Winter weather brings cold and nasty winds, but it also contributes to dry indoor air. If you’re suffering from dry skin and other side effects of the winter season, keep reading to find out how a whole-home humidifier can, in essence, moisturize your home and your dry, itchy skin.
Health and Humidity
Ideal humidity levels are considered to be between 30 to 50 percent. Dry winter air is not ideal for you living space. Moreover, if you use a forced-air heating system, such as a heat pump or furnace, indoor relative humidity levels may drop as low as 10 percent. This may explain the following symptoms associated with dry air:
- Dry skin, eyes, nose and throat can cause constant discomfort in your own home.
- Static-electric shocks are common when indoor air is below ideal humidity levels.
- Many viruses, such as influenza, proliferate when the air is dry. Infection and illnesses are compounded with lowered immune systems and dry nasal and throat passages. Properly humidified air has been shown to help breathing and increase comfort in asthma sufferers.
Whole-Home Humidification
A whole-home humidifier alleviates dry air by adding water vapor to the air from your duct system. A humidifier is typically attached to the supply-side ductwork by your HVAC professional.
In bypass type humidifiers, airflow from your HVAC system’s blower is directed through the humidifier, and moisture is added to the airflow by way of evaporation in a water-soaked media panel or infused with steam. A powered humidifier has an onboard fan, which allows you to run the humidifier when the HVAC system is not on.
Water supply is provided by a simple connection to a home’s plumbing system. A humidistat senses and controls humidity in the air, much like thermostat settings control indoor environmental temperatures. In this way, you can enjoy fully automatic operation and optimal humidity levels in every room of your home.
If you would like relief from dry, irritated skin this winter, contact Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal to discuss which whole-home humidifier is the right choice for your Northwest Arkansas home.
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 whole-home humidifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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