A whole-house humidifier can make long, chilly winters in your home much more comfortable. As the seasons change, indoor humidity levels often decline sharply, especially as colder weather arrives.
While the federal Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping humidity above 30 percent, the drying effects of gas-fired forced-air heating, as well as lower outdoor humidity, can often make it a challenge to maintain indoor humidity levels at the recommended minimum.
It’s Not the Cold, It’s the (Low) Humidity
Many effects attributed to cold weather are actually consequences of low water vapor in the air. These include:
- Dry scratchy skin.
- Respiratory symptoms like sore throat, stuffy nose and increased sensitivity to allergens.
- Increased exposure to viruses. Cold and flu viruses thrive and are more transmissible when the humidity level is below 35 percent.
- Static electricity shocks.
- Shrinkage of wood flooring and cabinetry.
- Decreased heating comfort. Since dry air doesn’t hold heat efficiently, your house may often feel chilly even when thermostat settings are correct.
A Whole-House Solution
Portable room humidifiers provide some relief for enclosed rooms. However, air in your home is circulated among all living spaces, so low humidity conditions tend to be continuously distributed throughout the house. A whole-house humidifier is mounted inside your HVAC ductwork and adds humidity directly to the system’s airflow as long as the furnace or A/C is running.
Advantages of the whole-house approach include:
- Directly treats the entire volume of household air as it circulates through the ducts multiple times per day.
- Controlled by a digital humidistat similar to your HVAC thermostat. Indoor humidity is constantly monitored and automatically adjusted to meet your desired setting.
- Permanently plumbed to a household water line and drain, a whole-house unit needs no daily tank refills or cleaning like a portable room unit. Only an annual maintenance procedure is required.
Ask the experts at Paitson Bros. Heating & Air Conditioning for more information about the benefits of a home humidifier this winter. We’ve been serving Terre Haute residents since 1922.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Terre Haute, Indiana about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about home humidifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “LovArt/Shutterstock”
Jeff Paitson is a third generation business owner who continues to run the business with the same values that have been passed down from previous generations since 1922.
Jeff’s belief is that the business belongs to Jesus Christ; therefore 10 percent of the company’s profits go toward the Maryland Community Church.
Jeff is a Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce member and in his spare time, he enjoys 
Ethan Rayburn is a lifelong resident of Terre Haute and a 2005 graduate of Purdue University.
An Eagle Scout, Ethan spent four years as a non-profit executive with the Boy Scouts of America before joining Paitson Bros. as a comfort advisor and later General Manager. In that role, Ethan has brought a renewed enthusiasm for customer care, integrity, value, and service to Paitson Bros. Heating & Air Conditioning.
Ethan enjoys singing and was a member of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club. He also enjoys playing and coaching soccer, spending time with his family and two young boys, and volunteering his time and resources with his church, Terre Haute First Baptist Church, which he has attended from a very young age.
Paitson Bros
1 (812) 232-2347
Serving the Wabash Valley, IN Area Since 1922