A Humidifier System Can Make You Feel Warmer This Winter

You may be considering a whole-house humidifier system to relieve some of the discomforts of an overly dry home, but have you considered that such a system might add to the warmth of the house as well? An infusion of warm steam will bring moisture to the air without counteracting the heat produced by your furnace or heater. There are several types of humidifier systems, including:

• Bypass humidifiers: Air is forced through saturated water panel pad through a bypass duct that connects the return and supply ductwork.

• Fan-powered humidifiers: Similar to the bypass model, fan-powered humidifiers force air through a saturated pad.

• Drum humidifiers: A circular drum covered by a foam pad rotates through a pan of water, and air is forced through it via a bypass duct.

• Self-contained humidifiers: A fan forces water through a saturated pad using a self-contained fan, eliminating the need for a forced-air system.

• Steam injection humidifiers: The unit boils water to create steam, which then travels through forced-air ductwork, warming the air as it enters the room.

Benefits of steam injection humidifiersWhile doctors often recommend humidifiers to promote health, those which depend on water-saturated pads may be susceptible to bacteria and molds. A steam injected system, like the Honeywell TrueSTEAM humidification system, minimizes these concerns and delivers the cleanest form of moisture into your home. Steam injection distributes warm, moist air into a room and saves money on heating bills in two ways:

• Humidified air feels warmer than dry air.

• The infusion is warm, not cool, so the heating unit gets a boost from the humidifier instead of having to re-heat the air it cooled.

For more information about whole-house humidifier systems, and which system is most appropriate for your needs, please contact us at Air Assurance. Our friendly staff has been helping customers keep their Broken Arrow area homes and businesses comfortable for more than 35 years.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Should You Have a Winter Humidifier On in Your Home?

Cold winter weather can lead to dry indoor air as you run your heating system to stay warm. Should you put a winter humidifier in your Broken Arrow home to keep it from becoming too dry? Read on to learn more about whether or not investing in a winter humidifier is worth it during this time of year.

Lower the Risk of Illness

Dry air can make it easier for viruses and other germs to move around, while moist air has the opposite effect. Increasing the humidity in your home could make it harder for germs to thrive, which can help reduce your risk of getting sick. Since winter is cold-and-flu season, it’s a good idea to prevent too much dryness in your home in order to stay healthy.

Reduce Static Electricity

Dry air can cause your home to have a lot of static electricity. The shocks you get from this static can be unpleasant. In severe cases, static electricity can damage electronics in your home. Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier can help decrease static electricity.

Prevent Wood Damage

When your home is too dry in winter, wood floors, doors, and other wooden structures can end up being damaged. Dry air can cause wood to crack or change size, making doors tough to open and floors creaky. Using a humidifier during winter can keep wood structures in your home in good condition.

Maintain Healthy Skin

Wintertime is associated with dry skin, especially for those who spend most of their time indoors. Heated air from furnaces or heat pumps can dry out your skin, which can lead to irritation. Having more humidity in your home in winter can help prevent dryness and keep your skin feeling healthier.

Have a More Comfortable Home

Using a winter humidifier in winter can create a more comfortable environment in your home. In fact, your home might feel warmer with higher humidity levels, so you won’t have to run your heating system as much.

If you need a winter humidifier to keep your Broken Arrow home feeling more comfortable this season, contact Air Assurance.

What is a Humidifier's Role in Curing a Cough?

Many people instinctively plug in humidifiers to soothe and cure coughs. That may lead you to wonder if science agrees. So what does a humidifier do for a cough? Find out below.

Reason for Using Humidifiers for Respiratory Conditions

So, what does a humidifier do for a cough? Expert opinions vary on how exactly humidifiers ease coughs and cold symptoms. It is well known that dry air isn't good for coughing. Inhaling dry air may cause or worsen coughing. By adding moisture to your home's air, a humidifier can help relieve dry coughing during sleep.

Pediatricians often recommend using a humidifier at night to help children with an upper respiratory infection, which causes difficulty breathing, nasal congestion, and coughing that tend to worsen at night. While you may find a warm-mist humidifier to be the most soothing, it is safer to choose cool-mist humidifiers for kids to prevent them from sustaining burns if they get too close to the hot steam.

Dry air makes mucus more difficult to cough up or blow out. Humidifiers help moisturize your lung, throat, and nasal passages. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) suggests that by helping loosen mucus, a cool-mist humidifier can soothe coughs.

