There’s a reason why air appears drier during cold weather than when it’s warmer. That’s since warmer air carries more moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true for your Jacksonville house. Starting your gas furnace makes your residence feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can carry a whole host of ailments, including dry skin, cracked lips and make you more exposed to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your home’s air and what you can do to fix it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Steps are a share the Problem
The fuel your furnace consumes isn’t the thing responsible for making your home’s air seem dry. Rather, it’s the combustion procedures.
There are two different styles of gas furnaces, standard and high efficiency. With an older standard furnace, you can notice light from the burners when it’s running. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is tightly sealed.
A standard furnace, also known as an atmosphere furnace, draws air from inside your home to function. Because the furnace constantly uses air to burn, it will also pull cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn affects your residence’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also referred to as a sealed combustion furnace, are best for keeping your humidity even. They pull all their combustion air from outdoors, but it stays locked in the sealed furnace. As an extra advantage, they keep your residence more warm while using less energy. Upgrading to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace may save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
Besides combustion, cold air also naturally seeps into your house during colder weather. Lower humidity means the air will snatch moisture quickly from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also contributes to static electricity.
How to Stabilize 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 around your home.
These are just a couple humidifier benefits you’ll receive when you install a whole-home system.
Better Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s common that cold weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other sicknesses. That’s due to the fact you’re more likely to end up sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under certain airflow conditions, air at the correct humidity level may also restrict the spread of some viruses. In addition, it can alleviate year-round allergy symptoms.
Relief from Dry Skin
If you have consistently dry skin or eczema, you know just how uncomfortable those conditions are during winter. Getting a whole-house humidifier will help your skin hold onto more moisture.
Improved Sleep
Maintaining your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you comfortable at night. It can also alleviate loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Defends the Wood in Your Home
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and most anything in your house that’s wood is affected when humidity is too low. This is because of the fact dry air absorbs moisture from the wood and causes it to crack. Balancing your house’s humidity at the proper level will keep your house’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Required
Between consistent filter changes and continuous refilling, portable humidifiers rely on a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs maintenance about once a year, which can be performed at the same time as your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the smallest amount of maintenance since it doesn’t require a pad. It retains water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets transported through your ductwork. Because it’s independently powered, it can work when the furnace isn’t on.
Request Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Now
If your house’s air feels less than pleasant during colder weather, Air Engineers Service Experts can help. Call us at 904-450-5672 to request a free home comfort consultation. There’s no sales tactics, just free Expert advice on how you can keep your home’s humidity at just the proper level. And, like our other services, our work is supported by our famous 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.