Chances are, you’re more likely to think about humidity in the summer. After all, you really can feel it when the temperature is high and the humidity is, too! It almost feels as though you should swim around rather than walk, and it makes you feel so much hotter. But this is exactly the reason why you should be thinking about humidity in the winter! It really affects how much you feel warmth.
Air itself is not great at carrying or conducting heat. The water molecules floating in the air are much, much better at it. This means that the dry air of winter is actually making you feel colder! With the right humidity in your home, you could feel warmer without raising your thermostat. But what is the ideal winter humidifier setting in Haslett, MI? We’ll tell you.
30-50% Humidity
The important data here is what we call relative humidity. The way that it is measured is by comparing the amount of water vapor in the air to the total amount of water vapor that it would be possible for the air to hold. It’s expressed as a percentage. And during the winter, the ideal percentage for your home’s relative humidity is somewhere between thirty and fifty percent.
With humidity too low, your home would feel chilly at the same temperature, and you’d suffer other consequences as well, because dry air is not ideal for your skin, your hair, your home itself, and many of the things you have around the house. With humidity too high, you’d feel sticky and sweaty, and you’d run the risk of condensation developing on the inside of your windowpanes, and potentially even mold growth.
But 30-50% is still a pretty wide range, and we can be a little more specific. The colder it is outside, the lower your indoor humidity should be, so that 30% figure is for times when the weather is below zero. Your home can be closer to 50% humidity when it’s closer to 32 degrees outside. This will minimize the risks of any of the problems too-high or too-low humidity could cause.
Precision Humidity Control
How can you control the level of water vapor in your air with that level of precision? After all, most portable humidifier units aren’t that precise. Well, that’s okay, because they simply aren’t large enough to have a meaningful impact on your home’s humidity, anyway. What you need is a whole house humidifier.
These systems add water vapor to all the air that passes through your HVAC system, ensuring that the humidity is not just higher, it’s evenly distributed throughout your home. Also, whole house humidifiers offer extremely precise controls, so you can keep things just right for perfect comfort.
When this system is installed by a qualified technician, you can say goodbye to feeling chilly and constantly wanting to raise the thermostat to take the edge off the cold. You can also say goodbye to chapped lips, dry skin, staticky hair, cracked wood furniture, and even musical instruments being damaged by the dry air!
If you have any questions about humidity levels or anything else about your air quality or HVAC system, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact A-1 Mechanical Heating & Cooling for humidifier services in Lansing, MI. Comfort and Character You Can Depend On.