It’s not the cold, it’s the humidity! Humidity is defined as the amount of water vapor in the air. Cold air is dry and can’t hold much moisture. 70 degree air can hold 20 times more moisture than 0 degree air. During the winter, the air heated for our homes robs moisture from anything it can have for itself – furnishings, woodwork, even a human body.
Many doctors will attest to the problems dry air will cause to the mucus membranes in heating season. Dry, itchy and sometimes bloody noses, scratchy throats and itchy skin are all familiar ailments from dry air. The dehydrated air dries out the nasal passages making us more susceptible to infections.
The signs of too dry air in the home are easy to recognize. The dry air can create cracks in plaster, loosen joints in wood furniture, cause wood floors to creak, paintings can crack and of course there is the static zap after walking across carpeted floors.
During the heating season, the average American home can have a humidity level as low as 13%. Remarkably, that’s about half of the average level of the Sahara desert.
A chart published by the Research Products Corporation in Madison, Wisconsin shows a recommended indoor humidity level of about 45% when the air temperature outside is 40 degrees or above and about 30% when the temperature dips to 10 degrees. The homeowner has several options to help keep the humidity levels up in the home. Small room humidifiers are a simple fix, and are effective in the rooms they are located in. Although constantly filling them gets to be a chore. If you burn a wood or coal stove, by all means keep a pot or kettle of water on it to evaporate. It doesn’t do a lot but it does help a little and better yet, it’s free.
The best solution for homes with a furnace or heat pump is a whole home humidifier installed on the ductwork at the air handler. These units normally come with a humidity control that senses the humidity and keeps the air at or close to the optimum level.
Homeowners that already have these units installed should be sure they maintain them yearly. The evaporative process leaves plenty of deposits on the water panel internally that will inhibit its function and eventually clog the drain, causing it to leak.
These humidifiers are normally installed by professional contractors, but can be fitted by an adventurous DIY’er.
Maintaining good humidity levels can keep your home more comfortable and healthy through the winter months to come.