Furnace Humidifier: Why to Invest in One This Winter

It’s a rarity that I make declarative statements, so take note:  A whole house furnace humidifier is THE BEST investment you can make for a winter in Indianapolis.

I’ve detailed in the past the different types of humidifiers, and how they help tackle the health issues of dry air, and how it impacts families across the city, and today we’re tackling how whole house humidifiers can be a great investment.

The three reasons a whole house furnace humidifier will be the best investment you make this winter are:

1. Your health
2. Your comfort
3. Your home

Humidity and Your Health

One of the biggest factors in why we get sick more often in the winter is due to lack of humidification. How’s that? It’s science. Low levels of humidity dry out your nasal membranes making your nose more susceptible to infections and bleeding. Further, low humidity levels are linked to speedier transmission and progression of airborne viruses.

As the outdoor temperature falls and our furnaces heat up the indoor air, relative humidity levels in homes without humidifiers plummet below the recommended range for healthy living. And the reality is, your small room humidifier just doesn’t have the capacity to combat the space of your home.

Humidity and Your Comfort

The reality is that comfort is a combination of factors, with temperature and humidity among them. It’s why someone in Phoenix can claim to be “comfortable” in 100 degree heat, but 100 degrees in Indianapolis is unbearable. As humidity goes up and down so does our capacity to be comfortable in different temperatures.

Of course, Indianapolis area temperatures don’t change quickly, right? It might be 70 degrees this Saturday and 20 degrees by next Monday, which requires an effort from your home comfort systems to combat that big change. As you’ll see in the chart, the ideal relative humidity levels fluctuate as outdoor temperatures change, but unfortunately most homes don’t change humidity levels.

Humidity and Your Home

Does your home have hardwoods? Do you have any wood furniture? Do you have chair rail or crown molding? Heck, are any soft surfaces part of your home’s construction? The moisture levels in these important and expensive elements within our homes fluctuates during the year — losing substantial moisture during the winter.

Some quick math to help you determine what “substantial moisture” might mean to you. At a relative humidity (RH) level of 60 percent, 1 cubic ft. of wood will hold 3 pints of water. If that same piece of wood is in a space with 10% RH, the wood will hold less than 1 pint.

Why does that matter? Loss of this moisture leads to cracks, gaps, bubbling, and more.

You may not have a $30,000 hardwood floor, but chances are you have some material in your home that’s absorbing and releasing the moisture in the air, and having the subsequent damage from this expansion and contraction.

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Now knowing how ideal humidification can help your health, comfort, and home, hopefully you understand why we think it’s the best investment you’ll make this winter. As always, we’ll be ready at 317-203-8149 to schedule an estimate and answer your questions!