With winter weather approaching, it is time to prepare your home for the long cold months. With cold air, comes dry air. Many people are familiar with small, portable humidifiers that you fill the tank up with water, turn on, and it puts water into the air until the tank is empty. There is not a whole lot of control with these types of units.
A whole home humidifier is installed directly into your homes heating and cooling system. Water vapor enters the air through your heating ducts. You can control the humidity level from you thermostat, and adjust it to meet you comfort levels just as you would the temperature.
This can benefit:
Your health – There are many viruses that thrive in low-humidity environments. This can increase your chances of getting colds, catching the flu or other respiratory illnesses. Also, a very dry environment can make you more likely to get infections. Increasing the humidity in your home can decrease the chances of these illnesses.
Comfort – Dry air can cause dry, itchy skin, dry noses and throats and is also known to aggravate asthma and other allergy symptoms.
Energy Efficiency – When there is humidity in the air, it can actually make you feel warmer at a lower temperature. The Energy Protection Agency says that you can save up to 4% on your heating bill for every degree you lower your thermostat.
A whole home humidifier can be installed on an existing or brand new heating and cooling system. There are also systems available for people with baseboard heat or radiant heat. Everyone has the opportunity to benefit from a controlled humidity environment.
