Why the Air in Your House is Drier in Winter and What to Do About It

It’s common to wake up with a dry and irritated nose, or a scratchy throat during the colder winter months. As temperatures drop outside your home you may also experience nosebleeds, chapped lips, dry skin, and even increased acne. During this same season, you could also notice problems in your home. They include static electricity, creaks in hardwood floors, and wood furniture beginning to crack. These symptoms and problems are due to the drier air that we all experience during the colder winter months. You’re most likely wondering “why does this happen?” and “what do I do about it?”

Why Does This Happen?

As explained on Web MD, “Warmer air holds more moisture than cooler air. In the winter, the cold air that seeps into your home from the outside has a lower humidity level — meaning that it carries very little moisture. When you crank up the heat inside your house, it adds warmth, but doesn’t increase the amount of moisture in the air.”

Dry air can lead to serious risks, not just for your health, but also for your home. If you ignore this problem, you’re potentially putting your home and family at risk. Your home and the furnishings inside of it may also start to show more drastic signs of wear when temperatures decrease. Fortunately, there are several preventative measures you could take to ensure you keep your home and family safe from harsh, dry air.

What Do I Do About It? To prevent dryness in your home, follow these 3 tips:

Install a Whole-Home Humidifier. There’s no question; when it comes to reducing the dryness in your home, your best bet is to purchase a humidifier. However, rather than purchasing a portable humidifier for each room, consider installing a whole-home humidifier. This will ensure that you are providing moisture to your entire house, rather than just certain areas.

The way a whole home humidifier works is through installation directly into your heating system’s ductwork. This means that as your HVAC system heats and cycles air, it also adds moisture because it is connected directly to your home’s water supply. When the air from your ducts enters the humidifier, the water evaporates into the air, allowing moisture to flow through your system’s ducts to evenly distribute the moisture and raise the humidity in every room.

Seal Your Home – Your home will constantly lose moisture and let in cold, dry air if you don’t take precautions to eliminate air leaks. Moisture can escape through windows, under doors, and through your ductwork if you have any unchecked leaks. Be sure to perform a thorough inspection of these common problem areas to reduce lost moisture.

Alternatively, you can contact your local heating professionals to perform a home energy audit, which could identify leaks that could be causing reduced moisture and decreased energy efficiency.

Lower the Heat – It may seem contradictory when it’s freezing outside, but increasing the heat when it gets cold reduces the humidity in your home. Instead of cranking up the heat a few degrees, try putting on a sweater or using a blanket. You’ll warm up without losing any of the humidity in your home in the process. If you don’t already have one, install a programmable thermostat to reduce overheating your house, especially when you’re away.

If you follow these three tips, you’ll immediately boost your indoor air quality and provide a healthy home for your family. Additionally, you can ensure that your home is optimally being heated by hiring a local heating professional to inspect areas of your home that could be causing a reduction in humidity in the air. At Appolo Heating, we have trained professionals on staff that are ready to help!