Humidity is often overlooked as a major factor that contributes to or detracts from the comfort of your home. However, humidity above or below the optimal range can have significant impact on your comfort and health; in the fall and winter months, low humidity levels outside contribute to dry, uncomfortable air inside.

Well, here’s the breakdown:
 

Effects of Low Humidity   Scratchy nose and throat Dry eyes and skin Aggravated asthma and allergies Nosebleeds Static electricity Cooler-feeling air Unhealthy houseplants Dry hardwood floors Damaged musical instruments

Benefits of Optimal Humidity Levels Lower utility bills Warmer-feeling air Plus, you won't experience any of the discomforts listed on the left: no more scratchy nose and throat, no more dry eyes and skin, lessened or eliminated static electricity and healthier house plants!

And, if you want to get a little more technical about it ...

People tend to feel most comfortable at a relative humidity of about 45%, although for maximum comfort that doesn’t encourage bacteria growth, the optimal range is between 25% and 55%. With proper humidification, in the winter time, you can set your thermostat at 69° F if you have 55% RH and it will provide you and your family comfort as if you set your thermostat at 72 ° F with 30% RH.  Or, in the summertime, operation at 78°F and 30% RH provides the same level of comfort as does 74°F and 70% RH. But, the lower humidity level provides lower utility bills and less risk of the above health issues.

If you’re concerned about low humidity issues in your home, let us help you solve them with the best equipment to meet you and your family’s needs (download a pdf brochure here)! We can even schedule an Indoor Air Quality test from Air Advice - an independent laboratory - to check the humidity, temperature and airborne particulate levels in your home and provide you with a customized report of the findings in order to best meet your humidity requirements.