There’s a reason why air appears drier during colder months than when it’s hotter. That’s because warmer air carries additional moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true within your the U.S. home. Using your gas furnace makes your residence feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can carry a whole host of ailments, like dry skin, cracked lips and make you more susceptible to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your residence’s air and what you can do to resolve it.
The fuel your furnace needs isn’t the thing responsible for making your home’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 see 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, draws air from inside your house to combust. Because the furnace consistently uses air to burn, it will also pull cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn affects your home’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also referred to as a sealed combustion furnace, are used for keeping your humidity balanced. They take all their combustion air from outdoors, but it stays locked in the sealed furnace. As an added perk, they keep your residence more comfy while using less energy. Moving to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace can save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
In addition to combustion, cold air also naturally drifts into your house during colder weather. Reduced humidity means the air will rob 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 comfortable at a time, a whole-house humidifier will generate that comfort throughout your residence.
These are just a couple humidifier benefits you’ll get when you put in a whole-home system.
It’s typical that cooler weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other sicknesses. That’s due to the fact you’re more susceptible to end up sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under specific airflow conditions, air at the specific humidity level can also restrict the spread of some viruses. Also, it can combat year-round allergy symptoms.
If you have chronically dry skin or eczema, you understand just how uncomfortable those conditions can be during winter. Adding a whole-house humidifier will help your skin retain more moisture.
Keeping your bedroom at the right temperature and humidity level will keep you comfortable at night. It can also alleviate loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and generally anything in your home that’s wood suffers when humidity is too low. This is a result of the fact dry air moves moisture from the wood and causes it to split. Balancing your residence’s humidity at the correct level will keep your home’s furnishings looking their best.
Between steady filter changes and constant refilling, portable humidifiers expect a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs a tune-up about once a year, which can be done alongside your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the smallest amount of maintenance since it doesn’t require 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 run when the furnace isn’t running.
If your home’s air feels less than pleasant during colder 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 sales tactics, just free Expert suggestions on how you can balance your residence’s humidity at just the proper level. And, like our other services, our work is supported 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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