Is Low Humidity a Problem in Your Home?
If your family members don’t want to get near you during the wintertime because they are worried about getting a shock from static electricity, it’s just one of many signs that the humidity in your home is too low. Low humidity can cause minor health problems like chapped lips and dry skin and larger ones such as nosebleeds and coughing. It can also warp wood floorboards, create cracks in wood molding or furniture and more. In short, especially with the dry winter air in Rosenberg and surrounding areas, low humidity can be a definite aggravation.
Why the Humidity Is Lower in Winter
Warm air holds more moisture than cold, and that’s the basic reason why air is dryer in the winter than in the summer. The winter air that is coming in from outside the home is dry and cold, and even the warm air that the furnace creates is dry. The little moisture that exists is quickly absorbed, leaving you with an uncomfortable home, and you’re stuck with the same air because you can’t open up a door or window to recirculate air the way you can in the summer.
Whole-House Humidifiers
If low humidity is an issue in your house during the winter, letting Custom Comfort Air install a whole-house humidifier or other indoor air quality device may be the answer. A whole-house humidifier mounts directly to your furnace and requires very little maintenance. It has its own connection to the water line, so you basically set it in the autumn and leave it alone until the spring. An alternative is putting individual humidifiers in each room, but these need to be refilled manually and are generally a hassle.
A hygrometer is an instrument that can let you know the exact humidity level in your home; in general, anything less than 40 percent is not good. If you’re tired of dry, unpleasant air in your home each winter, contact Custom Comfort Air to schedule an appointment and determine if you need a humidifier.