Whole-house humidification systems offer homeowners several perks, including increased comfort and energy savings. That’s because a home’s humidity tends to dip in the winter, due to the dry, cold air. A humidification system can help to alleviate dry winter air and keep indoor air quality at healthy levels.

Winter air is naturally colder, and colder air tends to be dry. Why is this a problem? When relative humidity drops below 40 percent, the air loses valuable moisture that’s necessary for human health — and the health of your home. Without moisture in the air, your nasal passages can become dry and irritated. And your home relies on moisture as well to keep items like wood floors, furniture and instruments from drying out.

A humidifier helps by putting moisture back into the air. A portable unit can do the job; however, a whole-house humidification system is ideal for replacing moisture throughout the entire home, and restoring comfort. These systems also generally include a humidistat, which automatically monitors humidity levels, and then adjusts the moisture output accordingly. Stand-alone models generally don’t include a humidistat.

You might not know it, but moisture also affects how much your home heating system has to work, too. Air generally feels warmer when it contains more moisture. For example, when the air temperature is set at 69 degrees with a humidity level around 35 percent, the air will feel the same as when it’s 72 degrees with 20 percent humidity. That’s because warm air can keep more moisture in the air. So, in the winter when the air is dry, even if you raise the thermostat a few degrees in order to feel warmer, the air can still feel cold with humidification. Therefore, a whole-house humidification system can help to increase energy savings, because you’ll be able to set the thermostat lower, without sacrificing comfort. In fact, you can set your thermostat back by 3 degrees and see a 5 percent savings on energy bills.

If you’re interested in the health benefits and energy savings of a humidification system, contact Summers Plumbing, Heating & Coolingto find out more.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about whole house humidification systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Summers Plumbing, Heating & Cooling services Central Indiana including Hancock, Hamilton, Madison and Northern Marion. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!