Dry air can lead to a host of issues, including discomfort, higher energy costs, health issues, and damage to wood furnishings and other possessions. Dry air is especially problematic during the winter. Since dry air naturally feels colder than humid air, you may set the thermostat higher to compensate for the chill. That leads to increased energy consumption and higher energy bills.

Dry air can also lead to health problems in the form of chapped skin, dry nasal passages, and respiratory issues. But your body isn’t the only thing that can get damaged by dry air. The lack of humidity in the air draws moisture out from wood furnishings and finishes in the home, which can lead to cracked and warped wood.  Possessions, such as musical instruments, can also sustain irreparable damage.

One effective solution is a humidifier. You can choose between portable options and whole-house humidification systems that work with the home’s HVAC system. Portable humidifiers are convenient because they can be less expensive and can be moved to target specific areas in the home.

However, whole-house humidification systems offer a number of features that are superior to those provided by portable units. First, a whole-house system uses a furnace’s blower, which means humidity is automatically distributed throughout the entire home. The humidity level can also be preset and the humidifier can adjust that amount of humidity distributed as-needed.

The other clear advantage is the maintenance requirements of a whole-house humidification system. Portable humidifiers need to have their water changed on a nearly daily basis. They can sometimes leak water and may lead to mold or bacteria problems if they’re left in one spot for too long with the humidity settings too high. A whole house system may only require maintenance once or twice a year and will almost never blow too much humidity into one area because the humidity settings are automatically controlled.

Comfort Systems has proudly helped Wichita homeowners with dry air and other heating and cooling issues since 1996. Contact us to learn more about how a whole-house humidification system can eliminate dry air in your home.

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

Posted in Humidifiers and tagged , , , , , , , ,