Learn About the Benefits of Home Humidifiers
During the winter, you may notice that your home’s air is a little dry. That dry air can be bad for your health and home. Adding humidity to the air can help in many situations. Humidifiers are one way to introduce moisture into your interior spaces. Take a look at the different types of products and learn the advantages of adding a humidifier to your house.
How Does a Humidifier Work?
Many people use humidifiers in their homes to release steam or water vapor into the air. When there is additional moisture in the air, that leads to more humid conditions. Humid air might sound bad, but you actually need some moisture to help protect items in your home and keep you healthy. The amount of humidity in the air depends on the home’s location, the weather, and the time of year. As you may have imagined, summer brings higher humidity levels than winter. You will want to keep the home’s humidity level between 30% and 50% throughout the year.
Humidity levels that are too low can cause problems around the home. Low humidity will irritate your throat and nose, make your eyes feel itchy, and crack the skin. However, too much moisture can also be harmful, leading to condensation that can grow mold, mildew, and bacteria.
There isn’t one type of humidifier. You can find several on the market. Central humidifiers are part of the air conditioning and heating system. They will work to keep the appropriate moisture levels in the home. Impeller humidifiers use a rotating disk to create a cool mist. Evaporators will use a fan to push air through a belt, filter, or wet wick. Finally, there are steam vaporizers that use electricity to produce steam. You may have seen steam vaporizers in a big box store. They are convenient, but the hot water inside may cause burns if spilled.
Humidifier Benefits
Now that you know what a humidifier can do for your home, you will see why they are beneficial for your interior spaces. When you have dry air in your home, it can affect your house and health. However, it is not always simple to monitor or control the humidity levels within your home. Often, homeowners will use a humidifier to help with some common problems.
Helps During Cold and Flu Season
Adding a humidifier to your home may help with your sleep pattern. You need a great night’s sleep to rejuvenate and maintain your immune system. Additionally, some research has shown that running a humidifier can reduce your chances of catching a cold or the flu. When there are higher humidity levels, viruses can attach to the water droplets in the air. You can see some benefits of running the humidifier by getting those humidity levels to 40%, but you need to watch out for other problems. Sometimes, there can be too much humidity in the air, which can lead to risks like mold growth. If you want to use a humidifier in the winter, make sure to keep a close eye on the humidity levels.
Higher humidity can also help to loosen up any congestion. When a room is dry, your nasal passages can become clogged, leading to a sore throat, stuffy nose, and sinus pain. A humidifier is one way to break up that mucus in your chest and nose. Reducing congestion will allow a person to breathe more easily at night. Also, sinus headaches and sore throats can lead to poor sleep. Without a restful night of sleep, it can be harder for a person to recover from the flu or a cold.
Improves the Appearance of Your Skin and Hair
Helping to alleviate the symptoms of an illness is not the only benefit of a humidifier. During the winter, many people suffer from chapped lips and dry skin. If you spend a lot of time indoors, you might be reaching for lotions and moisturizers to protect your skin. Why? Dry air is one of the top causes of irritated skin. When the skin experiences excessive dryness, you might notice cracking on your hands, elbows, and feet. Using lotion on the affected parts of your skin may not be enough. You need more moisture in the air, and a humidifier can help. Even dry skin can affect how you sleep at night.
The National Eczema Association has stated that damaged skin can be affected by uneven humidity levels, causing those symptoms to worsen throughout the day and night. A humidifier can help alleviate some of those problems, adding an extra tool to help protect your skin. Along with creams and moisturizers, a humidifier can help to promote an uninterrupted night of sleep if you have dry, irritated skin.
Added moisture to the air can help keep your scalp and hair healthy. Like the rest of your body, when there is dry air, your scalp area can become irritated. In some cases, you may have problems with excessive itchiness and dandruff. A person’s hair can also be affected by a lack of humidity. Hair follicles contain collagen and need the right amount of moisture to remain healthy. When the hair becomes too dry, it can also become extremely brittle. A humidifier adds the right amount of moisture to boost the health of your skin and hair.
Beneficial for the Home
More moisture in your air could be great for your houseplants. Plants require water from the air and soil to thrive. Dry air can cause the plant to wither and die. More moisture will help them look great throughout the seasons.
Humidity can also save money on your utility bills. During the winter, many households spend more money on their heating bills. Running a humidifier with a heating system can make the air feel warmer, meaning you don’t have to crank up the thermostat.
If you have ever shuffled your feet across a carpet, you have probably experienced an electrical shock. When the air is dry, touching fabric, doorknobs, or your pets can give you an unwelcome surprise. More air moisture can help stop these shocks from occurring in your home.
For those with wood in their homes, you may want to consider using a humidifier. Any wood exposed to dry air can crack, split, or shrink. Not only is that bad for your trim and doorways, but it can also affect your wood furniture too.
If you have musical instruments, poor humidity levels can affect them, especially pianos and violins. Over time, the instruments could crack like furniture or fall out of tune.
Add a Humidifier to Your Home
At Southport Home Services, we are here to help with all your indoor quality needs in Wausau, Wisconsin and the surrounding areas. Our technicians can help you choose the right humidifier so that you can take advantage of these incredible benefits. Along with that, we can also install, service, and maintain your water heaters, sump pumps, and drains. Plus, we offer HVAC, sewer cleaning, and commercial services. If you want to add a humidifier to your home, make sure to give Southport Home Services a call today.
