Keep Your Home Comfortable by Installing a Humidifier

December 29, 2015

Now that the heat and humidity of summer are far behind us, you can look forward to a comfortable season of warmth in your Des Moines area home, right? Well, not necessarily, especially if your home's HVAC system doesn't have a way to add moisture to dry winter air. Indoor air can become uncomfortably dry in the winter, both because cold air holds less moisture and because forced-air heating tends to wring even more moisture from the air. A whole-house humidifier is a good way to control humidity in your home, improving comfort and health. 

Negatives of Dry Indoor Air
Dry air can result in cracked lips, dry nasal cavities, dry skin, and other uncomfortable physical issues. Static electricity is another byproduct of dry indoor air, producing painful shocks. Health can also suffer from a lack of airborne moisture. Bacteria, viruses, and other germs remain suspended in the air for longer periods after sneezes or coughs since there's little moisture to carry them to the ground. A home with dry indoor air is more difficult to heat than a house with a proper humidity level. Dry air feels chillier than moist air, so you end up turning up the thermostat. Finally, dry indoor air can damage things like wooden furniture, fixtures, and musical instruments, causing them to crack and warp.

A Solution to Dry Winter Air
You can add moisture to indoor air by installing a whole-house humidifier. These systems are connected to your forced-air HVAC system and your household plumbing. Moisture, distributed on a panel, attaches to household air as it passes through the humidifier and then circulates throughout the home. A hygrometer that comes with the humidification system allows you to control the level of humidity added to your air.If you have a localized problem in your home with dry winter air, a portable humidifier can be moved to that small area to add moisture.For more information about installing a whole-house humidifier in your Des Moines area home, please contact us at Lozier Heating & Cooling or read more about our Healthy Climate Whole-Home Power Humidifier.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Credit/Copyright Attribution: "discpicture/Shutterstock"