There’s a reason why air appears drier in the winter than when it’s hotter. That’s since warmer air retains extra moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true inside your Indianapolis home. Turning on your gas furnace makes your home feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can carry a whole host of ailments, such as dry skin, cracked lips and make you more vulnerable to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your residence’s air and what you can do to fix it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Process is Part of the Trouble
The fuel your furnace needs isn’t the culprit responsible for making your house’s air feel dry. Rather, it’s the combustion procedures.
There are two different kinds of gas furnaces, standard and high efficiency. With an older standard furnace, you can notice light from the burners when it’s running. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is completely sealed.
A standard furnace, also known as an atmosphere furnace, takes air from inside your home to function. Because the furnace constantly relies on air to burn, it will also draw in cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn lowers your residence’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also referred to as a sealed combustion furnace, are better at keeping your humidity balanced. They take all their combustion air from your home’s exterior, but it stays trapped inside the sealed furnace. As an extra bonus, they keep your home more comfy 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 residence during the winter. Reduced humidity means the air will steal moisture fast from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It’s also to blame for static electricity.
How to Even Out Humidity in Your House
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfy at a time, a whole-house humidifier will transport that comfort throughout your residence.
These are just a couple humidifier benefits you’ll receive when you switch to a whole-home system.
Better Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s typical that cooler weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other ailments. That’s since you’re more susceptible to end up sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under certain airflow conditions, air at the right humidity level might also resist 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 irritating those conditions are during winter. Adding a whole-house humidifier will help your skin retain more moisture.
Improved Sleep
Keeping your bedroom at the right temperature and humidity level will keep you more comfortable at night. It can also alleviate loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Protects the Wood in Your Home
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and basically anything in your home that’s wood suffers when humidity is too low. This is a result of the fact dry air absorbs moisture from the wood and causes it to split. Having your home’s humidity at the correct level will keep your home’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Necessary
Between consistent filter changes and constant refilling, portable humidifiers rely on a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs a tune-up about once a year, which can be completed along with your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the least amount of maintenance since it doesn’t need a pad. It holds water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets transported through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can run when the furnace isn’t running.
Schedule Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Right Away
If your house’s air feels less than pleasant during cold weather, Broad Ripple Service Experts can help. Call us at 317-527-0271 to request a free home comfort consultation. There’s no obligation, just free Expert suggestions on how you can keep your residence’s humidity at just the proper 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.