Stop Winter Damage
How a Humidifier Can Save Your Home and Your Wallet
It’s important to ensure your humidistat is set at the proper level.
If set properly, you should feel more comfortable, save on heating bills, and it protects your woodwork.
If it’s not set at the proper level, it can be costly leading to higher heating bills ,mold ,and potential ice dams.
Adding a humidifier to your furnace can help maintain a comfortable humidity level in your home. This can reduce dry air, which can prevent issues like dry skin, irritated sinuses, and static electricity. It can also help protect wooden furniture and floors from drying out and cracking.
When the air has more humidity, it feels warmer and more comfortable, which can help you keep your thermostat at a lower temperature setting, Just as high humidity in summer makes you feel hotter, the right humidity level in winter can make you feel warmer and more comfortable. Potentially saving on heating costs.
It’s crucial to regularly check and adjust your humidifier settings. Setting it too high can lead to condensation on windows and doors, mold growth, and damp insulation, potentially leading to damage.
The efficiency of insulation can drop significantly when it gets wet, potentially by as much as 40-50%. When the moisture hits the spot in the insulation that at the dewpoint (around 50 degrees ) droplets will form saturating the insulation This makes proper ventilation and moisture control crucial to maintain insulation effectiveness. Heat loss may possibly cause formation of ice dams.
Adjusting your humidifier based on the outside temperature is important.
Generally, the colder it is outside, the lower you want the humidity inside to prevent condensation. For example, if it’s 20°F outside, you might aim for around 35% indoor humidity.
Humidifier Settings Guide
Below 0° | 25-30%
0° to 10° | 30-35%
10° to 20° | 35-40%
20° to 40° | 40-50%
Above 40° | 50-60%
The instructions on the dial help you set the right humidity level based on the current outside temperature. They ensure that you maintain a comfortable and safe humidity level in your home, preventing issues like condensation or excessive dryness. It simplifies the process of adjusting the humidifier as the weather changes.