Humidification can help relieve coughs linked to bronchitis. However, it's not recommended for people with asthma-related coughs.

Tips for Using a Humidifier Effectively

For you to use a humidifier effectively and get the expected benefits when it comes to what does a humidifier do for a cough, you'll need to follow the manufacturer's instructions and the following tips:

• Use distilled water. Avoid essential oils and vaporubs, as they can release chemicals that can irritate the respiratory tract.

• Clean your humidifier regularly. A humidifier that's cleaned inappropriately can cause microbes to grow in the unit and be dispersed into your home's air. Clean your unit thoroughly every one to three days, and replace the filter every week.

• Monitor the humidity levels. Your home's humidity levels shouldn't exceed 50% to avoid mold and condensation problems.

Be sure to use your humidifier properly to help you breathe easier indoors. For top-quality humidifiers or other indoor air-quality products in the Broken Arrow area, and to learn more about what does a humidifier do for a cough, get in touch with the trusted professionals at Air Assurance.

Easy Ways to Prevent Mineral Buildup in Your Humidifier

If you’re dealing with common problems associated with dry air in your Broken Arrow home, then chances are you’re already using a humidifier. Humidifiers are an indispensable tool in restoring indoor moisture and tackling dry air-related issues, including skin irritation, dry throat and even static electricity buildup.Unfortunately, mineral buildup caused by lime scale and calcium deposits can prevent your humidifier from working as effectively as it should. The following shows how you can prevent mineral buildup in your humidifier and tackle existing buildup, as well.

How to Prevent Mineral Buildup

Here are a few tips you can use to stop mineral buildup in its tracks:

• Empty your humidifier’s water reservoir after each use. Allow water to remain stagnant inside of the reservoir can allow mineral buildup to occur. It can also encourage the growth of mold and bacteria, which could spread throughout the humidifier. It’s important to empty the reservoir and wipe it down after your done using your humidifier.

• Always use distilled water with your humidifier. Distilled water is specifically processed to remove dissolved minerals and other impurities, making it less likely to encourage mineral deposit buildup inside of your humidifier. Tap water, on the other hand, is filled with impurities that could prevent your humidifier from working properly.

• Keep your humidifier clean and disinfected. This preventative step is important for keeping mineral buildup at bay. You should clean your humidifier on a regular basis to prevent mineral buildup as well as mold and bacteria growth.

How to Treat Mineral Buildup

In most cases, mineral buildup can be treated with undiluted white vinegar. Simply allow the vinegar to soak where mineral deposits occur for a few minutes, then wipe the area with a clean cloth. You can also use mild soap and water to clean up minor deposits.

Contact the professionals at Air Assurance and learn more ways to prevent mineral buildup. We proudly serve homeowners in the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about mineral buildup and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “geralt/Pixabay”

Can a Humidifier Help During the Heating Season?

Whenever humidity falls below 30 percent, both you and your home suffer. The dry air causes a host of problems that are easy to solve with a humidifier, from chapped skin to cracks in the wood inside your home.

Comfort Issues

Dry indoor air speeds the evaporation of moisture from your skin, which has a cooling effect. Turning up the thermostat to combat dry air increases heating costs, and may not increase comfort as much as raising the humidity can. As air warms, it dries even more, increasing the discomfort. Besides feeling cooler, air that’s too dry will:

• Spread viruses and bacteria faster. Winter is the cold and flu season because overly dry air speeds the transmission of the bacteria and viruses. When these microorganisms enter your body, parched throats and nasal tissues are particularly vulnerable to infection.

• Dry skin quickly. Besides being uncomfortable, chapped skin can result in skin cracks that may become infected.

• Heighten respiratory distress. Dry air increases symptoms associated with allergies, asthma, and sinus issues.

Home Health Issues

Besides the health concerns, a humidifier solves problems associated with your home, like:

• Wood shrinkage. As the humidity falls, the air pulls moisture out of anything made from wood inside your home. Cabinets, flooring, furniture and even the wood from which your house is made will shrink, which may or not recover once humidity rises.

• Electrical damage. Static electricity increases as the air dries, and appliances and devices are vulnerable to static electricity, especially the low voltage components inside them.

