How Does a Whole-House Humidifier Work?

Posted: January 31, 2019

Healthy indoor air contains a certain amount of moisture – ideally about 55%. But during the winter, air becomes much drier than in the summer months. This can make reaching that ideal moisture percentage in your home difficult—especially when your furnace is operating and blowing warm air through your home.

This type of dry indoor environment can cause a range of problems, including dry, irritated skin and increased allergic responses. Dry indoor air, if left unchecked, can also result in physical damage to your home and furniture.

Fortunately, you can solve the problem of dry indoor air with a simple solution that ensures healthy moisture levels throughout your home: a whole-house humidifier.

Wired to your heating and air conditioning unit, as well as your plumbing, a central humidifier adds water vapor to your home air via your ducts. You can then control humidity levels using your thermostat, just like the temperature.

Benefits of a humidification system

• Better health – Humidifiers reduce the incidence of colds, flu and other respiratory ailments by controlling viruses that tend to thrive in dry air.
• Greater comfort – Overly dry air can make asthma and allergy symptoms worse and lead to dry noses, sore throats and cracked, itchy skin. With properly humidified air, you’ll experience fewer of these problems.
• Less damage to your home – Dry air can wreak havoc on wood floors, plaster, paint, furniture, artwork, electronics and musical instruments. By keeping the right amount of water vapor in the air, you avoid that kind of damage.
• Lower bills – Properly humidified air feels warmer than dry air, which means a whole-house humidifier will help you feel warmer at lower temperatures. According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, you can save 3-4% on your heating bill for every degree you lower your thermostat.

Do you want to improve your indoor air quality with a humidifier? Contact the indoor air quality experts at Wilson Oil and Propane today.

You can read more about keeping your home healthier here.