There’s a reason why air seems drier during colder months than when it’s hotter. That’s because warmer air carries additional moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true for your the U.S. residence. Starting 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, including dry skin, cracked lips and make you more vulnerable to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your home’s air and what you can do to fix it.
The fuel your furnace needs isn’t the thing responsible for making your residence’s air seem dry. Rather, it’s the combustion procedures.
There are two different kinds of gas furnaces, standard and high efficiency. With an older standard furnace, you can detect light from the burners when it’s heating. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is entirely sealed.
A standard furnace, also called an atmosphere furnace, draws air from inside your residence to function. Because the furnace consistently uses air to burn, it will also draw in cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn affects your residence’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also referred to as a sealed combustion furnace, are ideal for keeping your humidity steady. They take all their combustion air from your home’s exterior, but it stays contained inside the sealed furnace. As an additional advantage, they keep your home more warm while requiring less energy. Switching to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace can save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
In addition to combustion, cold air also naturally flows into your residence during colder weather. Reduced humidity means the air will steal moisture quickly from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also causes static electricity.
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfy at a time, a whole-house humidifier will transport that comfort throughout your home.
These are just a couple humidifier benefits you’ll receive when you install a whole-home system.
It’s common that cooler weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other ailments. That’s since you’re more susceptible to end up sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under specific airflow conditions, air at the right humidity level may also resist the spread of some viruses. In addition, it can alleviate year-round allergy symptoms.
If you have consistent dry skin or eczema, you recognize just how irritating those conditions are during winter. Adding a whole-house humidifier will help your skin hold onto more moisture.
Maintaining your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you cozy at night. It can also help with loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and generally anything in your residence that’s wood doesn’t like it when humidity is too low. This is due to the fact dry air moves moisture from the wood and causes it to crack. Keeping your residence’s humidity at the right level will keep your residence’s furnishings looking their best.
Between consistent filter changes and continual refilling, portable humidifiers expect a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs maintenance about once a year, which can be completed in tandem with your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the smallest amount of maintenance since it doesn’t use a pad. It stores water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets moved through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can be in use when the furnace isn’t on.
If your residence’s air feels less than comfortable during cold weather, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help. Call us at 866-397-3787 to arrange a free home comfort consultation. There’s no sales tactics, just free Expert advice on how you can keep your house’s humidity at just the correct level. And, like our other services, our work is backed 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.
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There’s no reason to skip your seasonal maintenance that saves energy and helps ensure your air conditioner and heater will work reliably all season long.
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