High humidity is a problem that most people don’t need explained to them. Even if they don’t know why high humidity on a hot day makes the hot day feel much worse, they know exactly what the sensation is like. With too much moisture in the air (relative humidity higher than 60%), the human body cannot release heat as effectively and the trapped heat causes temperatures to feel hotter than they are.
But what about low humidity? You’ve heard the phrase “a dry heat” as a positive, but dryness itself is not positive and is as much trouble as high humidity. Dry conditions often occur during the winter, and your house might benefit from a whole-house humidifier to provide the balance necessary for comfort and health.
Signs of air that’s too dry
So you know what humidity feels like. How can you tell when the air is too dry? Here are several signs to watch for in your home:
- Frequent nosebleeds and sinus irritation
- Difficulty sleeping at night
- Static electricity that’s getting out of control
- Problems with asthma and allergies
- Chapped lips and cracked skin
- Difficulty warming up even when the heater is on
If these are common troubles in your household, we recommend you look into installing a whole-house humidifier.
The problems with dry air
When conditions are too dry (relative humidity less than 30%), it makes it easier for moisture to escape from the human body as well as other surfaces. This lack of moisture is what leads to most of the problems dry air can inflict:
- Heat escapes much quicker from the body. This is why a “dry heat” feels more comfortable than a humid one. But losing heat isn’t what you want when temperatures are cool or cold. Dry conditions in a home can force you to run your heating system for longer to make people feel warmer enough.
- Dry air will dry up sinuses, which is not only irritating, it allows for the easy spread of illness from person to person. This is one of the reasons that the winter has a higher incidence of colds and flus than warmer parts of the year.
- Dry air can cause asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory problems. Other healthy conditions include sore throat, irritated eyes, dry skin, dermatitis, and dehydration. A range of these issues can cause trouble sleeping.
- Static electricity. This is more than a nuisance—static electricity can cause damage to sensitive electronic equipment in your home.
Whole-house humidifier installation
A single-room humidifier may be a decent solution for an infant’s room, but it isn’t much good for an entire home that has dry air. The best solution is to call our experts in indoor air quality in Sherwood, AR and ask about installing a whole-house humidifier. We can integrate a humidifier into your HVAC system where you can control it through a special panel. We recommend a setting of 45% relative humidity for the best middle ground between dry and humid.
Dewees HVAC proudly serves the Conway area. Contact us today to find out more about our indoor air quality solutions, including whole-house dehumidifiers and humidifiers.