HUMIDIFIERS
Whole House Humidifiers vs Portable
If you have already purchased and been using one of those small portable humidifiers for any length of time to try and raise the humidity in your house, you know that it runs all day long and still doesn't produce enough humidity to get your home to the optimal humidity range. In addition, they consume more electrical power per percentage increase in RH (relative humidity) produced compared to a whole-house installed unit.
Perhaps you are tired of having to refill the reservoir a few times per day.
The investment into a quality whole-house humidifier will make an enormous difference in the air quality in your house.
Ideal Relative Humidity (RH)
in Northern Virginia, during the peak of Winter the ambient air temperatures get quite low outside, often reaching down to 12-15 on the Fahrenheit scale.
As the air temperature outside your home decreases, the less ability the air has to retain moisture (lower saturation vapor pressure), meaning it cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air. This can lead to lower relative humidity indoors as well during those cold winter months, making the air drier, or less humid. As a result of air flow from the outside, the humidity in our homes often drops into the 20-30% RH range. Humidity this low can actually cause problems for both your family AND your home. Ideally, your home should maintain a consistent RH% range between 40-60, with 45-55 being the target ideal. Below 30 and over 65-70% bad things start to happen.
The Importance of a Humidifier
Protect Your Home and Health from extreme Low or High Relative Humidity
Maintaining proper relative humidity (RH) range in your home is essential for both your family's health and the longevity of the building materials and items in your home.
RH levels below 30% or above 65% can lead to a range of adverse effects.
Installing a humidifier is a simple yet effective solution to combat low RH, helping to maintain a comfortable indoor environment, preserve your home’s structural integrity, and protect your family’s health.
Too Little Humidity (< 30%):
Effects on your home:
Wood floors, furniture, and other wooden structures crack and warp
Weakening bonds of drywall layers
Paint peeling
Causes static electricity potential to short sensitive electronics, including laptops, mobile phones, and tablets
Effects on human health:
Exacerbates respiratory issues
Causes skin irritation
Causes static electricity buildup to shock you
Too Much Humidity (< 65%):
Effects on your home:
Mold and Mildew growth
Wood in your home swell, warp, or even rot
Condensation/Water Damage of drywall layers on walls and ceilings
Paint peeling
Wallpaper bubbling
Causes static electricity potential to short-out sensitive electronics, including laptops, mobile phones, and tablets
Causes rust to form on ferrous metal objects in your household (e.g. appliances, kitchen knives, etc)
Effects on human health:
Allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory problems
Promote Dust Mites to thrive, which can exacerbate conditions like asthma and eczema
Cause your family to feel sticky and uncomfortable
Harder to breathe
Why Get a Whole-House Humidifier installed?
Aside from the health and home materials benefits, getting a whole-house humidifier installed by Air Novations will ensure you many years of trouble-free enjoyment, requiring only seasonal maintenance to be performed.
Whole-House humidifiers, such as the models from AprilAire, are installed as an integral part of your central ventilation system and mounted on or near the ducting for your furnace.
Our install technician will install the correct plumbing to supply the humidifier with a steady feed of water from your existing plumbing system, making it so you never have to worry about refilling some reservoir tank every few hours. Even more importantly, these larger units are made to generate the amount of humidity that a whole-house requires, which those portable units cannot accomplish, even if they ran 24 hours a day.
Also, the installed units are more efficient on your electric bill compared to having multiple portable units placed around your house. The installed humidifier will automatically run when the furnace turns on, making it nearly a set-and-forget solution. There is, however, some minor seasonal maintenance which needs to be performed to keep things running optimally and ensure the humidifier gives you years of trouble-free enjoyment and comfort.
Brands We Supply
We have multiple manufacturers and an assortment of models to choose from to suit your needs and budget. Just ask your Air Novations estimator or technician about which model choices they recommend for your specific situation.
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