Dry air is a common problem during the winter months and can lead to nasal discomfort, throat irritation and frequent nosebleeds. It can also cause arcs of static electricity and can dry out or crack wood furniture and flooring. A comfortable range of humidity for most homes is around 30 percent during winter and up to 50 percent during summer. The right whole house humidifier can ensure the humidity levels in your home remain at comfortable levels to prevent these issues.
A whole house humidifier is permanently installed on your furnace. The size of humidifier you need in your home depends on the living area and the level of humidity you want to achieve, but these five tips can help you find the right humidifier for your home.
Determine the square footage of your home to select a unit large enough to provide the proper amount of humidity. Homes that are drafty will require a higher-output humidifier than homes that are tightly sealed.
Choose whole house humidifiers over stand-alone units for minimum maintenance. Whole house humidifiers utilize your home’s water supply and furnace blower, thus requiring less maintenance than stand-alone models, which must be monitored and refilled regularly.
Compare the evaporative capacity of each model you’re considering. A whole house humidifier with a high output adds moisture more rapidly than humidifiers that have lower outputs.
Look for whole house humidifiers with automatic controls. These allow you to set the humidity level once and turn off and on when necessary to maintain a consistent relative humidity level. Units with manual controls must be consistently monitored.
Investigate to determine how much maintenance and cleaning is required for each model you’re considering. Some whole house humidifiers have filters that need to be replaced periodically. Others have permanent filters that require cleaning just once or twice a year. Look for humidifiers that have panel indicator lights so you can see when maintenance is needed.
For more information about whole house humidifiers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow areas, and how to select the type that best suits your needs, contact Air Assurance today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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