There’s a reason why air appears drier during colder months than in the summer. That’s because warmer air retains more moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true for your Melbourne house. Turning on your gas furnace makes your residence feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can carry a whole host of ailments, like dry skin, cracked lips and make you more vulnerable to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your house’s air and what you can do to fix 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 appear 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 on. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is completely sealed.
A standard furnace, also termed an atmosphere furnace, takes air from inside your residence to combust. Because the furnace continuously depends on air to burn, it will also use cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn lowers your home’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also called a sealed combustion furnace, are used for keeping your humidity balanced. They draw all their combustion air from outdoors, but it stays trapped in the sealed furnace. As an added bonus, they keep your house more cozy while needing 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 drifts into your residence during cold weather. Lower humidity means the air will steal moisture rapidly from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also contributes to static electricity.
How to Even Out Humidity in Your House
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfortable at a time, a whole-house humidifier will spread that comfort around your home.
These are just a couple humidifier benefits you’ll get when you install a whole-home system.
Improved Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s common that cold weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other sicknesses. That’s since you’re more apt to become sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under particular airflow conditions, air at the correct humidity level might also resist the spread of some viruses. Additionally, it can reduce year-round allergy symptoms.
Relief from Dry Skin
If you have consistent dry skin or eczema, you realize just how aggravating those conditions can be during winter. Installing a whole-house humidifier will help your skin hold onto more moisture.
Better Sleep
Keeping your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you more comfortable at night. It can also help with loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Defends the Wood in Your Home
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 crack. Balancing your residence’s humidity at the right level will keep your house’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Needed
Between frequent filter changes and continual refilling, portable humidifiers depend on a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs maintenance 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 need 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 work when the furnace isn’t running.
Schedule Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Today
If your home’s air feels less than cozy during the winter, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help. Call us at 321-428-7635 to arrange a free home comfort consultation. There’s no pressure, just free Expert advice on how you can balance your residence’s humidity at just the right level. And, like our other services, our work is backed by our famous 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.