I live in an area where temperatures below freezing or even below zero are no surprise.
We rely heavily on the furnace for more than half the year.
With especially cold winter weather, the air becomes extremely dry. The constant blast of heat causes problems with insufficient moisture in the home. There’s concerns with damage to hardwood floors, moldings, antiques and musical instruments. The dry air aggravates issues with allergies, asthma, psoriasis and eczema. It can be blamed for headaches, congestion, sore throat, itchy eyes, sneezing and coughing. When the air becomes overly dry, it can be difficult to sleep and take longer to recover from colds and flu. Plus, the air feels cooler, encouraging higher thermostat settings and utility bills. It adds to demands on the furnace and can increase the likelihood of malfunction. I looked into all different types of humidifiers. The portable options are a great deal of work and don’t provide much benefit. They only provide improvement in a single room. There are three styles of whole-home humidifiers that install into the furnace and introduce moisture into the air as it passes through. Bypass, fan-style and steam-style humidifiers improve indoor air quality and comfort. They operate quietly, require only annual upkeep and save enough on the heating bills to recover the cost of installation. I chose a steam-style option because it offers a very natural process and can handle the requirements of a larger home. This type of humidifier uses electrodes to turn water into steam and allows me to customize the level of moisture to preference.