subject: Proper Humidification Can Increase Home Comfort In The Winter [print this page] During the summer your home is probably well ventilated through open windows and doors, but it's quite a different story during winter when your home is sealed up as tightly as possible and the heating is on much of the time. While heating obviously improves home comfort, one of the biggest side effects is that the air can become far too dry. If the air in your house is too dry then it can create a whole host of problems for the occupants. It can increase the risk of allergies, and make it less comfortable for asthma sufferers. At the very least, you're likely to notice you have dry skin, and that your nose may be constantly irritated or more prone to sinusitis. Heating systems that force air through the ducts are especially bad for reducing the amount of moisture in the air. Choosing a system that is able to increase the amount of the humidification during winter months can lead to much greater home comfort.
How do Humidifiers Work?
Humidifiers can work in several different ways, as they can work through evaporation, or through warm mist, or you can purchase ultrasonic humidifiers. Humidifiers that use evaporation are the most basic and simple to use, and disperse the moist air into the room using a fan blowing over a wet wick. These types of humidifiers tend to be quite loud to use due to the fan. The warm mist humidifiers boil or preheat the water before it is dispersed into the air as vapor. Some of these humidifiers incorporate the UV light to kill any germs so the moisture dispersed is free from microbes and bacteria. Ultrasonic humidifiers use high-frequency vibrations to break up the water into very fine droplets before it is sprayed into the room. These vibrations are quite effective at killing microbes. You can also purchase humidifiers that are capable of raising the moisture level throughout the whole house, and which can be adjusted to deal with both summer and winter.
Choosing the Best Humidifier for Your Home
There is a huge range of home humidifiers to choose from, as you can purchase relatively small and portable models designed to work on a tabletop or floor. These types of models need to be closely monitored as they are likely to need cleaning out regularly. One thing to check if you intend to purchase this type of model is that it is able to cope with the size of room it is intended for. It could be that you'd be better off buying a system that is able to humidify the whole house, as this will ensure the comfort of everyone living in the home.
Advantages of Having the Correct Level of Humidification in Your Home
Obviously the immediate advantage of having the correct level of the humidification in your home is that it will increase the comfort levels, and can greatly help the health of all the occupants. It'll also help the health of your home, as dry air can be quite damaging to furniture and paintings and to any wood work. If the air is too dry then these items are more at risk of cracking.
