February in Minnesota… it can be hard to remember what summertime felt like. And it can be hard for your heating system to keep up with your home’s heating needs! Running the heat all the time is incredibly expensive. Is there anything you can do to feel warmer without going through quite so much energy and driving your heating bill so high?
Actually, yes. Try to think back to summertime. (We know, it’s such a distant memory.) You’ve surely heard people who are complaining about summer weather say something like, “I don’t mind the heat so much, but the humidity really gets to me.” That’s the trick: humid air feels much warmer than dry air. So the way to use your heating system less while feeling even cozier is a humidifier.
Water Holds Heat
If you’ve ever had the experience of being perfectly warm while swimming but getting freezing cold the moment you get out of the water, you may have noticed that water helps hold in heat. The more water there is in the air, the more of the warmth that your heating system creates will be retained in your home.
Of course, you don’t want your humidity levels to reach an extreme. As you’ve no doubt seen in the summer, high humidity levels can lead to things like mildew and swelling wood—the problem that causes doors to be difficult to shut in the summer. The ideal level of humidity is at least 30% but not much more than 50%, and in Minnesota winters, the humidity can be much lower than that.
Reduce the Use of Your Furnace
With a humidifier in Hibbing, MN, you can keep your air’s water content at an ideal level. This will help you feel more cozy in your home, make it possible to run your furnace less of the time, and reduce your energy use and your utility bills. But there’s even more good news for your heating system than that.
When your furnace is forced to run the majority of the time, wear and tear accumulate quickly. It’s very easy for filters to get clogged, airflow to be compromised, components to overheat, friction to cause problems, and even for parts to get jostled out of position. This means you’re at much higher risk of repairs and even running the risk of shortening the lifespan of your furnace. Less use will mean your furnace will run better for longer.
Other Benefits to Humidifiers
We did mention above that there are some unpleasant side effects to having humidity be too high in the home, there are also issues that occur when humidity is too low. Wood can dry out, causing anything from furniture to floorboards to crack. Musical instruments can be damaged, and books can become brittle and fragile. Wine can even be compromised when the corks dry out and shrink! Adequate humidity will prevent all this.
You’ll feel better in your body, too. With healthy humidity levels, you’ll avoid dry skin, crackly hair, brittle nails, itching, nosebleeds, and static shocks. People who have had humidifiers installed even say they sleep better at night, giving them more energy during the day.
When you’re ready to find out more about getting your home’s humidity to an ideal level, we’re ready to help.
Reach out to Mesaba Heating & Air Conditioning today. Service to you is success to us!