Issues with Having Dry Air in the Home
With the chill of winter finally here, many are cranking up with their furnaces to keep their homes warm. In some cases, heating your home is only solve part of the problem that winter weather brings.
Kicking on your furnace for the winter can lead to dry air in your home. Dry air can remain a problem until spring, but by regulating your indoor humidity can make your home more comfortable.
Pittsburghers may think the humidity is a bad thing with our notoriously humid, hot summers, but in the wintertime, humidity can be controlled to help keep much-needed moisture in the air and prevent a range of issues that dry air can cause.
Signs Your Home has Low Humidity
When you deal with low humidity or dry air in your home, you can encounter many problems for you, your family, and your home. Signs that you are experiencing low humidity include
Dry, Itchy Skin
If you’ve noticed that your lips are cracked, or your hands are drier than usual, using lotion may not be the best remedy. Low humidity in your home can cause your skin to dry out more easily which cannot be fixed by lotion alone. Adding the right amount of moisture back into the air is the best way to have your skin feeling great.
Increased Static
One of the most noticeable signs of low humidity is an increase in static. When you have excessively dry air in your home, it serves as the perfect environment for static to build up. If you’ve been getting shocked when you touch your doorknobs or the couch, you are likely experiencing low humidity.
Sinus Pain
Your throat and nose use moist membranes to filter out microbes to keep your respiratory system in good working order. When the air is dry, it can wreak havoc on your sinuses, causing you to suffer from itchy nasal passages. Dry nasal passages can be painful and may even lead to nosebleeds if the humidity in your home isn’t balanced.
Keep in mind that germs thrive in low humidity environments, so by accurately controlling your home’s humidity, you can help keep your family healthier throughout the winter season.
Wood Furniture and Flooring Damage
Low humidity can also affect hardwood furniture and flooring. If you have flooring or furniture made from real wood, the climate in your home can change their appearance. Dry air may draw moisture from your flooring, causing your floorboards to shrink or warp. Dry air can also pull moisture from wooden furniture which can lead to issues such as shrinkage, resulting in furniture joints to become loose or come apart.
Benefits of Adding a Whole-Home Humidifier to Your Home
You can tackle all of these issues and make your home more comfortable with the addition of a whole-home humidifier. Pittsburgh homeowners can use a whole-home humidifier to:
- Help soothe nasal passages
- Keep their family healthy and comfortable
- Prevent damage to furniture, flooring, and electronics
Don’t let the winter cold dry out your home, let Restano Heating, Cooling & Plumbing install a whole-home humidifier to help you maintain the ideal humidity range in your home. Restano serves as a one-stop-shop for all your plumbing, heating & cooling needs in Pittsburgh.
Contact us today to learn more about our humidifiers and our other indoor air quality solutions. Low humidity can also affect hardwood furniture and flooring. If you have flooring or furniture made from real wood, the climate in your home can change their appearance. Dry air may draw moisture from your flooring, causing your floorboards to shrink or warp. Dry air can also pull moisture from wooden furniture which can lead to issues such as shrinkage, resulting in furniture joints to become loose or come apart.