Living in a cold weather area makes my family heavily reliant on the heating system.
- We run the furnace approximately eight months per year.
The outdoor temperature is typically below freezing and often dips into the negative digits. Cold air doesn’t retain as much moistures as warm air. The conditions tend to be extra dry. Inside the house, with the vents supplying a steady stream of hot air, the lack of humidity becomes a problem. Static shock, chapped lips and frizzy hair are consequences of overly dry air. There’s the potential for damage to hardwood floors, doors and moldings due to the wood drying out and cracking. Headaches, insomnia, sneezing, coughing, congestion and aggravated symptoms of asthma and allergies can be blamed on a lack of humidity. It can exacerbate concerns with psoriasis and eczema. I bought a few portable humidifiers, but they were a lot of work for very little reward. The answer was a whole-home humidifier installed into the heating system. It works to introduce moisture into the air as it passes through. I chose a steam-style humidifier that works by converting moisture into steam, creating a very healthy and natural moisture. Because of the humidifier, I’ve been able to lower the thermostat setting by several degrees. The house feels far more comfortable and yet the furnace doesn’t need to work as hard. I’m also saving quite a bit of money on my monthly energy bills. I hope that reducing wear and tear on the heating system will help it to be more reliable and last longer. We are enjoying healthier indoor air quality.