Have you noticed that the cold winter months make your home feel especially dry compared to other times of the year? There are several reasons the air inside your house feels drier during the winter season, but there are ways to regain the moisture your air needs. Estes Services explains why dry air is abundant in winter and what you can do about it.
Why Is the Air Dry in the Winter?
There are several reasons why air in your home tends to be drier in the winter versus during the spring, summer, and fall months.
- Dry air naturally comes with colder temperatures. At lower temperatures, air isn’t able to retain moisture as well as it can when it’s warmer. Because of cooler conditions, the outdoor air is naturally dry over the winter season.
- Lots of homes in the Atlanta area aren’t as well insulated as recommended. This lack of insulation paired with air leaks between the inside and outside allows outdoor dry air to infiltrate the indoor living areas, making indoor air feel drier.
- Running heating systems over the winter can contribute to indoor dry air, too. While the furnace or heat pump raises the temperature of the air so it can better hold on to moisture, the natural dryness of the season means there’s very little moisture for that air to pull in and hold. Air becomes warmer but stays just as dry.
Dry Air Issues in Atlanta Homes
Constant exposure to dry air over the winter season in your home can cause all sorts of uncomfortable problems as well as damage to the house itself, including:
- Dry nasal passages, which causes nosebleeds and makes you more susceptible to catching viruses and infections.
- Dry skin, which leads to itching and painful cracking
- Shrinking woodwork, which causes creaks in floorboards and can prevent doors from properly closing in their frames
- Uncomfortable static shocks when moving around the house
How to Solve Winter Dry Air Issues
To regain the moisture your air needs each winter, it’s best to install a whole home humidifier system to work with your heating system. A whole home humidifier adds moisture to circulating air, so the heated air you receive from your ducts is not only warm, but full of beneficial moisture.
There are multiple system options you have to select from when choosing a whole home humidifier for installation.
- Bypass whole house humidifiers are installed on a special bypass duct and use the furnace’s blower to draw air through the internal water panel for moisture. Because they use the furnace’s fan, they only operate when the furnace does or when you turn on the system’s fan.
- Fan-powered humidifiers are installed directly on the duct leading into or out of the furnace. These units use their own fan, so these humidifiers can run with or without the heating system. With a bypass humidifier, air is drawn into the humidifier and passes through a water panel to collect moisture.
- Steam humidifiers heat water to create steam which is released into the ducts to mix with heated air traveling to your living areas. These humidifiers offer the most humidification capacity and are highly efficient.
Contact Estes Services for Humidifier Installation in Atlanta
Sick and tired of living with dry indoor air all winter long? Install a whole home humidifier to gain the moisture your family needs! Call Estes Services today and make an appointment to receive an estimate for whole house humidifier installation and instantly improve your home’s indoor air quality.
