Benefits of Proper Humidity
There are many important benefits to understanding
and keeping proper humidity in your home. They range from good
health to long lasting home improvements you've made. This section
will explain it all for you. Proper relative humidity is responsible
for the following:
A Humidifier Protects your Health
Proper humidity in your home can increase the indoor
air quality of your home or office and combat the negative effects
of dry air and dehydration while enabling the body's immune system
to better defend itself against harmful germs. Dry Air is one
a major cause of nose bleeds, respiratory infections, colds and
flu. Dry air can also affect your immune system's ability to fight
germs. Dry air can lead to dehydration which can cause:
An Autoflo whole house furnace humidifier in your home will allow
you to maintain proper humidity needed for good overall health.
Proper humidity in your home provides much needed moisture in the
air which keeps your skin soft and supple, making your skin look
and feel younger! You will enjoy the following long term health
benefits:
- hydrated skin, eyes, sinuses
- a healthier immune system (you'll be less apt to get colds and
flu)
- reduced bacteria and germs in your home
- healthier joints and muscles
A Humidifier Helps Save Money
Your home is a big investment. Heating your home during all the
cold months of the year can be very expensive. When you have an
Autoflo humidifier controlling the relative humidity in your home,
you will feel warmer at a lower temperature (thermostat
setting). This is because water evaporates more slowly from the
skin in humid air, which gives a feeling of warmth. In drier air,
water evaporates more rapidly which cools and dries the skin. Even
if you lowered the thermostat a few degrees, over time you
will save a great deal of money!
A Humidifier Helps Protect Your Investment
You've spent alot of money on your home to keep it nice. Carpets,
draperies, wood flooring and cabinets, paint, furniture, moldings
and much more can cost many thousands of dollars. Lack of proper
humidity can ruin these investments.
Humidity and Your Carpet
With carpet used in more homes and offices, along with better insulation
and heating, static electricity has become more noticeable. Add
to that computer terminals, keyboards and such and we hear more
and more about static problems. The amount of static electricity
created is based on such variables as the weight, walking habits
and even the type of shoes worn. It's affected by the face fiber
of the carpet, construction of the carpet, the backing, type of
cushion under the carpet and the kind of floor. The amount of moisture
in the air and, consequently on the face yarns is a major factor
in determining if someone is going to get shocked after walking
over a carpet.
Static electricity may be noticeable and then it will disappear.
It may or may not return. The reason it disappeared is the change
of some variable. It could be a change in the type of shoe soles
or the carpet has been soiled. The static electricity on a dirty
carpet is less than on a clean one.
Humidity is probably the biggest factor that produces the
change. Moisture in the air will be absorbed by the carpet
fibers. The moisture in the fibers is important as the moisture
helps dissipate the electrical charge. If there is sufficient moisture
present there will not be enough charge built up to produce a shock.
An early method used to control static was to place pans of water
on the stove or radiators. Now, you can install an Autoflo whole
house furnace humidifier that is mounted to your furnace to solve
this problem. If sufficient water is added to the air, it will eliminate
the static problem but too much moisture can produce a condensation
problem on window glass in the colder climates, so make sure your
humidistat is set correctly.
Humidity and Cabinetry, Woodworking, Furniture and Hardwood Floors
If you have beautiful cabinetry in your kitchen, hardwood floors,
decorative woodwork, or wood furniture, you need to be aware of
humidity levels in your home. Lack of proper humidity can cause
these items to crack, bend, and warp.
Are cracks in wood floors normal? Because wood is a natural product
it will react to changes in its environment. Wood flooring is kiln
dried from approximately 30% moisture content to between 6-12% at
the time of manufacturing. This evens your floor to the standard
normal relative humidity level of between 35-55% that normally
should be present in your home.
The most common causes of cracks in your hardwood floors are Mother
Nature and dryness. The loss of moisture results
in the most frequent reason for shrinkage of individual pieces and
cracks. Most cracks are seasonal - they appear in dry months, or
the cold season -when heating is required, and close during humid
periods. This type of movement is considered normal.
How do I avoid cracks in my floor?
The cure is to minimize changes by adding moisture to the
air space during dry periods, and to reduce humidity in
the summer. A constant Relative Humidity (RH) of 50% (minimum 35%,
maximum 55%) works in concert with the manufacture of wood floors
to provide stability in the floor. You must either live with some
cracks, have stable humidity, or chose an engineered floating floor
- it's your choice.
Humidity and Your Piano
Do you have a piano or other wooden instrument in your home? If
so, you need to be aware of proper humidity levels in your home
to insure the long life of your musical instrument.
A piano is made primarily of wood, a versatile and beautiful material
ideal for piano construction. However, being made of wood, it is
affected by changes in humidity. Seasonal and even daily changes
in humidity cause wood parts to swell and shrink, affecting tuning
stability and touch. Extreme swings in humidity can eventually cause
wood to crack and glue joints to fail.
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