There's no denying the importance and value of a good furnace when cold weather rolls around. Yet no matter how sophisticated a furnace you have, there is always a tendency for your indoor air to become excessively dehydrated during wintertime. A furnace humidifier is by far the best way to counteract this problem. If you would like to learn more about the reasons to invest in a furnace humidifier, as well as the various options available, read on. This article will provide a useful overview of the subject.

Improved Health

Perhaps the single greatest consequence of dry indoor air is that it tends to have a negative impact on the health of you and your family. To begin with, that excessive dryness acts to sap your skin of the moisture it needs to stay supple and healthy. Thus, you may find yourself dealing with a wide range of skin ailments—everything from dry skin, to itchy skin, to cracked and chapped skin.

Worse still, dry air acts to dehydrate the mucous membranes in your nose. This makes them much less effective at trapping particulate matter. As a result, your likelihood to suffer from things such as dust, pet dander, and other allergens shoots sky high. It also makes it harder for your body to filter out viruses, such as those that cause the flu and the common cold. When humidity levels drop below 43%, your likelihood of contracting such diseases rises drastically.

A humidifier helps to restore a healthy degree of moisture to your body, helping you to feel better, while making you less susceptible to illness at the same time.

Different Types Of Furnace Humidifiers

Furnace humidifiers come in three basic categories: bypass, power spray, and steam. Bypass humidifiers are the most basic type, and also the least expensive. The only catch is that in order to integrate a bypass humidifier with your existing duct system, certain modifications will have to be made.

Power-spray humidifiers, on the other hand, are easier to integrate with existing systems. These humidifiers utilize a powerful fan to help introduce moisture into the air stream moving out of your furnace. This fan allows them to more rapidly increase the humidity of your home.

For those who want the most effective humidification system, a steam humidifier is the way to go. These utilize separate boiler units to rapidly produce steam, which is then sent up through your duct system. While steam humidifiers are capable of providing the greatest amount of humidity, they are also the most expensive type of humidifier. Not only that, but they require more regular upkeep than do bypass and power-spray humidifiers. Contact an HVAC specialist for more information.

Share