For a state that tends to have humid summers, it can be a surprise to residents that, in terms of humidity levels, Indiana winters are dry. It’s important that you battle humidity levels in your home for your health, and your home’s sake.

I want it to be humid in my home?

We know, it can sound confusing—we normally consider humidity to be uncomfortable. But, this is a little different. The level of humidity in your home is considered “relative humidity.” While weather-related humidity is the actual amount of moisture in the air, relative humidity is a measurement of how humid the air feels.

During the winter, cold outside air enters the home and becomes heated. This heated air expands, and can make the air feel dry, even though the total volume of moisture in the air has not changed. During the summer, warm, humid air enters the home through air leaks, and is then cool. Cold air condenses, which can make the apparent moisture level increase, thus making the air feel even more humid and sticky.

For optimal comfort in your home year-round, Mister Quik recommends your indoor humidity level to be between 35 and 55 percent. For the summer months, you’re looking at 35 to 45 percent. For the winter months, you’d want 45-55 percent.

Adverse effects for lack of humidity

If your humidity level is particularly low during the heating months, you could have some adverse effects around your home. For personal health, the flu virus spreads and infects hosts more easily in dry air. Also, dry air causes discomfort such as dry skin and eyes, sore and scratchy throat, fatigue, dry nasal passages, … things that can make your family members more susceptible to illness.

Around your home, dry air can pull moisture out of porous objects, such as wood. This can lead to cracking, splitting and other damage that can ruin furniture and make things more expensive to repair. Also, dry air feels cooler than air with the optimal amount of humidity, so you might be more prone to crank up the heat more, which can lead to increased heating costs.

How can I add humidity to my home?

The first step to making your home more comfortable this winter is to call the experts at Mister Quik Home Services. We offer the most energy-efficient option for the problem of dry air by offering whole house humidifiers. These systems are attached to the existing duct system, and operation is easy for the home owner—fully automatic.

A humidistat monitors the indoor humidity levels. If the indoor humidity level is below optimal conditions in the winter, a signal is sent from the humidistat to the humidifier to open water flow through a plumbing line. The water flows down a media panel, which allows the airflow in the ducts to transport water vapor throughout the home. Once the optimal humidity levels are reached, the humidifier deactivates on its own.

Let’s discuss your humidity needs this winter, and get your family and home on a healthier start to the year.