Contact us at (540) 483-0725
HUMIDIFIER BENEFITS With central heating, people are confined indoors with unnaturally dry air for many months each year. Humidifiers help to keep comfortable levels of moisture in the air, and properly maintained levels of humidity are beneficial for your respiratory system. Whole-house humidifiers work like old fashioned room humidifiers: they put moisture into the air, making harsh, dry air easier to breathe. And whole-house humidifiers use water mist and steam methods, which keeps the entire house at a desired humidity level. No more carrying a humidifier from room to room in the winter. A humidifier is installed in the ductwork, right beside your furnace. Just select the desired amount of humidity and enjoy the moist air that circulates through your home this winter. HEALTH CONCERNS Conditioning the amount of moisture in the air is necessary for your family’s health. One of the major causes of respiratory infections is inadequate humidification during cold weather. The start of the heating season each fall causes many people to begin having repeated attacks of winter colds. Winter weather is blamed for these problems, but the actual cause may be dryness which develops in the membranes of the nose, throat and bronchial tubes. Relative humidity also has a significant effect on controlling the occurrence of airborne infections.Dry air can cause more than health problems. Static electricity is a direct result of very dry air. And houseplants can suffer from the “winter drought” caused by low humidity levels. A humidifier can help keep the indoor air comfortably moist, despite conditions of low outdoor humidity. HOW MUCH WATER DOES A HUMIDIFIER USE? Depending on the model you choose and the size of your home, a humidifier uses from 1.5 to 12 gallons per day when the furnace is operating. This minimal amount of water is enough to raise the humidity to your desired level, but not enough for you to even notice a difference on your water bill. WHICH HUMIDIFIER TO CHOOSE? There are many types of humidifiers available. The two main choices are the bypass type and the steam type. Bypass humidifiers use the heat from your system to bypass through the humidifier to collect humidity from a water collector grid therefore transferring humidity into your home through your heat systems ducting providing humidity to the entire home. Bypass humidifiers depend on the homes heating system for the heat necessary for providing the humidity. The steam humidifier is a self contained unit that can provide humidity on demand without the heat from your heating system. Steam humidifiers are equipped with their own heating element for heating the water to produce the humidity needed for your home, utilizing the homes heating systems blower to move the humidity through the entire home. I think the main thing to be aware of is that bypass humidifiers do a great job delivering humidity but limited by the home heating cycles, where steam can deliver humidity to your home on demand therefore keeping you homes humidity more stabilized. Below are just a couple of humidifiers available.
Franklin Heating and Air Conditioning Telephone (540) 483-0725 Email: comfortzone@franklinheatandair.com |