5 Unexpected Reasons to Use a Humidifier

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Summer is winding down, and it’s time to start thinking about preparing your home for another frigid winter. It goes without saying that you will need a heating system to maintain home comfort when temperatures plummet — but how will you deal with plummeting humidity levels?

Many people don’t notice decreasing humidity levels until they have cracked skin, dry eyes or a scratchy throat. By the time these symptoms have set in, nearly all moisture in the home is long gone.

Dry air affects you and your home in ways that aren’t always immediately obvious. What you don’t see can hurt you, so learn about some of the surprising reasons to use a humidifier in your home.

 

  1. Hasten Healing Times

There is no doubt that humidity helps temporarily ease congestion for people with a cold or the flu. It’s one of the reasons chicken noodle soup is a go-to meal choice for moms everywhere when their kids are sick. The steam makes breathing easier, which is just what a person needs when they’re under the weather. What’s surprising is that humidity in the air may help eliminate cold and flu germs before they spread to others. When it comes to staying healthy, humidity is a key ingredient.

  1. Save Money

When bitterly cold outdoor temperatures arrive, many people try to balance home comfort with budget-conscious decisions. Lowering the temperature before leaving home, insulating windows and keeping exterior doors closed are obvious ways to reduce energy usage, but another method is adjusting humidity levels. Humid air feels warmer than dry air, so homeowners can set their thermostat at a cooler temperature than normal and feel the same level of comfort they’re used to.

  1. Encourage Plant Growth

Your houseplants rely on you to stay healthy, and there’s more to thriving greenery than sunlight and weekly watering. Low humidity in the home can lead to high stress levels in plants. If your home is extremely dry, you may notice that the soil feels dry soon after you water a plant. What’s more, the plant’s leaves may wither quickly, making revival difficult. In a comfortably humid environment, most houseplants thrive (cacti being an exception). A little extra moisture goes a long way towards healthy roots, stems, and leaves.

  1. Protect Wooden Furniture and Floors

Imagine filling a sponge with water and using a steamroller to squeeze out every last drop — it would feel like a shell of its former self when all was said and done. That’s kind of how the woodwork in your home acts during the wintertime. The dry air seeps our moisture from wooden benches, chests, chairs and flooring. Dry furniture might not seem like a big deal, but without humidity wood tends to crack, buckle and bend. Add humidity to the air and reduce the risk of broken or warped furniture.

  1. Zap Static Electricity

You might consider static electricity an unfortunate fact of life, but you can reduce the number of unpleasant shocks you feel by upping your home’s humidity. Dry air is an insulator, and shocks are more frequent when humidity levels drop. Most people spend the majority of their time indoors (around electric conductors) during the winter, which creates the perfect recipe for electrostatic pain. Increase the humidity in your home, and static shocks are sure to be less of an issue.

Improve Your Comfort with a Home Humidifier

If you’ve never experienced a winter with a home humidifier, you may not know what you’re missing. You don’t have to settle for dry skin, scratchy throats and static electricity that never seems to go away. Contact our team to learn more about getting a humidifier for your HVAC system. By the time dry January air arrives, you will be glad you thought ahead!

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