As you get ready to heat your home in Fayette or Coweta County this winter, you might find that a humidification system is the perfect partner to your furnace. Humidity levels affect your health and how much you feel heat. If you use a humidification system to control the relative humidity in your home, you can enjoy greater comfort and savings.

Humidity is moisture in the air, and relative humidity is the percentage of moisture compared to how much the air can hold. Most experts agree that 30 to 50 percent relative humidity is the optimal amount for the health of your family and your home.

A humidification system restores moisture to the air, which has several benefits:

• Health: Some bacteria and viruses thrive in dry air. For example, streptococcus (responsible for strep throat) and staphylococcus (responsible for staph infections) survive better when the relative humidity is below 20 percent. Humidifiers not only make it more difficult for these types of microorganisms to survive, but they also help reduce dry skin and sinus irritation that comes from dry air.
• Home preservation: Dry air can cause cracks and peeling in various parts of your home, including hardwood floors, paint and wallpaper. Keeping the humidity at optimal levels helps preserve the investment you made in the appearance of your home.
• Energy savings: You’ve probably heard the expression, “It’s not the heat; it’s the humidity.” Dry air feels cooler than moist air. Using a humidifier can allow you to reduce the temperature on your thermostat by several degrees, meaning that you will use and pay for less energy.

There are two humidification options: portable and whole-house systems. Portable systems are generally less expensive than a high-quality whole-house system, but they do require that the water is changed daily and the appliance is cleaned twice a week. A whole-house system, on the other hand, generally only needs to be cleaned once a year at the end of the heating season to remove dust and mineral build-up.

For more information about humidification systems or other HVAC matters, contact Powers Heating & Air. We’re proud to serve Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Tyrone, Senoia, Sharpsburg, Newnan and all the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree, GA and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about humidification systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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