The heat and moisture level of the air in your home or business is important for both your comfort and your health. The advantages of a properly heated living space may be obvious, however many home and business owners forget the need for humidity.
An environment lacking adequate humidity can result in dry skin, respiratory problems and issues sleeping for inhabitants. Additionally, homes and businesses that lack humidity often feel colder than homes which have ample amounts of moisture in the air. Feeling cold from the lack of humidity often leads to overheating a structure and higher energy costs.
These problems can be easily avoided by simply increasing the humidity of the air in the home or business. Humidification can be achieved in a many ways, most of which are incredibly affordable. Home and business owners should also consider purchasing a humidity indicator (hygrometer) to assist with determining the humidity level. This tool will also help track results when attempting to increase the humidity within the structure.
3 Ways to Humidify Your Home
- Evaporation – Increasing the humidity level in your home or business can be as easy as leaving a pot full of water by the radiator or leaving wet towels out to dry. This method may be crude, however it is very easy and practically free.
- Portable – The most common solution to low humidity is using a portable humidifier. These units are cost-effective and easy to use, however they offer limited control of the overall humidity in the structure.
- Whole House – These systems are generally incorporated with the heating and cooling system for the home or business. This is the best option for controlling humidity in a structure, however it is also the most expensive.
Maintaining a sufficient humidity level in your home or workplace is especially important during the winter months for residents in colder climates. Many furnaces and heating systems include a whole house humidifier that should be adjusted to a higher setting during the winter. If you find that adjusting the setting on your whole house humidifier isn’t increasing the moisture in the air, consider contacting an HVAC specialist to inspect the unit.
