Whole House Humidifier

Understanding how Humidifiers Work

The process of increasing moisture or the water vapour content of the air is called humidification. The process of humidification is usually accompanied by either heating or cooling of air. It is possible to humidify air through various means such as the direct injection of water vapour through steam, atomization, or evaporation.

During the winter season, an indoor area is more often than not artificially heated.  Artificial heating causes low humidity, and it may drop to as low as 10% to 20%. When humidity is significantly reduced, it causes dry air. 

Low humidity usually occurs during the winter season, because this is the time when temperatures outside are far below indoor temperatures, and when cold air enters an artificially heated building, it becomes hot, dry air.  This has several negative effects. Humidifiers heat incoming air and prevent the air to leave at controlled levels of both humidity and temperature. An indoor area that is properly humidified will cause comfort and will be healthier to those who are inside it.

Humidifiers are usually placed or installed by homeowners in a single room or the whole house. There are room humidifiers that can be purchased commercially, and they usually humidify one room.  There are also humidifiers that can be used in the entire house. A house humidifier Houston is an apparatus that raises the moisture content of not just a room, but an entire house. 

A correctly placed and installed humidifier will be able give the perfect moisture amount to the home. Plumbing and heating companies such as Houston Plumbing offer indoor air quality services, which include installing humidifiers in the whole house.

The Effects of Dry Air in the Whole House

When it comes to humidity, a properly controlled and balanced place causes comfort to people inhabiting it.

The hot and dry air inside a heated building, particularly during winter, pulls moisture away from everything.  As a result, the air dries out, and this causes adverse effects on health and even quality of materials inside the home. 

Let us delve deeper into the effects of having no humidifier in the house.  The foremost effect of having dry air indoors is it dries out the mucous membranes, which are essentially the lining of the throat and the nose.  This causes problems related to the respiratory system, which includes nasal congestion.  They also make people more susceptible to colds and flu, and aggravate asthma and other allergies. Other issues related to dry air are chapped lips, brittle fingernails, dry itchy skin, and nose bleeds. Dry air is also a breeding ground for bacteria, viruses, fungi, and mites. 

The quality of materials inside the home are also affected when there is low humidity.  It distresses certain wooden materials, and may cause shrinking, cracking or disjointing. Hardwood floors may splinter and crack and wooden moulding may separate. Wooden musical instruments, such as the piano, guitar, and violin, are also affected.  When dry air causes the wood in these musical instruments to shrink, they will be out of tune.  Paper-based products such as notebooks, books, wallpaper or artworks have a tendency to warp, shrink, or be brittle in low humidity. House plants will also dry out in low humidity.

The reasons stated above make it all the more compelling to install a whole house humidifier Houston.

Installing Humidifiers in the Home

Some homes have a portable humidifier that is meant to humidify only one room.  They are usually carried from room to room.  However, a house humidifier Houston that is meant for the entire house can easily be installed, and there are several options in doing this.  Portable units are unable to continually monitor humidity levels and adjust levels to deliver the perfect humidity, but whole house humidifiers are able to do this.

Commonly called a whole house humidifier Houston, it is usually installed in the central heating and cooling system, which is in the ductwork, next to the furnace or heat pump. It can easily be fitted to an existing system.a

The concept behind a humidifier that is meant for the entire house is relatively simple.  The furnace or heat pump heats air and goes through a pad in the humidifier.  This evaporator pad is usually coated with ceramic, and becomes saturated with water.  Then, the air absorbs the saturated water from the pad and increases the humidity in the entire house through circulation.  When the furnace or heat pump is in use, the most common types of humidifiers are expected to use up to 2 to 10 gallons of water a day.  The homeowner saves on cost because the home humidifier will only run for the time needed to satisfy the humidistat level. The humidistat is the regulator that controls the humidity in the room. It has a sensing component and a reading component. It is usually connected to the humidifier.

Whole House Humidifier Advantages and Overall Maintenance

Whole house humidifiers have distinct advantages over portable humidifiers.  Portable humidifiers are usually bulky, loud, and take up floor space.  Although it takes a lot more effort to install, whole house humidifiers are less costly to maintain and will give less problems for the homeowner in the long run.  Also, unlike portable humidifiers which are carried from room to room, whole house humidifiers are permanently installed, and the homeowner won’t be hassled with moving anymore.  The homeowner just sets up the humidity level and forgets about it, as most systems add moisture only when needed and automatically regulates the humidistat as required.

Whole house humidifiers are directly connected to a water line, and they are able to refill automatically.  That is why the best bet in installing a humidifier system for the home is a plumbing and heating expert.  Speedway Plumbing Houston Texas, a trusted plumbing service, will not only install whole house humidifiers but will also do consultations and maintenance. They patiently explain the whole process to the homeowners, and their staffs are on call 24/7 in case there are issues and concerns involving the installed humidifiers.

Maintenance of whole house humidifiers is relatively easy, as it only needs attention at least twice a year. However, it is important that they are maintained. It should be cleaned, and the best time to do this is when winter has ended and heating the house is not necessary anymore.  Dissolved minerals and debris should be wiped away so that the system can perform longer and more efficiently in the next heating season.