Why Do We Need Humidifiers?

Cold weather leads to low indoor humidity for a couple of reasons. First, the humidity during winter months is typically lower. Second, your furnace removes a lot of moisture from your home when it heats the air cycling through your heating system. This leads to the problem of low indoor humidity. Any humidity level below 30% can lead to problems.

What Problems Does Low Humidity Cause?

Low humidity causes dry skin, dry eyes, and it dries up mucous membranes in your respiratory system that help fend off particles like dust and allergens. This means your body is more susceptible to illnesses like the common cold if your home has low humidity. Low humidity can also damage organic items in your home like leather and natural wood. Organizations like the National Wood Flooring Association recommends using a humidifier in the winter months to minimize gaps and cracks in hardwood floors.

What Humidity Level Does One Hour Recommend?

We would refer you to the Mayo Clinic, which recommends maintaining a humidity level in the 30-50% range year-round. Where you should fall in this range is dependent on your own body and home. Most of our customers maintain a 35% humidity level in their homes. During extreme cold (below 10F), it is normal for frost to accumulate on some windows, so adjust humidity levels lower to avoid this.

What’s Wrong With My Nursery Humidifier?

The fun-sized humidifiers one can purchase from a big box store do a fine job for one room. Humidifying a whole home with one would be an immense hassle if not impossible. On top of having to add water to them at least once every day, they also are difficult to clean and can cause mold and mildew in their immediate vicinity. A whole home humidifier is essentially maintenance free. One Hour recommends replacing the water panel annually, which can be done as an add-on to a fall precision furnace tune-up by One Hour. Some high-end humidifiers are virtually completely maintenance-free.

What Humidifier Does One Hour Recommend?

The vast majority of houses that One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning services in Lee’s Summit and Greater Kansas City will do just fine with a bypass humidifier. Our most popular unit is the Aprilaire 600 humidifier. This is a whole-home solution that will add 0.7 gallons of water to your home’s air. It does this by turning water into vapor and introducing it into the air cycling through your heating system. An Aprilaire 600 humidifier can humidify homes up to 4,000 square feet. Larger homes or homes which require a more robust solution should consider a steam humidifier, which can condition a home upwards of 6,200 square feet.

Call us today at (816) 354-1077 or check with your service technician about how you can protect your health and your home with a One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® of Lee's Summit humidifier.