, steady level.
A humidifier manages the amount of humidity in the air and uses a large reservoir of water attached to its base. The air passes through a filter and evaporates some of the water. This evaporated water humidifies the air.
Why Use a Humidifier in Winter?
It helps lower the risk of infections.
When your home is properly humidified, bacteria and viruses cannot travel as easily. According to a study in 2013, relative humidity levels of up to 43 percent or higher can significantly lower the chances of airborne viruses to cause flu-like infections. Contrarily, a home with insufficient humidity has 70 to 77 percent likelihood of causing diseases originating from virus.
It helps prevent dry skin.
According to H.H. Mitchel, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the skin contains 64 percent water. Dry environments may take away moisture, leaving behind dry skin, chapped lips, and in sometimes, even dry, itchy eyes. The human body needs the right amount of water to feel comfortable. Since the skin has so much surface area, it is usually the place that we notice first when we are exposed to dry surroundings. A humidifier moisturizes dry skin.
It helps with allergies.
By maintaining a relative humidity of 40-50 percent, you can prevent the development of dust mites and mold spores. Using a humidifier with distilled water lowers the ability of allergens to reproduce and trigger allergies.
Ask the Air Quality Pros
If you have questions about humidifiers, call Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning. It is our pleasure to serve you and provide you with effective home comfort solutions. We are your trusted Champlin heating and air conditioning company.