It can be so difficult to feel cozy in winter when there’s freezing cold air outside and harsh, dry air inside. If your skin is dry or itchy, or it seems like you’re getting shocked every day in your home, you’re probably suffering from low humidity.
Fortunately, a humidifier can offer an easy fix. A lot of homeowners use a whole house humidifier to keep dry air away and get their home’s humidity levels between 30 and 45 percent. Regulating your indoor air does wonders for creating a comfy-cozy home during the cold months. Once you’ve got one of these systems installed, you’ll wonder how you ever made it through winter without it!
5 Reasons Why Homeowners Love Whole House Humidifiers:
1. Helps prevent disease and offers allergy relief.
Having some moisture in the air is actually good for breathing. It helps your body block dust, dirt, or bacteria and viruses from entering your lungs and making you sick. The right humidity levels in your home will help protect your respiratory and immune system, whereas dry air just makes it harder for us to stay healthy.
We don’t usually think of having allergies in winter, but dust mites and other indoor allergens like pet hair are still around every season. And because our indoor air gets drier when we turn our heaters on, these allergens have easier ways of spreading. Boosting your air moisture to the right levels can prevent those irritating particles from getting into your lungs. The right humidity levels help keep your body’s natural defenses strong.
2. Keeps skin soft and helps with chapped lips.
Low humidity will attack your skin and dry it out, and flaky, itchy, or rough skin are sure signs of dry air in your home. In extreme cases, your skin may even crack or show symptoms of eczema.
Installing a humidifier helps your skin stay hydrated year-round. A whole house humidifier improves your air quality and gives you a comfortable air moisture level all throughout your home so you don’t have to apply lotion multiple times a day. With good home humidity levels you’ll notice your lips are better protected in winter too.
3. Protects hardwood floors, door jambs, and furniture.
Just like your skin, your wood furnishings can start to crack with dry air. When humidity levels are too low, the air in your home will try to find moisture wherever it can—which means your hardwood floors, walls, door jambs, furniture, and even your piano are at risk of drying out, shifting, or splitting.
Preventing dry skin is great, but proper humidity levels also go a long way in maintaining the structure of your home. This can be one of the most costly problems related to dry air. Think of it this way: A whole house humidifier not only helps protect every room in your home, but also everything in it!
4. Stops annoying static!
Static electricity goes wild in dry air, and it’s easy to get shocked in winter with low humidity. Returning some moisture to your home’s air helps keep static from building up. There a lot of bizarre tricks (like putting a safety pin on your shirt collar!) you can try to remove static electric in your home, but getting a humidifier is your best bet.
It’s a lot harder to get shocked when your humidity is in check. Whole house humidifiers keep humidity levels at a comfortable 30 to 45 percent in winter. When they’re up and running, you don’t have to be shy about petting your cat or dog, brushing your hair, or giving someone a hug—the static shouldn’t bother you anymore.
5. Lets you breathe better and sleep easier.
Dry air can lead to dry throats, dry coughs, and even nose bleeds. A lot of homeowners find extra health benefits in their sleep with a whole home humidifier.
Nasal passages can feel irritated when humidity levels are too low in winter, but regulating moisture with a humidifier can help you feel better both day and night! A whole home humidifier can often improve your breathing and sleep schedule because you’re less likely to wake up with a dry cough or sore throat when your air moisture is at a comfortable level.
For more information about whole house humidifiers, check out our quick humidifier video on YouTube and other “How To” clips on our video page. There’s no reason to stay static-y in winter! If you’re ready to be done with dry air for good, reach out to your local heating and cooling experts to find a humidifier that’s right for your home.