When the weather is beautiful and you can open up the windows, your indoor air quality and comfort can be amazing. However, during wintertime, there may be a bit of discomfort with your indoor air. Because of this, there are many benefits of a humidifier in winter for your home.
Humidifiers add moisture to the air in your home. You might want a humidifier to help reduce discomfort and irritation associated with dry indoor air. In winter, this is especially important because our heating devices and shut windows can cause the air to become dry.
Here’s how a humidifier in winter can improve your indoor air quality, and which humidifier might be the best option for you.
What is Indoor Air Quality?
Before diving into how a humidifier affects indoor air quality, it’s important to know the ins and outs of IAQ. Your indoor air quality is the cleanliness, safety, and comfort of the air inside your home. We spend about 90% of our time indoors, yet pollutants are 2-5 times more dense inside than outside.
Some common pollutants indoors are combustion appliances, pet dander, mold, and VOCs. On the quest to purify your indoor air, you may want to track these
How Humidity Level Affects Indoor Air Quality
You should use a humidifier in winter to provide some humidity to the air that it has lost because of heating devices and shut windows. However, don’t excessively use the humidifier, to the point where the air is too moist and encourages mold growth. You also want to keep your humidifier clean so it is not releasing bacteria into the air. Improper humidifier usage can make respiratory symptoms worse, so make sure you use your humidifier correctly.
Benefits of a Humidifier in Winter
There are plenty of benefits of a humidifier in winter. This is because heating systems can cause your indoor air to become drier.
Humidifiers are great for symptoms caused by dry air like parched skin, chapped lips, coughs, and itchy nose and throat. If you catch a cold or flu, they can also alleviate symptoms and help you stay comfortable. Overall, humidifiers help you breathe easier.
Some people with conditions like allergies, eczema, and sinus issues benefit greatly from using a humidifier in winter. The humidifier doesn’t only help in the winter, but also can be beneficial in the summer if the AC is causing dry air.
While adding moisture to your home, it’s important not to overdo it. The recommended humidity level by the EPA is 30-50%. Make sure to track the moisture in your home to avoid any issues.
One easy way to do this is by making sure the HVAC systems you install monitor and control the humidity level to keep it from going too low or high. One example is a Mitsubishi ductless mini-split.
Aside from health problems, low humidity can also cause issues with your heating systems and home. Too dry of air can hurt wood flooring, doors, furniture, and more. Over time, this can cause damage that is expensive to repair and replace. To save money in the long run, keep the humidity levels optimal in your home.
Another reason dry air causes you to spend more is because it can cause you to crank up your heating systems unnecessarily. The more humid air is, the warmer it feels. If the air in your home is dry, you’ll feel the need to turn up the heat more. Save energy by keeping an adequate level of moisture with a humidifier.
Types of Humidifiers
Humidifiers are beneficial to use in winter, but the wrong humidifier can make the benefits harder to notice. Picking the right humidifier for you is important. These are the five main types of humidifiers:
- Vaporizers. These plug into electricity and heat water, cool it, and release steam into the air. This type of humidifier is common to find, inexpensive, and portable.
- Impellers. This type of humidifier uses spinning disks for a cool, fine mist. Unlike the vaporizer, there is no risk of burns, since impeller humidifiers don’t get hot. However, they only work for one room at a time.
- Evaporators. These types of humidifiers use a filter and fan to release moisture into the air. Like vaporizers and impeller systems, these are affordable types of humidifiers. However, they also only humidify one room at a time. With all three, it’s important not to overuse them, as that can encourage mold to grow.
- Central Humidifiers. Like central air or central heat, central humidification works with your heating and cooling units to moisturize the entire home. If there isn’t one already present in your central heating or cooling system, you can get central humidifiers installed by HVAC professionals. These are more expensive, and you will need to keep track of and replace your filter.
- Ultrasonic humidifiers use ultrasonic vibration to mist the home. These humidifiers come in cool or warm mist options. Some of these are high-end and some are more affordable. They also come in various sizes for different rooms.
Best Humidifier for Winter
Your best humidifier for winter will depend on your needs. If you have children, central, impeller, or ultrasonic humidifiers may be a great option since there is no risk of burns. Some humidifiers, like steam or evaporator, are more affordable, while others, like central or ultrasonic, are more of investments. For each unique situation, there is a humidifier on the market that fulfills the job.
Some humidifiers are smart, meaning they have special features that help you track and control the humidity easily. If you want to ensure you don’t overdo it with your humidity, use gadgets that help you gauge your indoor air quality.
Purify Your Indoor Air
A qualified expert must install your house’s boiler, air conditioner, furnace, or any other major HVAC appliance. Building a relationship with a reputable company will ensure that you receive professional installations and that any problems can be quickly resolved through effective communication. With great installation comes great indoor air quality!
Live Free Heating Cooling Electric is aware of the value of good HVAC services in achieving good indoor air quality. Ready for central humidification or an excellent heating/cooling unit that provides humidity control? We provide free estimates (terms apply) to get you started in having cleaner and more comfortable air in your home!