Humidity is something many people consider a summertime issue, even though it should be a concern year-round. While we hate it when there’s too much moisture in the air and the summer months feel muggy, too often we forget there are times when we could use a bit more than we have. This winter, look out for the signs that you need a humidifier – Grove Heating & Cooling explains what to watch for!
Signs That You Need a Humidifier
In the winter, cold air becomes dry and can wreak havoc on our bodies as well as our comfort levels indoors – and so much more. Homes should be kept between 30 and 50 percent relative humidity, which can be hard to do without help when it’s cold outside and raise low humidity levels. A humidifier may be the tool you need to improve your cold weather experience. Watch for these signs that you need a humidifier, and contact the heating, air conditioning and indoor air quality experts at Grove Heating & Cooling to have a whole house humidifier installed to your HVAC system right away.
1. You Experience Dry and Itchy Skin
When exposed to very dry air on a consistent basis, the body loses important moisture needed to keep you comfortable. Your experience cracked or dry skin, which can bleed or become painful. Your lips become chapped and cracked, which lip balm just doesn’t seem to combat well. Your mucus membranes lose moisture, causing your eyes, nose, and throat to feel scratchy. You may also experience more nosebleeds due to dry nasal passages.
Any of the physical symptoms above can be caused by dry air and are signs that you need a humidifier. When homeowners run whole house humidifiers, they add moisture to indoor environments to offer quick relief of these symptoms. Unlike portable humidifiers, which add moisture to a single room or area of the home, a whole house system provides coverage to the entire home.
2. You Have Congestion That Never Seems to Go Away
Unfortunately, many of the signs that you need a humidifier mimic symptoms that can also be linked to a winter cold. Congestion is one of those symptoms that can be tricky to decode. While congestion is common when you have a cold, it eventually goes away. If you feel congested constantly at home, experience difficulty breathing due to congestion as you sleep, or especially notice congestion as you wake, these are signs that you need a humidifier.
Using a humidifier will replenish your indoor environment with moisture and should alleviate these troubling physical symptoms of dry air exposure.
3. Your Woodwork is Dried Out
The condition of wood floors and wood furnishings in the home can display signs that you need a humidifier. The wood naturally holds some moisture, but dry air exposure sucks the moisture right out. Wood floorboards, cabinets, and other pieces can warp and even crack. If your floorboards squeak in the winter and you notice doors don’t shut properly, these are signs that you need a humidifier. Failing to use a humidifier indoors if you have certain types or brands of wood flooring could cause you to accidently void your product warranty, as some manufacturers require humidifier use to protect these materials.
4. You Find It Hard to Stay Warm
Your body won’t stay as warm in dry air as it will when air has ample moisture. Moisture helps trap heat against your skin so your body feels warmer while dry air robs you of this warmth, forcing you to crank up the heat to make up for the loss. If you and your loved ones need to turn thermostats up higher to stay warm, these are signs that you need a humidifier.
Whole House Humidifier Installation in Maryland
If you observe any of the signs that you need a humidifier, don’t wait to take action. Call Grove Heating & Cooling and have a new, whole house humidifier placed into service as soon as possible so you can enjoy the relief that added humidity will provide inside your home. For all of your indoor air quality and cooling and heating system needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to Grove.
