There’s a reason why air appears drier during cold weather than in the summer. That’s because warmer air carries extra moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true for your Fort Worth house. Starting your gas furnace makes your house feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can bring a whole host of ailments, such as 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 combat it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Procedures are a Portion of the Trouble
The fuel your furnace consumes isn’t the thing responsible for making your house’s air seem dry. Rather, it’s the way it combusts.
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 working. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is entirely sealed.
A standard furnace, also called an atmosphere furnace, pulls air from inside your residence to combust. Because the furnace consistently depends on air to burn, it will also pull cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn reduces your residence’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also known as a sealed combustion furnace, are ideal for keeping your humidity even. They take all their combustion air from outdoors, but it stays locked inside the sealed furnace. As an additional perk, they keep your home more comfy while requiring less energy. Switching to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace may save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
Other than combustion, cold air also naturally drifts into your house during colder weather. Lower humidity means the air will steal moisture fast from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also contributes to static electricity.
How to Balance 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 spread that comfort throughout your home.
These are just a few humidifier benefits you’ll receive when you put in a whole-home system.
Improved Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s common that cooler weather is the worst time for colds, flu and other ailments. That’s since you’re more susceptible to end up 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. In addition, it can reduce year-round allergy symptoms.
Relief from Dry Skin
If you have constantly dry skin or eczema, you know just how aggravating those conditions can be during winter. Getting a whole-house humidifier will help your skin retain more moisture.
Improved Sleep
Keeping your bedroom at the right 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.
Protects the Wood in Your Residence
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and basically anything in your home that’s wood doesn’t like it when humidity is too low. This is because of the fact dry air absorbs moisture from the wood and causes it to crack. Keeping your home’s humidity at the right level will keep your house’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Needed
Between frequent filter changes and constant refilling, portable humidifiers demand a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs maintenance about once a year, which can be performed along with your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the lowest amount of maintenance since it doesn’t need a pad. It retains water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets distributed through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can work when the furnace isn’t on.
Request Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Now
If your residence’s air feels less than pleasant during colder weather, Calverley Service Experts can help. Call us at 817-380-5647 to set up a free home comfort consultation. There’s no pressure, just free Expert suggestions on how you can maintain your home’s humidity at just the right 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.