There’s a reason why air appears drier during cold weather than when it’s hotter. That’s because warmer air retains additional moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true for your the U.S. home. Using your gas furnace makes your home feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can bring a whole host of ailments, like dry skin, cracked lips and make you more likely to get sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your house’s air and what you can do to fix it.
The fuel your furnace consumes isn’t the culprit responsible for making your residence’s air seem dry. Rather, it’s the combustion process.
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 entirely sealed.
A standard furnace, also known as an atmosphere furnace, takes air from inside your home to function. Because the furnace constantly depends on air to burn, it will also draw in cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn affects your residence’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also called a sealed combustion furnace, are better at keeping your humidity balanced. They pull all their combustion air from outdoors, but it stays locked inside the sealed furnace. As an added perk, they keep your residence more comfortable while consuming less energy. Upgrading to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace could save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
In addition to combustion, cold air also naturally flows into your house during cold weather. Decreased humidity means the air will snatch moisture rapidly from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It’s also to blame for static electricity.
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room pleasant at a time, a whole-house humidifier will generate that comfort around your house.
These are just a few humidifier benefits you’ll acquire when you switch to a whole-home system.
It’s no surprise cold weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other illnesses. That’s due to the fact you’re more susceptible to become sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under certain airflow conditions, air at the specific humidity level might also restrict the spread of some viruses. Also, it can help with year-round allergy symptoms.
If you have consistent dry skin or eczema, you understand just how uncomfortable those conditions are during winter. Installing a whole-house humidifier will help your skin retain more moisture.
Keeping your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you more comfortable at night. It can also decrease loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and most anything in your home that’s wood doesn’t like it when humidity is too low. This is because of the fact dry air moves moisture from the wood and causes it to split. Having your home’s humidity at the proper level will keep your home’s furnishings looking their best.
Between frequent filter changes and constant refilling, portable humidifiers rely on a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs servicing about once a year, which can be performed at the same time as 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 moved through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can be in use when the furnace is off.
If your home’s air feels less than comfortable during the winter, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help. Call us at 866-397-3787 to arrange a free home comfort consultation. There’s no sales tactics, just free Expert suggestions on how you can keep your home’s humidity at just the correct level. And, like our other services, our work is protected 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.
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There’s no reason to skip your seasonal maintenance that saves energy and helps ensure your air conditioner and heater will work reliably all season long.
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