The cozy warmth of your home is an essential requirement when you live in the cold Alberta climate. However, by continually recycling the air in your home you can lose necessary humidity which can lead to a wide range of problems. Forced-air central heating systems reheat the air in your home and recirculate the same air multiple times throughout the day. Typically, this causes the air in your home to become dry and this can be both uncomfortable and unhealthy. This becomes more obvious in the winter months due to your heating system having to run more often. As moisture helps to prevent the movement of germs, a whole-home humidifier can help keep your air clean and therefore better your health. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of having the proper level of humidity in your home.
Installing a furnace humidifier or investing in a whole-house humidifier will allow you to breathe easily once again and make your home’s air more comfortable. Once your home is brought to the ideal moisture level, you will notice a significant improvement in the comfort of your living space. If you notice that you are experiencing irritated eyes, a dry nose, skin and/or throat, or suffer from indoor allergies, you may benefit from adding more humidity to your home. If your home’s humidity level is low, the air will draw humidity from wood, plants and your skin. This can lead to dry skin and a cold feeling because sweat is evaporating off your skin and causes you to feel cold. Allergy sufferers often notice that even a short period of time spent in excessively dry air can exacerbate their symptoms. Indoor air that is too dry can cause irritated nasal membranes and even sinus headaches, leading to discomfort. Furthermore, if you or anyone in your family suffers from asthma, excessively dry air can trigger an attack.
Beyond eliminating dry skin and sinus discomfort, a whole-home humidifier can significantly reduce static electricity in your home. In addition, maintaining proper moisture levels will also help protect wood surfaces by preventing peeling or cracking. As an added bonus, by investing in a whole-home humidifier to maintain the correct humidity levels in your home you will actually feel warmer, even if the thermostat is set at the same temperature as normal. With the warmer feeling of the air, thermostats can be lowered, thus conserving energy and saving you money on your heating bills. Want to try this out? Put the palm of your hand near your mouth and lightly blow air against your hand. It feels cool, correct? But why, when your body temperature is 98.6°F does your breath not feel warm? It’s because as the water evaporates off your skin it feel cold! This is the same approach taken as when you raise the humidity of the air in your home – your home can actually feel warmer, without having to raise your thermostat – one of the key benefits of humidity.
If you have a green thumb, your indoor plants will also benefit from an increase in humidity. Plants such as aloe vera or Gerber daisies are natural air purifiers but only if they are getting the moisture they need. A whole-home humidifier will allow your houseplants to thrive during the Canadian winter, thereby positively impacting your indoor air quality.
While portable humidifiers are common, they provide only localized relief. Unless you move the unit around from room to room or have multiple humidifiers in your home, you will not benefit from the extra humidity they can provide. Whole-house humidifiers offer numerous benefits including creating comfort throughout the whole home, not just in a few select rooms. Also they operate much more quietly than portable appliances, which is a bonus.
If you’ve noticed that your home is quite dry lately, especially since your furnace is running more often during these cold winter months in Alberta, a humidifier may be the perfect solution. By raising the humidity level in your home you can actually feel warmer, be more healthy and comfortable, all while saving money on your heating costs – all of which are great benefits of humidity!
Contact Ignite Heating & Air Conditioning Ltd. today to find out more about improving your indoor air quality with a whole-home humidifier. Call (780) 919-4916 today. Your comfort is our concern!