There’s a reason why air appears drier in the winter than in the summer. That’s since warmer air retains more moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true for your Daytona Beach residence. Using your gas furnace makes your home feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can transport a whole host of ailments, like dry skin, cracked lips and make you more likely to get sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your residence’s air and what you can do to fix it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Process is a Portion of the Issue
The fuel your furnace needs isn’t the culprit responsible for making your home’s air appear dry. Rather, it’s the combustion procedures.
There are two different kinds of gas furnaces, standard and high efficiency. With an older standard furnace, you can notice light from the burners when it’s on. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is tightly sealed.
A standard furnace, also called an atmosphere furnace, draws air from inside your home to work. Because the furnace constantly requires air to burn, it will also use cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn lowers your residence’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also referred to as a sealed combustion furnace, are ideal for keeping your humidity steady. They take all their combustion air from outside, but it stays locked inside the sealed furnace. As an additional perk, they keep your home more comfortable while consuming less energy. Moving to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace may save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
In addition to combustion, cold air also naturally drifts into your home during colder weather. Reduced humidity means the air will rob moisture quickly from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also contributes to static electricity.
How to Stabilize Humidity in Your Residence
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfortable at a time, a whole-house humidifier will generate that comfort around your home.
These are just a small number of humidifier benefits you’ll receive when you install a whole-home system.
Improved Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s common that cold weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other illnesses. That’s because you’re more apt to become sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under particular airflow conditions, air at the right humidity level may also hamper the spread of some viruses. In addition, it can reduce year-round allergy symptoms.
Eases Dry Skin
If you have chronically dry skin or eczema, you recognize just how uncomfortable those conditions can be during winter. Adding a whole-house humidifier will help your skin hold onto more moisture.
Enhanced Sleep
Maintaining your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you more comfortable at night. It can also help with loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Defends the Wood in Your Residence
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and basically anything in your residence that’s wood is affected when humidity is too low. This is a result of the fact dry air draws moisture from the wood and causes it to fracture. Having your home’s humidity at the right level will keep your home’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Needed
Between frequent filter changes and continuous refilling, portable humidifiers demand a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs servicing about once a year, which can be performed in tandem with your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the lowest amount of maintenance since it doesn’t use a pad. It holds water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets distributed through your ductwork. As it’s independently powered, it can be in use when the furnace is off.
Request Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Now
If your house’s air feels less than cozy during cold weather, All American Air Service Experts can help. Call us at 386-310-2061 to set up a free home comfort consultation. There’s no obligation, just free Expert advice on how you can balance your home’s humidity at just the proper level. And, like our other services, our work is supported by our legendary 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.