There’s a reason why air appears drier during cold weather than when it’s hotter. That’s due to the fact warmer air retains extra moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true inside your Champaign house. Using your gas furnace makes your house 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 exposed to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your residence’s air and what you can do to counter it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Steps are a Portion of the Problem
The fuel your furnace needs isn’t the source responsible for making your home’s air feel dry. Rather, it’s the way it combusts.
There are two different styles of gas furnaces, standard and high efficiency. With an older standard furnace, you can notice light from the burners when it’s working. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is completely sealed.
A standard furnace, also termed an atmosphere furnace, pulls air from inside your house to work. Because the furnace constantly relies on air to burn, it will also pull 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 best for keeping your humidity even. They pull all their combustion air from outside, but it stays trapped in the sealed furnace. As another perk, they keep your home more comfortable while consuming less energy. Upgrading 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 house during the winter. Reduced humidity means the air will rob moisture quickly from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It’s also to blame for static electricity.
How to Balance Humidity in Your Residence
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfortable at a time, a whole-house humidifier will transport that comfort throughout your house.
These are just a few humidifier benefits you’ll receive when you upgrade to a whole-home system.
Enhanced Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s common that winter is the worst time for colds, flu and other sicknesses. That’s since you’re more susceptible to get sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under specific airflow conditions, air at the specific humidity level may also resist the spread of some viruses. Also, it can weaken year-round allergy symptoms.
Soothes Dry Skin
If you have constantly dry skin or eczema, you know just how uncomfortable those conditions can be during winter. Adding a whole-house humidifier will help your skin retain more moisture.
Better Sleep
Preserving your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you comfortable at night. It can also reduce loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Defends the Wood in Your Home
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and most anything in your residence that’s wood doesn’t like it when humidity is too low. This is because of the fact dry air draws moisture from the wood and causes it to crack. Keeping your home’s humidity at the correct level will keep your residence’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Required
Between frequent filter changes and constant refilling, portable humidifiers rely on a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs a tune-up about once a year, which can be performed in tandem with your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the smallest amount of maintenance since it doesn’t require a pad. It holds water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets transported through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can be in use when the furnace isn’t running.
Schedule Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Now
If your home’s air feels less than pleasant during cold weather, Chief/Bauer Service Experts can help. Call us at 217-689-2469 to set up a free home comfort consultation. There’s no obligation, just free Expert advice on how you can keep your house’s humidity at just the right 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.