There’s a reason why air appears drier in the winter than when it’s hotter. That’s since warmer air holds more moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true inside your San Antonio residence. Using your gas furnace makes your residence feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can carry a whole host of ailments, including dry skin, cracked lips and make you more vulnerable to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your residence’s air and what you can do to resolve it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Procedures are Part of the Issue
The fuel your furnace uses isn’t the thing responsible for making your residence’s air seem dry. Rather, it’s the way it combusts.
There are two different kinds of gas furnaces, standard and high efficiency. With an older standard furnace, you can notice light from the burners when it’s running. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is totally sealed.
A standard furnace, also called an atmosphere furnace, takes air from inside your house to function. Because the furnace consistently relies on air to burn, it will also pull cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn affects your home’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also known as a sealed combustion furnace, are ideal for keeping your humidity steady. They draw all their combustion air from your home’s exterior, but it stays locked within the sealed furnace. As an additional advantage, they keep your home more comfortable while consuming less energy. Upgrading to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace might save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
In addition to combustion, cold air also naturally seeps into your house during the winter. Decreased humidity means the air will steal moisture rapidly from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It’s also to blame for static electricity.
How to Balance Humidity in Your Residence
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room comfortable at a time, a whole-house humidifier will spread that comfort throughout your home.
These are just a couple humidifier benefits you’ll get when you upgrade to a whole-home system.
Enhanced Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s no surprise winter is the worst time for colds, flu and other illnesses. That’s because you’re more susceptible to become sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under particular airflow conditions, air at the specific humidity level can also resist the spread of some viruses. Also, it can help with year-round allergy symptoms.
Eases Dry Skin
If you have consistent dry skin or eczema, you recognize just how irritating those conditions can be during winter. Installing a whole-house humidifier will help your skin hold onto more moisture.
Better Sleep
Preserving your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you cozy at night. It can also alleviate loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Guards the Wood in Your Home
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and just about anything in your residence that’s wood suffers when humidity is too low. This is because of the fact dry air absorbs moisture from the wood and causes it to fracture. Having your home’s humidity at the right level will keep your home’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Required
Between frequent filter changes and constant refilling, portable humidifiers depend on a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs servicing about once a year, which can be performed at the same time as your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the smallest amount of maintenance since it doesn’t use a pad. It retains water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets transported through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can work when the furnace is off.
Book Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Right Away
If your residence’s air feels less than comfy during colder weather, San Antonio Air Service Experts can help. Call us at 210-570-9705 to schedule a free home comfort consultation. There’s no obligation, just free Expert suggestions on how you can balance your home’s humidity at just the right level. And, like our other services, our work is protected by our famous 100% Satisfaction Guarantee for one year.*
*Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.