Why a Gas Furnace Dries Out Your Homes Air and How to Fix It
There’s a reason why air feels drier during colder months than in the summer. That’s since warmer air retains more moisture, or humidity, than colder air.
The same is true for your the U.S. home. Turning on your gas furnace makes your home feel warmer but can also dry out the indoor air. Dry air can carry a whole host of ailments, including dry skin, cracked lips and make you more vulnerable to getting sick.
Here’s why your gas furnace dries out your residence’s air and what you can do to combat it.
Your Furnace’s Combustion Steps are Part of the Problem
The fuel your furnace consumes isn’t the thing responsible for making your house’s air seem dry. Rather, it’s the combustion procedures.
There are two different styles of gas furnaces, standard and high efficiency. With an older standard furnace, you can notice light from the burners when it’s on. A newer, high-efficiency furnace is totally sealed.
A standard furnace, also termed an atmosphere furnace, draws air from inside your house to work. Because the furnace consistently needs air to burn, it will also use cold, dry air from outdoors, which in turn reduces your house’s humidity.
High-efficiency furnaces, also referred to as a sealed combustion furnace, are better at keeping your humidity even. They draw all their combustion air from outside, but it stays contained in the sealed furnace. As an additional bonus, they keep your residence more comfy while using less energy. Moving to an ENERGY STAR® furnace from an old furnace might save you as much as 40% on heating costs, according to Lennox®.
Other than combustion, cold air also naturally drifts into your residence during the winter. Lower humidity means the air will snatch moisture fast from your skin, lips, nose and throat. It also causes static electricity.
How to Stabilize Humidity in Your House
Using a humidifier. While a portable humidifier can only make one room pleasant at a time, a whole-house humidifier will generate that comfort around your residence.
These are just a couple humidifier benefits you’ll get when you switch to a whole-home system.
Improved Health During Cold and Flu Season
It’s no surprise winter is the worst time for colds, flu and other ailments. That’s because you’re more susceptible to end up sick when your nose and throat are dry. Under certain airflow conditions, air at the specific humidity level might also resist the spread of some viruses. Also, it can combat year-round allergy symptoms.
Soothes Dry Skin
If you have consistently dry skin or eczema, you realize just how uncomfortable those conditions make you during winter. Adding a whole-house humidifier will help your skin hold onto more moisture.
Improved Sleep
Keeping your bedroom at the preferred temperature and humidity level will keep you comfortable at night. It can also alleviate loud snoring, since your throat and nose will be better hydrated.
Protects the Wood in Your Residence
Cabinets, flooring, furniture and basically anything in your house that’s wood doesn’t like it when humidity is too low. This is due to the fact dry air pulls moisture from the wood and causes it to fracture. Balancing your house’s humidity at the right level will keep your house’s furnishings looking their best.
Little Maintenance Necessary
Between frequent filter changes and continual refilling, portable humidifiers depend on a lot of upkeep. A whole-house humidifier only needs servicing about once a year, which can be performed in tandem with your furnace tune-up.
A steam humidifier has the lowest amount of maintenance since it doesn’t need a pad. It holds water in a canister and boils it into steam that gets moved through your ductwork. Since it’s independently powered, it can run when the furnace is off.
Request Your Free Home Comfort Consultation Right Away
If your home’s air feels less than comfortable during the winter, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help. Call us at 866-397-3787 to set up a free home comfort consultation. There’s no pressure, just free Expert advice on how you can balance your residence’s humidity at just the correct level. And, like our other services, our work is supported by our famous 100% Satisfaction Guarantee for one year.*
*Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.
