There’s a reason why air seems drier in the winter than when it’s hotter. That’s because warmer air retains additional moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true within your West Chester house. Turning on your gas furnace makes your residence feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can bring a whole host of ailments, including dry skin, cracked lips and make you more vulnerable to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your house’s air and what you can do to counter it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Process is a Portion of the Trouble
The fuel your furnace consumes isn’t the culprit responsible for making your residence’s air seem dry. Rather, it’s the way it combusts.
There are two different styles of gas furnaces, standard and high efficiency. With an older standard furnace, you can detect light from the burners when it’s working. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is entirely sealed.
A standard furnace, also called an atmosphere furnace, pulls air from inside your house to function. Because the furnace constantly needs air to burn, it will also use cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn affects your house’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also referred to as a sealed combustion furnace, are used for keeping your humidity steady. They pull all their combustion air from your home’s exterior, but it stays contained within the sealed furnace. As another bonus, they keep your house more warm while requiring less energy. Switching to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace could save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
Besides combustion, cold air also naturally flows into your house during colder weather. Decreased humidity means the air will rob moisture rapidly from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It’s also to blame for static electricity.
How to Even Out Humidity in Your Home
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfortable at a time, a whole-house humidifier will transport that comfort across your residence.
These are just a few humidifier benefits you’ll acquire when you put in a whole-home system.
Better Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s common that winter is the worst time for colds, flu and other illnesses. That’s since you’re more apt to become sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under particular airflow conditions, air at the specific humidity level can also resist the spread of some viruses. Additionally, it can alleviate year-round allergy symptoms.
Eases Dry Skin
If you have consistent dry skin or eczema, you understand just how irritating those conditions are during winter. Installing a whole-house humidifier will help your skin hold onto more moisture.
Improved Sleep
Keeping your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you comfortable at night. It can also decrease loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Defends the Wood in Your Home
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and basically anything in your house that’s wood suffers when humidity is too low. This is due to the fact dry air absorbs moisture from the wood and causes it to split. Having your residence’s humidity at the right level will keep your house’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Needed
Between regular filter changes and continual refilling, portable humidifiers require a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs servicing about once a year, which can be performed along with your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the least amount of maintenance since it doesn’t use a pad. It holds water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets moved through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can run when the furnace is off.
Request Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Today
If your home’s air feels less than comfortable during cold weather, Wesley Wood Service Experts can help. Call us at 484-401-7577 to schedule a free home comfort consultation. There’s no obligation, just free Expert suggestions on how you can maintain your residence’s humidity at just the right level. And, like our other services, our work is supported by our well-known 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.