There’s a reason why air appears drier during cold weather than in the summer. That’s since warmer air retains more moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true inside your North America home. 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 susceptible to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your home’s air and what you can do to counter it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Steps are a share the Issue
The fuel your furnace consumes isn’t the thing responsible for making your house’s air appear dry. Rather, it’s the combustion procedures.
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 tightly sealed.
A standard furnace, also called an atmosphere furnace, draws air from inside your house to work. Because the furnace consistently relies on air to burn, it will also pull cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn reduces your house’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also known as a sealed combustion furnace, are best for keeping your humidity even. They take all their combustion air from your home’s exterior, but it stays trapped in the sealed furnace. As an additional advantage, they keep your home more cozy while using less energy. Upgrading to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace may save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
Other than combustion, cold air also naturally flows into your house during colder weather. Lower humidity means the air will snatch moisture fast from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also causes 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 generate that comfort throughout your house.
These are just a few humidifier benefits you’ll receive when you upgrade to a whole-home system.
Better Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s no surprise cold weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other sicknesses. That’s because you’re more likely to get sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under specific airflow conditions, air at the correct humidity level might also slow the spread of some viruses. Also, it can reduce year-round allergy symptoms.
Eases Dry Skin
If you have consistently dry skin or eczema, you realize just how aggravating those conditions make you during winter. Adding a whole-house humidifier will help your skin retain more moisture.
Better Sleep
Preserving your bedroom at the ideal temperature and humidity level will keep you more comfortable at night. It can also alleviate loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Guards the Wood in Your Home
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and basically anything in your residence that’s wood is affected when humidity is too low. This is because of the fact dry air draws moisture from the wood and causes it to split. Balancing your house’s humidity at the right level will keep your residence’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Necessary
Between consistent filter changes and continual refilling, portable humidifiers demand a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs maintenance about once a year, which can be performed alongside your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the lowest amount of maintenance since it doesn’t need a pad. It stores water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets distributed through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can be in use when the furnace is off.
Schedule Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Right Away
If your house’s air feels less than cozy during the winter, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help. Call us at 866-397-3787 to set up a free home comfort consultation. There’s no obligation, just free Expert recommendations on how you can balance your home’s humidity at just the right level. And, like our other services, our work is protected by our well-known 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.