There’s a reason why air appears drier in the winter than when it’s hotter. That’s since warmer air carries more moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true within your Raleigh home. Turning on your gas furnace makes your residence 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 fix 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 house’s air appear 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 detect light from the burners when it’s running. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is tightly sealed.
A standard furnace, also called an atmosphere furnace, draws air from inside your home to work. Because the furnace continuously requires air to burn, it will also draw in cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn affects your home’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also called a sealed combustion furnace, are better at keeping your humidity steady. They take all their combustion air from outdoors, but it stays trapped inside the sealed furnace. As another perk, they keep your residence more cozy while consuming less energy. Switching 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 home during the winter. Lower humidity means the air will steal moisture fast from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also contributes to static electricity.
How to Stabilize Humidity in Your Residence
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfy at a time, a whole-house humidifier will generate that comfort throughout your house.
These are just a small number of humidifier benefits you’ll acquire when you upgrade to a whole-home system.
Better Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s typical that winter is the worst time for colds, flu and other illnesses. That’s because you’re more apt to end up sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under specific airflow conditions, air at the correct humidity level can also hamper 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 recognize just how uncomfortable those conditions are during winter. Getting a whole-house humidifier will help your skin retain more moisture.
Enhanced Sleep
Keeping your bedroom at the right temperature and humidity level will keep you cozy at night. It can also alleviate loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Guards the Wood in Your House
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and basically anything in your residence that’s wood suffers when humidity is too low. This is due to the fact dry air moves moisture from the wood and causes it to split. Balancing your home’s humidity at the right level will keep your home’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Needed
Between frequent filter changes and constant refilling, portable humidifiers demand a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs a tune-up about once a year, which can be performed at the same time as your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the least amount of maintenance since it doesn’t use a pad. It stores water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets transported through your ductwork. Because it’s independently powered, it can work when the furnace isn’t on.
Request Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Now
If your home’s air feels less than comfortable during colder weather, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help. Call us at 919-578-4329 to arrange a free home comfort consultation. There’s no pressure, just free Expert recommendations on how you can balance your residence’s humidity at just the correct level. And, like our other services, our work is supported 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.