Control Moisture Levels and Keep Dry Air from Damaging Your Skin with a Humidifier
Do You Need a Humidifier?Did you know that dry air can cause cracked skin, sore throats, aggravated allergy symptoms and more? Low humidity levels can also damage your home by chipping paint and causing wood floors to split or crack. Protect your family and home from the unhealthy effects of dry air with a humidifier. What relative humidity level is ideal? The rule of thumb is 30-50%. Use the digital monitor humidistat / hygrometer at the top of this page to monitor your room or home humidity level.
During winter, when the heat is on, the relative humidity in your house can become very low. This is because heated air can hold much more moisture than cold air. As the air in your home heats up, it becomes "thirsty" and begins sucking moisture out of surrounding surfaces: plants, walls, furniture, books, paintings, human bodies, everything. Whenever we heat air we dry out the air to uncomfortable and damaging levels. By keeping the humidity above 30%, you can normally turn down your thermostat a few notches. Your heated air will feel warmer, and you will help create a safer, more efficient environment. A humidifier is ideal for this purpose. How do I determine what type of humidifier I need? First determine whether you want a cool mist or warm mist humidifier. Both are equally effective in adding moisture to the air, but there are a few differences. Cool mist humidifiers are less expensive to purchase and a bit more energy efficient while warm mist humidifiers cost a little more but are great for relieving congestion. However, they can cause burns if not used correctly. The one you choose will really come down to personal preference. Next figure out the size of your room. Humidifiers are
usually rated for coverage area in square feet. If the model is too large
for your room, keep in mind that condensation can appear on windows and mirrors.
This can also facilitate bacteria and mold growth, so it's important to
correctly size your humidifier. For more information on humidifiers, see
our humidifier buying
guide.
For more help, see which humidifiers we recommend.
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