A Humidifier for Wintertime Comfort? Here's Why

For many homeowners, winter can seem like a break from allergies, as outdoor allergens dissipate. With increasingly dry indoor air and more time inside, though, it’s far easier to get dried out, even as dust increases indoors. Humidifiers offer one route to alleviate symptoms such as dry sinus passages, asthma and eczema.

How They Help

Home heating systems, mixed with already dry winter air, can dramatically reduce indoor humidity, down to as little as 10 percent. A humidifier, however, will put moisture back into indoor air to maintain home comfort. Room humidifiers are most commonly used because they provide a targeted solution to dry air in the bedroom or living room, but whole-house humidifiers are also available. The whole-house models are installed into your ductwork, and connected directly to home plumbing and drainage systems. Water vapor is added to the airstream as it’s blown through the humidifier’s water panel.

Benefits

One significant benefit for homeowners is that humidifiers can save on heating costs. They make our homes feel warmer by increasing air moisture and slowing down the human body’s cooling mechanism. When you feel warmer, you can turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees and save on energy. Humidifier benefits include:

• Moisturize otherwise dry and itchy skin, especially on hands and lips.
• Prevent illness by keeping the tiny hairs in our noses that filter out bacteria and viruses working properly.
• Soothe throat, lung and nasal passage irritation, which helps you breathe and sleep better when you do get sick.
• Prevent snoring by maintaining moisture levels in the nose and soft palate.
• Protect our vocal cords by keeping them well-lubricated and preventing dehydration.
• Keep static electricity to a minimum, both for people and electronics.
• Maintain indoor plant life, especially those used to tropical humidity.
• Prevent wood furniture from cracking or splitting.

For help monitoring your home’s humidity levels, or other expert advice on home comfort, contact us at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We have been serving northwest Arkansas for 45 years, and we look forward to serving you today.

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

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