Winter in Minnesota brings no shortage of challenges. Bone-chilling temps, snow emergencies, dry skin, chapped lips, and coughs that won’t quit. There’s no stopping the snow and cold, but the rest can be history by solving one problem– dry air in your home.
Optimal humidity is between 30-50%, but in the winter it drops much lower than that, especially in our homes where heaters drawn even more moisture out of the air. Humidifiers compensate by returning water vapor to increase humidity.
You’re probably familiar with portable humidifiers, but installing a whole house humidifier is actually a more efficient and cost-effective solution with benefits for the health of your family and your home.
Efficiency
Heating systems with whole house humidifiers are better at keeping you warm. Since humid air feels warmer than dry air, you can save energy by setting your thermostat lower and still feel warmer than you would without a humidifier. Unlike a portable unit, the whole house humidifiers are monitored by your thermostat, and ensure even humidity all season long.
Savings
Installing a whole house humidifier on an existing heating system is cheaper than purchasing a single portable humidifier unit. Because the whole house humidifier runs off your central plumbing and heating system, it costs only pennies a year to operate and requires very little maintenance.
Your Health
Viruses thrive in dry air and make your immune system more vulnerable to infection. Keeping humidity at an optimal level improves your odds of fighting off those debilitating winter colds, and soothes asthma or allergy symptoms aggravated by the dry air. You can also ease up on the lotion and ChapStick—improved humidity helps with that dry skin too!
Home Health
Dry air is as hard on your home as it is on your body. Just like it pulls moisture out of your skin, it pulls moisture out of other porous materials too. Your hardwood floors, antique furniture, and moldings could all experience splitting and cracking as a result of dry air. So, do your woodwork a favor and keep it hydrated.
If you’d like to install a whole house humidifier in your heating system this season, call Bonfe today for more information or to schedule your service.