A whole-house humidifier adds water to the air, making your home more comfortable by increasing the humidity. Most of the time, technicians put humidifiers on your heating system’s return or feed ducting. The best whole-house humidifier for your residence depends on the type of heater and heat supply systems you have and the layout and size of your home.
A Whole-Home Humidifier: How Does It Operate?
Bypass Humidifiers
Bypass humidifiers dry air using the airflow from your furnace, especially from the blower fan in the air handler or furnace cabinet. Either the feed plenum or the return air drop part of your ducts is where a bypass humidifier goes. There is a panel on the inside of the humidifier. When your system needs more humidity, the humidifier pulls in water and lets it drip down the panel.
Then, warm air from the heater blows over the panel, which dries up the water drops. The airflow from your system moves this air through your ducts and around your home. These humidifiers obtain their name because they let air from your system pass through them. Because of this, the humidifier needs your air fan to be on for it to work.
Power Humidifiers
Power humidifiers work like bypass humidifiers but come with a fan, so they make it easier for air to evaporate without letting air from the heater or air blower pass through. Inside a power humidifier is the same panel as a bypass humidifier. When there’s a need for humidity, water drips down this panel.
The power humidifier is different because it has an internal fan that removes the water and air ducts on either side of the panel, allowing air to flow around the unit. After this happens, the air goes through your HVAC system as usual and into your home. Your air compressor or heater must still be running. The humidifier’s fan isn’t enough to move the wetness through your whole house; however, it does give a little more power to help the air move.
Steam Humidifiers
Instead of using a fan or the warm air of your furnace or air handler, steam humidifiers need the water to boil to produce steam. In a steam humidifier, a tiny pool of water gets heated to generate steam, which will then go through your ductwork into your house. There is no panel in a steam humidifier as in a bypass or power humidifier. Still, an extra electrical component enables it to convert water into steam. This component allows the steam humidifier to function.
The Advantages of Using a Whole-Home Humidifier
Can Contribute to Suppressing Airborne Viruses
Recent research has shown that increasing the humidity levels within a building significantly impacts airborne viruses, essentially making them useless. Experts are now considering the possibility of increasing the amounts of humidity in hospitals throughout the country as an additional technique for preventing patients, staff members, and visitors from becoming ill. The presence of moisture in the air may impede the movement of germs, which enables the germs to join with the moisture and bring about their demise.
This occurs because the airborne particles have become so heavy that they cannot continue floating around in the air. This helps to prevent the transmission of a wide variety of ailments, including the flu. The primary advantage of using a humidifier is that it raises the total humidity level in a space, whether it is a room or an entire house.
Helps Prevent Snoring
The people who breathe via their mouths have a far harder time avoiding dryness in their mouths than those who breathe through their noses. When you’re asleep, this is going to hit you very hard. Creating a more favorable environment with the assistance of a humidifier to add moisture to the air makes for a more comfortable setting, which may help calm the tissues in the back of your throat.
This will not only make sleeping more comfortable for you, but it may also help reduce your snoring. In addition, keeping the humidifier on throughout the day is important since it may assist in maintaining the moisture level in your throat and protect against the discomfort often linked with snoring.
Preventing Dry Skin
Because of the high percentage of water that makes up the human body (50–60%), dry environments have the potential to wick away moisture, leaving behind dry skin, chapped lips, and maybe even bloodshot eyes. The right quantity of water is necessary for our bodies to feel good and perform at their very best. Because our skin has such a large surface area, it is often the part we become aware of when we encounter excessively dry situations.
When the body lacks water, discomfort may also appear in the lips and eyes. Keeping a humidifier operating might aid in preventing the skin from becoming dry and cracked. Your dry or itchy skin, lips that are peeling or chapped, and dry eye discomfort may all benefit from the additional moisture provided by the air.
Creates a Warmer Home
Studies have shown that having humidified air in a home may make it seem warmer than having dry air. This is because more water is in the air, which causes perspiration to evaporate more slowly. As a result, individuals experience an increase in body temperature. Consequently, homeowners can reduce the amount they spend on their heating expenses. You can reduce the temperature on the thermostat because the air is warmer; this helps save both energy and money.
May Alleviate Allergies
In certain cases, using a modern humidifier can alleviate the symptoms of allergies, which is a terrific approach to aid those who suffer from allergies. In the past, humidifiers may have released too much moisture into the air, which may have encouraged the growth of house dust mites.
However, you can adjust current versions to lower levels, which do not produce an atmosphere favorable to these unpleasant home visitors. In addition, those who suffer from allergies feel more at ease in humid environments because the increased humidity helps calm the tissues in the throat and nasal passages.
Prevents Static Electricity
Static electricity is more likely to build up during the dry winter months. This electricity may be frustrating when combined with tangled clothes or unruly hair. Even worse, a static buildup may destroy sensitive electronic equipment; it can even cause sparks, damaging flammable gas, or dust. Air that has been appropriately humidified may mitigate and even stop most of the issues caused by static.
Prevents Cracking of Wood
Dry air is another factor that may contribute to the deterioration of wood furniture by causing it to dry out and crack. Additionally, it could loosen the joints on a wooden floor. Wooden doors tend to expand and contract with time, which may make it challenging to open and shut them. Likewise, weak joints can cause the legs and arms of chairs to become unstable. This is because wood cannot thrive without a steady moisture supply. When used appropriately, a humidifier guarantees that the wooden elements in your house, including your furniture, will always look their best.
Talk to the Experts
Installing a whole-home humidifier is a job that is best left to professional HVAC technicians. We can ensure you get a high-quality unit compatible with your air conditioning and heating systems and the right size to benefit you most. We can also help with air quality and duct services.
Contact 72 Degrees Heating & Air Conditioning in Apex today for a more comfortable tomorrow by inquiring about our sustainable, quality whole-house humidifiers for any home.
