The long winters in Alberta often find us cranking up the furnaces in our home. On the face of it are a warm house, nice fires, and cozy nights. However, the furnace running 24/7 can cause very dry air inside our homes due to extremely low humidity.
In this blog, we are going to cover some of the ways in which you can raise the humidity levels of your house. Methods to combat those aforementioned issues before they start.
What Are the Risks?
Having a low humidity level is not as great as you might expect, often leading to unforeseen issues caused as a result of the humidity falling to unmanageable levels. One issue that can be caused as a result of low humidity is the simple drying of the skin. As humans, our bodies don’t react well to dry environments, whether that be in the Sahara Desert or at home on our sofa. The effects of dry skin can sometimes be irritating and painful, cracks and sore spots appearing on our bodies, particularly our faces, heads, and hands. Low humidity can also dry out our eyes and inside our nose, leading us to be more susceptible to viral illnesses.
In addition to the negative health effects of low humidity, there are also ways that dry air can impact the contents of your home, and your home itself. Low humidity is especially hard on wood furniture and flooring, as it causes the boards to dry out, and possibly crack or separate. Too high of humidity can lead to issues like mold, mildew, and condensation on your windows. It’s best to find a nice balance between low and high humidity. The average household should be between 30%-50% humidity at any one time. Any less and we can run into the issues mentioned above.
9 Ways to Improve Humidity
House Plants
We will start with the ever-humble house plant. House plants are an excellent and environmentally healthy way to introduce moisture to your home. They work through a process called transpiration, essentially meaning they absorb water through their roots. As it travels up the plant it will be released back into the air, creating a slightly more humid climate, just don’t forget to water them frequently.
Showering
It may sound like the simplest solution, but it works. When you are having your shower or bath, there is always a level of moisture built up from the heat and water that condenses on the walls of your bathroom, so why limit it? When you hop in the shower, leave the bathroom door open and allow the moisture to circulate around the house.
Similar to the shower, if you are wanting to have a nice hot bath, it may be an idea to leave your bath water to cool on its own before pulling the plug. The water vapor created by the bath cooling is enough to give your home a little boost at the very least.
Drying Laundry
If you have a tumble dryer, it’s time to stop using it and invest in a drying rack. By hanging your washing next to the radiators, you are using the wet washing to essentially act as a humidifier, without the humidifier. As the washing dries the water will evaporate into the air, causing the air to become more humid, a great solution to two problems you could say.
Water-Based Oil diffusers
So, these are kind of similar to normal diffusers. They essentially work by mixing a couple of drops of essential oils in a base mix of water. There is an element inside the diffuser which, well, diffuses the water into vapor. The advantage of these is that you are releasing the vapor directly into the room, giving the room a fantastic amount of humidity whilst it also smells amazing. Most certainly an option to try.
Buckets on Heaters
Well, not literally buckets, however, you can go ahead and place bowls, cups, mugs, and glasses on radiators and other heat sources. This will cause the water in the vessels to evaporate into the air, leading to the humidity in the room rising.
Bear in mind that in order to make this effective, the more containers you put out, the more the humidity will rise.
Flowers in Windows
This is a slow burn method and should only be used in conjunction with other methods on the list. Placing water in vases on windowsills can act as a double benefit. The flowers you place in them will release water from their leaves and the water will eventually evaporate from the glass vase, helping to keep your house suitably humid.
Cook More
If you have ever boiled a pan of potatoes, you will know how much time you spend afterward wiping down the surfaces and walls, trying to get the condensation dried up. Well, in this case, the condensation may be the remedy you have been looking for.
Instead of popping the lid on the pan, it may be best to leave it off and let the evaporating and boiling water be released into the air of your kitchen.
Use Your Dishwasher
If you are using a dishwasher at home, you could be surprised at the level of humidity it kicks out. Once the wash has run its cycle, try opening up after the wash cycle and allowing your dishes to air dry.
Humidifier
This almost goes without saying as the most effective method, if you want to get extra humidity in your house, get a humidifier. You may consider small, portable humidifiers for single rooms, but you will find they use a lot of energy and you will be constantly filling the water compartment to sustain the level of humidity that your home requires. The most effective humidifier is one that is tied into your furnace itself, so the humidity circulates throughout the entire home as long as the fan is running on your furnace.
There are many available humidifiers, and our specialists can help you choose the right one for your home size and the level of humidity it requires.
Summary
We have gone over a number of different methods that you can use in order to improve the amount of humidity in your house. It’s important to consider your indoor humidity levels and the risks you take by not correcting these.
If you face air that is too dry or too damp, our professional plumbers will conduct an indoor humidity test and evaluate the current equipment you have in your home. Sometimes all that is needed is a simple repair or adjustment to the settings on your existing humidifier. Other times you may require a humidifier replacement. Give the experts at Always Plumbing & Heating a call, and we will be sure to help you find the best solution to your indoor humidity problems.
