Schneider's Heating

Why Does The Air In My Home Feel So Dry During the Winter?

Whether the air around you feels moist or dry has to do with the relative humidity level. Relative humidity is defined as the percentage of moisture in the air compared to its maximum capability to hold moisture under the same conditions. One hundred percent humidity means that the air is holding as much moisture as it can at that temperature.

What’s important to note about humidity is that cold air has a very limited capacity to hold moisture. Here is where the problem begins with dry heated air inside your home during the winter.

If the outside temperature is 10°F, for instance, and it is carrying a comfortable humidity level of 70%, that humidity level will drop to only 7% when it is heated to 70°F. That’s only a fraction of the recommended indoor relative humidity level of 35%. What you perceive as a "desert dryness" inside your home during the winter is this very low level of moisture.

Low relative humidity is often cited by doctors as a cause of nose and throat irritation. Dry heated air can also wreak havoc with the furniture, carpeting, walls, ceilings, and woodwork in your home. In fact, shrinking wood framing around doors and windows causes gaps to appear, causing heat loss. This can lead to higher winter heating costs.

A humidifier properly installed in your home will automatically restore relative humidity to a safe, comfortable level. And because you’ll feel warmer at lower temperatures with the proper humidity level, you can actually turn down your thermostat and save money during the winter.

Let Schneider Heating advise you as to the proper humidifying system that will meet your home’s requirements. Contact Us for more information.

Schneider Heating, Inc.
252 Pillow Street
Butler PA 16001
724-283-8525