There’s a reason why air appears drier during cold weather than when it’s warmer. That’s due to the fact warmer air holds more moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true inside your Jackson residence. Using your gas furnace makes your residence feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can bring a whole host of ailments, such as dry skin, cracked lips and make you more likely to get sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your residence’s air and what you can do to resolve it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Steps are a Portion of the Issue
The fuel your furnace consumes isn’t the thing responsible for making your home’s air seem dry. Rather, it’s the combustion process.
There are two different kinds of gas furnaces, standard and high efficiency. With an older standard furnace, you can notice light from the burners when it’s heating. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is totally sealed.
A standard furnace, also termed an atmosphere furnace, pulls air from inside your home to work. Because the furnace consistently uses air to burn, it will also draw in cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn reduces your house’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also known as a sealed combustion furnace, are better at keeping your humidity even. They take all their combustion air from outside, but it stays trapped in the sealed furnace. As an additional advantage, they keep your home more comfortable while using less energy. Moving to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace could save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
In addition to combustion, cold air also naturally moves into your home during colder weather. Lower humidity means the air will rob moisture fast from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also contributes to static electricity.
How to Stabilize Humidity in Your Home
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfy at a time, a whole-house humidifier will spread that comfort across your residence.
These are just a couple humidifier benefits you’ll acquire when you put in a whole-home system.
Improved Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s no surprise cooler weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other illnesses. That’s since you’re more susceptible to become sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under certain airflow conditions, air at the correct humidity level can also hamper the spread of some viruses. Also, it can alleviate year-round allergy symptoms.
Relief from Dry Skin
If you have consistently dry skin or eczema, you recognize just how aggravating those conditions make you during winter. Getting a whole-house humidifier will help your skin retain more moisture.
Better Sleep
Maintaining your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you comfortable at night. It can also alleviate loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Protects the Wood in Your Residence
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and just about anything in your house that’s wood suffers when humidity is too low. This is due to the fact dry air absorbs moisture from the wood and causes it to split. Having your house’s humidity at the proper level will keep your house’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Needed
Between steady filter changes and continual refilling, portable humidifiers demand a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs servicing about once a year, which can be done along with your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the least amount of maintenance since it doesn’t use a pad. It holds water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets distributed through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can run when the furnace isn’t on.
Schedule Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Today
If your house’s air feels less than comfy during cold weather, Comfortech Service Experts can help. Call us at 601-852-3105 to arrange a free home comfort consultation. There’s no sales tactics, just free Expert suggestions on how you can keep your house’s humidity at just the right level. And, like our other services, our work is protected by our legendary 100% Satisfaction Guarantee for one year.*
*Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.