The high humidity we experience in the summer months can quickly drop down to unhealthy levels inside your home once winter arrives. That’s because cold air doesn’t hold as much moisture, and running a heating system pulls out even more. If you want to keep the humidity level in your home within an optimal 45–55% range, adding a humidifier is the best solution.

Types of Humidifiers for Home Use

There are two main types of home humidifiers available:

• Portable units. These humidifiers have a refillable water tank and are equipped with a fan to disperse moisture. They’re best used to humidify a couple of rooms at a time, such as the bedrooms.
• Whole-house humidifiers. These units are integrated right into the furnace blower and don’t need refilling because they’re attached directly to main water supply. Because they’re very low maintenance, you can set your desired humidity level and have no worries about dry air for the remainder of the heating season.

Benefits of Adding Moisture to Your Air

Properly humidifying your home in the winter solves problems related to:

• Comfort. It’s harder to keep a home comfortable when the air is dry, and a lack of humidity can cause issues like itchy, chapped skin, sore throats, respiratory irritation and nose bleeds.
• Health. Too little moisture can worsen allergic reactions and respiratory conditions like asthma. It also puts your family at greater risk of the flu, infections and colds from exposure to bacteria and viruses that thrive in dry conditions.
• Damage. Low-humidity can damage wood structural components, trim, flooring and furniture and ruin drywall, wallpaper and paint. Adding sufficient moisture back into the air can avert these problems and prevent static electricity that can harm costly electronic equipment like computers and televisions.
• Efficiency. When the indoor air is too dry, you’ll have to set your thermostat up higher temperature just to maintain comfort. Humidifying your home can allow you to lower the setting instead and reduce your heating bills.

Contact us at Powers Heating & Air to learn more about the benefits of installing a humidifier in your Peachtree City home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040.

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