Beyer Air Conditioning & Heating can install a humidifier to help you avoid poor humidity levels in your San Antonio, TX, home. However, it will only help if you use it when your home’s humidity levels are between 30 and 50 percent. This is the reason that most people use a humidifier seasonally, rather than all the time. Indoor spaces tend to be too dry during the winter, even in San Antonio. For this reason, it might be a good idea for you to get a humidifier that you turn on from December to February.
What Signs Indicate That I Need a Humidifier?
If the humidity level in your home drops below 30 percent, you could end up dealing with a number of different issues. In fact, the symptoms of having your home’s humidity level drop below 30 percent can harm your health and your house. Here are just a few of the many issues you could develop.
Cold Symptoms
Have you started feeling like you’re getting an itchy throat and a dry, scratchy cough? Do your eyes feel like they’re burning? Are your allergies and/or asthma worse than usual? All of these cold-like symptoms may actually be caused by a lack of humidity. These symptoms will make you feel absolutely miserable, too.
How does a lack of humidity make you feel as if you’ve got a bad cold? Dry air is a prime contributor to airborne particles. It can make you feel very unpleasant and will irritate your nose, eyes, throat, and lungs. As soon as you turn the humidifier on, though, your symptoms will begin to ease. Therefore, using a humidifier is part of your overall indoor air quality. You’ll feel much more comfortable and healthier if you have a humidifier installed in your home.
Chapped Lips and Itchy Skin
If your lips have been cracking and flaky, it’s definitely time to consider a humidifier. Dry and itchy skin are also indicators. Even worse, if you happen to have an existing skin health issue such as psoriasis or eczema, dry air will compound the problem. The answer to these issues is to begin using a humidifier! This is a much better solution than spending the entire winter slathering on lotion and lip balm.
Nose Bleeds
Having a nosebleed may not typically be serious, but it’s certainly a scary experience. Imagine for a moment that you’re going about a typical day. All of a sudden, your nose begins bleeding, and it doesn’t want to stop. Now, take this imagined experience and think about if it started happening frequently. Well, that’s exactly what can happen if your home’s humidity level is below 30 percent. Fortunately, you can stop your nose from bleeding by simply using a humidifier.
Static
Have you started accidentally shocking your family members? Do your clothes all try to stick together? Is your hair flying away with static, along with your bedding giving you shocks? These are all signs that there is too much static electricity in the air, which is caused by a lack of humidity. To return your home to normal, introduce a humidifier into the environment. Soon, you won’t be shocking anyone, and your hair, clothes, and bedding will return to normal.
Issues With Your Home’s Wood Elements
One of the biggest reasons you shouldn’t wait to invest in a humidifier is that it can keep the wood inside your home from developing cracks and gaps. You see, when there’s not enough humidity inside, the dry air will literally try to find some anywhere. Since wood naturally has some moisture in it, the dry air will begin to attack your home’s wooden elements.
If you let this happen for a few years, your wood will start to warp. Once that happens, your entire wooden structure will become weaker. Before you know it, you’ll develop expensive issues with the structure that absolutely must be repaired. Instead, you could simply turn on your home’s humidifier during the colder months. This will allow you to keep the wood elements within your home nice and pliable.
What Type of Humidifier Do I Need?
There are five different types of humidifiers to choose from. Each of them will provide some assistance, but only one truly stands apart from the rest of the pack.
Evaporator
Choosing an evaporator will allow you to add humidity to the air via a fan system. It works by blowing moisture through a filter and then spreading it out into the air. These humidifiers have their limits, including only being able to help to help the room they’re placed in.
Steam Vaporizer
Vaporizers can be moved from room to room, which is a perk. At the same time, though, if you really want to get good results, you should have one in each room of your house. Steam vaporizers work by heating water, allowing it to cool off, and pushing the resulting vapor into the room.
Central Humidifier
Central humidifiers might be the most expensive, but they’re also the most efficient option. They can be built directly into your heating and cooling system. They have the power to maintain a safe humidity level throughout your entire house. In other words, you won’t have to mess with moving a portable unit. Nor will you have to do with specific rooms being unhealthier than other rooms.
Impeller Humidifier
These units push a cool mist into the room via rotating disks. You might purchase an impeller humidifier if you only have issues in one room of your home. They’re typically small and easy to move.
Ultrasonic Humidifier
Most commonly compared to an impeller humidifier, these units use ultrasonic vibration to send a cool mist into one room. These small humidifiers also tend to do a better job than an evaporator. However, they’re not nearly as powerful as a central humidifier.
How Do I Get the Most Out of a Humidifier?
There are three things you must do every single day if you want your humidifier to do its best work:
- Change the water daily
- Change your filter as needed
- Double-check the humidity level in your home every few days
As long as you do all these things, your humidifier should provide you with a healthier home environment! It’ll also be safer for your home’s wood elements, and it’ll keep you from shocking people.
Choose the Best Humidifier for Your San Antonio Home
A humidifier can definitely help you improve your home’s indoor comfort during the winter. Remember if your humidity levels are below 30 percent, turn on your humidifier! Once they’re at 30-50 percent, your home is perfect. Don’t let the humidity level exceed 50 percent, though, as this can cause bacteria and mold growth. In this instance, you’ll actually need a dehumidifier.
Beyer Air Conditioning & Heating in San Antonio is here to help you resolve your humidity woes. Contact us today to find out more about our extensive selection of humidifiers!
