Want To Stay Healthy Over Winter? Take Care of Your Humidifier

Chilly winter days can be uncomfortable in Central Florida, but it can be even more uncomfortable and unhealthy inside the home due to dry indoor air and the viruses that proliferate in these conditions. Find out how maintaining optimal humidity through the heating months with a humidifier can boost comfort and provide a more healthful indoor environment, and even alleviate high energy bills and shocks caused by static electricity.

Demystifying Humidity

In Central Florida, we have more than our fair share of humidity for the better part of the year. However, during the heating months, as indoor air is heated, the air expands and creates the dry-air sensation we feel, even though the moisture level is the same.

This creates many discomforts:

• Health – Many viruses proliferate more easily in dry air. The influenza virus falls in this category; the illness can quickly spread among household occupants.
• Comfort – Dry skin, nose and throat are common symptoms of dry indoor air, causing ongoing discomforts in the home. Moreover, dry nasal passages make virus transmission and infection more likely to occur.
• Shock – Static-electric shock is a common occurrence in dry air. Optimal humidity levels provide a blanket of moisture that prevents static electricity.
• Heating bills – Shock may occur when you open the heating bill. Dry air feels cooler than humidified air, which can prompt thermostat and heating bill increases.

Whole-House Humidifier

A whole-house humidifier automatically provides a comfortable blanket of moisture to surfaces throughout the home. A humidistat controls moisture dispersion to heated airflow in the air ducts, so you may conveniently maintain optimal indoor humidity from room to room.

Optimal indoor humidity levels alleviate or prevent all the side effects and discomforts associated with dry indoor air. Virus proliferation is stifled, and transmission is less likely since the hosts are more capable to fend infection. You may also enjoy a big boost in comfort with fewer dry-air symptoms such as dry skin, nose and throat.

For best results, please contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions to learn more about the benefits a whole-house humidifier provides to home, health and comfort.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about humidifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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