There’s a reason why air feels drier during cold weather than in the summer. That’s since warmer air carries additional moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true inside your the U.S. residence. Starting your gas furnace makes your house feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can transport 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 combat it.
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 types 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 totally sealed.
A standard furnace, also termed an atmosphere furnace, pulls air from inside your house to function. Because the furnace continuously requires air to burn, it will also pull cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn lowers your residence’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also called a sealed combustion furnace, are ideal for keeping your humidity balanced. They take all their combustion air from outdoors, but it stays locked within the sealed furnace. As an additional advantage, they keep your home more comfortable while using less energy. Moving to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace might 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. Reduced humidity means the air will rob moisture fast from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also causes static electricity.
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfy at a time, a whole-house humidifier will transport that comfort across your house.
These are just a couple humidifier benefits you’ll acquire when you put in a whole-home system.
It’s no surprise cold weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other ailments. That’s since you’re more likely to end up sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under specific airflow conditions, air at the right humidity level may also hamper the spread of some viruses. In addition, it can alleviate year-round allergy symptoms.
If you have consistently dry skin or eczema, you understand just how irritating those conditions can be during winter. Adding a whole-house humidifier will help your skin keep more moisture.
Maintaining your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you cozy at night. It can also decrease loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and basically anything in your house that’s wood is affected when humidity is too low. This is because of the fact dry air moves moisture from the wood and causes it to crack. Keeping your residence’s humidity at the right level will keep your house’s furnishings looking their best.
Between steady filter changes and continuous refilling, portable humidifiers depend on a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs servicing about once a year, which can be completed alongside your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the least amount of maintenance since it doesn’t need 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 be in use when the furnace isn’t on.
If your residence’s air feels less than comfy during cold weather, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help. Call us at 866-397-3787 to request a free home comfort consultation. There’s no pressure, just free Expert advice on how you can maintain your residence’s humidity at just the correct level. And, like our other services, our work is backed by our well-known 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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