Humidifiers
Humidification—the process of adding moisture to the air—is one of the most important aspects of total indoor comfort, yet it's one of the least understood.
Maybe this is because people associate humidity with the discomfort of hot, steamy summer days. And it's true that too much humidity causes problems. Yet when properly controlled, humidity offers many proven benefits to your health, home and comfort.
Dry Air Can Damage Your Family’s Health and Home
Physicians and other experts often recommend humidity control to prevent the damaging effects of dry air.
Increase odds of getting colds, flu and other upper respiratory ailments
Viruses that cause colds and flu thrive in low humidity. And, according to The American Society of Otolaryngology, dry air can make people more susceptible to infection. In addition, drier air can aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms.
Home damages
Dry air causes walls, woodwork, and your beautiful hardwood floors to crack. Electronics can fall victim to static electric charges, requiring expensive repair or replacement.
Higher energy costs
Low humidity can make you feel too cold at normal temperatures leading you to turn up the thermostat. This leads to higher energy bills.
Beyond the damage low humidity causes, it makes you uncomfortable. It can cause:
- Bloody noses
- Dry mouth and dry, itchy eyes
- Sore throats
- Cracked, itchy skin
- Painful static shocks
A Humidifier Can Help
A whole-house humidifier is designed to deliver the perfect amount of moisture to your home, minimizing the ill effects of dry air and making you more comfortable at lower thermostat settings.
In turn, this will save you money. According to the EPA, every degree you lower your thermostat can result in 4% savings on your heating bill.
"Humidifiers are commonly used in homes to relieve the physical discomforts of dry nose, throat, lips, and skin. The moisture they add to dry air also helps alleviate common nuisances brought on by winter heating, such as static electricity, splitting woodwork and cracks in paint and furniture."
-U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Why Choose a Whole-House Humidifier?
Installed directly to your home's central heating and cooling system, a whole-house humidifier provides whole-house comfort—unlike portable units that only address certain rooms.
Too much humidity can be as much of a problem as too little humidity. Unlike portable units, a whole-house humidifier continually monitors relative humidity levels and then delivers the perfect amount of moisture to the air throughout your entire home.
Aprilaire offers both evaporative and steam humidifiers that introduce humidity into your home's air in the form of water vapor, which prevents minerals from entering the air in your home and potentially into your lungs.