Improve the Indoor Air in Your Ohio Home With a Humidifier
Temperature is a major factor in creating the perfect home environment, but it is not the only ingredient needed for comfort and good indoor air quality (IAQ).
Humidity, another key player, also impacts your living space. If the humidity level is too low, it doesn’t matter where you set your thermostat because the indoor air will be dry and uncomfortable.
Carrier Ohio has a solution for adding moisture to indoor air: a whole-home humidifier. It can help restore the ideal humidity level, improve indoor air quality, and make your home feel warmer and healthier.
Low humidity likely is the culprit for dry skin, a scratchy throat, or static shocks you have experienced during the winter. A whole-home humidifier works with your HVAC system to add moisture to the air. It is not as simple as a portable unit that plugs into an electrical outlet. Integrating it with your heating and cooling system requires professional HVAC expertise.
Fortunately, our Carrier Ohio network of Carrier dealers can help you find a qualified, experienced HVAC team for humidifier installation. Click our online directory link to find a Carrier dealer near you.
Why Is My Indoor Air Dry?
Your heating system works hard to keep you warm during cold weather, but it also tends to strip moisture from the air. This leads to low indoor humidity, which can cause a range of issues:
- Dry or itchy skin
- Chapped lips
- Sinus irritation and increased allergy symptoms
- Static electricity
- Damage to wood furniture and flooring
Even worse, dry air can make you feel colder, prompting you to turn up the thermostat and increase your utility bills unnecessarily.
What Is the Ideal Indoor Humidity Level?
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the ideal indoor relative humidity level is between 30 and 50 percent.
Maintaining indoor humidity in this range can reduce the risk of mold growth, prevent excessive dryness, and support a healthy, comfortable living environment.
Should I Get a Portable or Whole-Home Unit?
A portable humidifier adds moisture to the air in just one room. A whole-home humidifier maintains optimal humidity levels throughout your house and automatically adjusts to maintain the perfect moisture balance.
In addition to maintaining an even humidity level across all rooms, a whole-house unit improves comfort and air quality throughout your home. It prevents damage to furniture, flooring, and electronics and reduces respiratory symptoms, dry skin, and chapped lips.
You also save on energy costs because properly humidified air feels warmer, and you will be less inclined to hike up the thermostat setting!
What Are My Humidifier Options?
Carrier offers steam, fan-powered, and bypass humidifiers. One of our Carrier Ohio network members can recommend the best choice for your home. Here’s a look at each:
- Steam Humidifiers – These humidifiers boil water to create steam, which flows through your ductwork into your living space. They produce steam independently of your HVAC system and are perfect for larger homes or homes with specific humidity needs. They operate as stand-alone units or can integrate into your HVAC system.
- Fan-Powered Humidifiers – These humidifiers have a fan that delivers consistent moisture without relying solely on furnace operation. They blow air across a pad, which is kept moist with water from your plumbing system, into your ductwork. Most fan-powered humidifiers include a humidistat to regulate the humidity level.
- Bypass Humidifiers – These use your HVAC system’s airflow to distribute humidity and are ideal for homes with forced-air heating systems. Like the fan-powered systems, they include a moist pad and humidistat, and connect to a water line. They use less electricity because they do not operate a fan.
Carrier designed each type of humidifier with efficiency, durability, and easy integration in mind.
Do I Have to Maintain My Humidifier?
Like all HVAC equipment, humidifiers require maintenance to keep them running efficiently.
Maintenance tasks include:
- Replacing the humidifier pad annually or as recommended
- Adjusting the humidity settings seasonally
- Cleaning the water reservoir and internal components to prevent mineral buildup and bacteria.
- Checking for leaks or blockages
If you are not a do-it-yourselfer or a handy homeowner, let a professional Carrier dealer inspect and maintain your humidifier during your fall heating system tune-up. Preventive maintenance ensures your humidifier works correctly and prolongs its lifespan.
Choose a Carrier Humidifier Today!
Experience matters when selecting and installing the best humidifier for your Ohio home. Our Carrier Ohio network members specialize in indoor air quality solutions, including humidifiers. You can rely on a Carrier dealer for extensive product knowledge and installation expertise. Find a local dealer today by clicking our directory link.