Your sense of comfort involves more than just the temperature. Have you noticed excessively dry air in your house? While more common in the winter, dry indoor air can be a year-round concern. It can result in irritating physical symptoms and may even affect the house itself.
If you’re wondering why the air in your house is so dry, consider calling A-1 United Heating, Air & Electrical. Our technicians have years of experience identifying and resolving humidity problems. We can recommend tasks and specialized equipment ideal for balancing indoor humidity. Continue reading below for the most common causes of dry indoor air, as well as what you can do to help.
3 Common Reasons for Dry Air in Your House
1. Cold Winter Air
Summer heat holds moisture better than the cold air of winter. When that moisture meets air conditioning, humidity is more likely to fall within a tolerable range. But in the winter, dry outdoor air meets dry indoor air from your furnace.
2. Poor Insulation
Even a well-constructed house has cracks and small gaps where humidity can escape. But did you know most homes don’t have adequate insulation? The less insulation you have, the more easily humidity is displaced by dry outdoor air.
3. Short-Cycling Furnace
During normal operation, your furnace only runs long enough to provide comfortable temperatures. Certain damage or malfunctions can result in short cycling, where your furnace repeatedly starts and stops in a short time frame. The hot air it generates may displace what little moisture has accumulated, keeping humidity outside of comfortable levels. Until furnace repair is completed, short cycling may continue to negatively affect humidity.
Managing Low Humidity
Whatever the reason for dry indoor air, resolving the problem can be surprisingly simple. Humidity control systems can replenish indoor humidity, while additional insulation prevents it from escaping again.
Install a humidifier: With a quality humidifier, you’ll never have to worry about dry indoor air again. Some models are designed for a single room, while whole-home humidifiers use your existing ductwork to maintain humidity throughout the house. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends levels between 30% and 60% for optimal comfort.
Supplement Existing Insulation: Adding more insulation doesn’t just help maintain comfortable humidity levels. The better insulated your home is, the less energy is required for heating and cooling. Any potential installation costs can be quickly offset by savings on your monthly energy bill.
A-1 United Can Alleviate Humidity Problems
Struggling with excessively dry air in the house? Just one call to A-1 United Heating, Air & Electrical can help. Our technicians can quickly identify the cause of dry indoor air before recommending the most efficient solution.
Working together is the fastest way to a quality solution. Get in touch with our staff to learn more or schedule an appointment. You can reach us by phone at 402-593-7500, so call today!