Dry Skin, Chapped Lips, and Getting Zapped…..
What Else Happens In A Dry Home?
There are several challenges that result from not having the proper humidity levels in your home. Some of these challenges are common knowledge and some are not so common.
When your home is too dry…
- Static Electricity, dry skin, chapped lips, dry nasal passages, bloody noses, and a dry sore throat when you wake up in the morning
- Furniture, paintings, and hardwood floors will begin to shrink and can ultimately damage these items permanently
- In the winter time low humidity will actually make your feel colder in your home. If you take a look at the chart above, you’ll see that if it is 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) inside your home and the humidity is 10 percent, it feels like it is 65 degrees F (18 degrees C). Simply by bringing the humidity up to 70 percent, you can make it feel 5 degrees F (3 degrees C) warmer in your home. Having the proper humidity in your home in the winter time will actually allow you to lower your thermostat greatly impacting your energy usage to heat your home.
Since it costs a lot less to humidify the air than to heat it, a humidifier can save you a lot of money! For best indoor comfort and health, a relative humidity of about 45 percent is ideal. At temperatures typically found indoors, this humidity level makes the air feel approximately what the temperature indicates, and your skin and lungs do not dry out and become irritated.
Most people know that too much humidity can create mold and bacteria growth, BUT did you know that not enough can as well?
Few people know that when humidity levels are too low it also causes the growth of certain molds, fungi and bacteria.
The EPA States that “Humidifiers are commonly used in homes to relieve the physical discomforts of dry nose, throat, lips, and skin. The moisture they add to dry air also helps alleviate common nuisances brought on by winter heating, such as static electricity, peeling wallpaper, and cracks in paint and furniture. However, excess moisture can encourage the growth of biological organisms in the home. These organisms include dust mites, which are microscopic animals that produce materials causing allergic reactions to household dust, and molds.”
Vital Air Solutions offers several models of humidifiers that can be sized and installed to meet the requirements of your home and your families comfort. Visit our products page to learn more.
To learn about the differences of whole house humidification and room humidifiers view this article:
Whole House Humidification Versus Room Humidifiers, Which is Better?