Increasing the Humidity

Whole-house humidifiers offer the most energy efficient and easiest way to combat dry indoor air. They tap into the plumbing system and deliver water automatically. Unlike portable devices that need manual filling and weekly cleaning, central units require little maintenance.Working in tandem with furnaces, they use little energy and control the level of humidity with a humidistat, which operates just like a thermostat.A humidifier is an indispensable way to manage humidity indoors during the winter. For more information, contact Air Assurance, providing trusted HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about humidifiers and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “freedigitalphotos”

Select the Best Whole-Home Humidifier for Your Broken Arrow Home

Dry indoor air is common during the heating months. However, it can cause discomforts, health ailments and provide ideal conditions for many viruses, including influenza. A practical solution to alleviate dry indoor air and its side effects is a whole-home humidifier. Keep reading to learn how to select the best model for your home.

Evaporative or Steam Humidifier

Evaporative and steam are two popular types of in-duct humidifiers. They are plumbed to your home’s water supply and drainage and contain no pans to refill and maintain. You can also control humidity levels automatically with a wall-mounted device called a humidistat.

Evaporative humidifiers (also called flow-through) contain a changeable media pad or a washable mesh screen to provide ducted airflow with moisture. Water flows evenly down the pad or screen through holes in a water trough. Airflow from the furnace blower is diverted into the humidifier and through the pad or screen. The airflow then evaporates some of the water, and carries the water vapor through the air ducts to your living space. Excess water flows into a collection pan and is drained away.

Very little electricity is used with evaporative humidifiers. In fact, you may actually save energy by using a humidifier. Humid air feels warmer than dry air, which means you can turn back your thermostat a few degrees and receive lower heating bills.Like evaporative humidifiers, steam humidifiers attach to your ductwork, using airflow to distribute water vapor to your entire home. In steam whole-home humidifier, electrodes produce steam, rather than using evaporation. Steam humidifiers deliver more precise distribution of water vapor and are considered better than evaporative models for larger homes.

Humidifier Sizing

To size a humidifier, an HVAC technician will measure the square footage of your home and consider HVAC add-on equipment, such as a zoning system and variable-speed blower. Sizing is important for efficient operation. Why waste money paying for a humidifier that's too large?

For more information about whole-home humidifiers, contact Air Assurance in Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Grounder/Shutterstock”

Need a Whole House Humidifier? 5 Tips on How to Find the Right One

Dry air is a common problem during the winter months and can lead to nasal discomfort, throat irritation and frequent nosebleeds. It can also cause arcs of static electricity and can dry out or crack wood furniture and flooring. A comfortable range of humidity for most homes is around 30 percent during winter and up to 50 percent during summer. The right whole house humidifier can ensure the humidity levels in your home remain at comfortable levels to prevent these issues.

A whole house humidifier is permanently installed on your furnace. The size of humidifier you need in your home depends on the living area and the level of humidity you want to achieve, but these five tips can help you find the right humidifier for your home.

1. Determine the square footage of your home to select a unit large enough to provide the proper amount of humidity. Homes that are drafty will require a higher-output humidifier than homes that are tightly sealed.

2. Choose whole house humidifiers over stand-alone units for minimum maintenance. Whole house humidifiers utilize your home’s water supply and furnace blower, thus requiring less maintenance than stand-alone models, which must be monitored and refilled regularly.

3. Compare the evaporative capacity of each model you’re considering. A whole house humidifier with a high output adds moisture more rapidly than humidifiers that have lower outputs.

4. Look for whole house humidifiers with automatic controls. These allow you to set the humidity level once and turn off and on when necessary to maintain a consistent relative humidity level. Units with manual controls must be consistently monitored.

5. Investigate to determine how much maintenance and cleaning is required for each model you’re considering. Some whole house humidifiers have filters that need to be replaced periodically. Others have permanent filters that require cleaning just once or twice a year. Look for humidifiers that have panel indicator lights so you can see when maintenance is needed.

For more information about whole house humidifiers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow areas, and how to select the type that best suits your needs, contact Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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A Humidifer for Greater Wintertime Comfort: Four Basic Types

During wintertime, most people obviously aim to create a warm and pleasant home environment. However, comfort isn't only achieved by maintaining a constant temperature but also a comfortable range of humidity (around 30 percent during winter and up to 50 percent during summer). The best way to control the humidity level is by having a good humidifier.

There are several health benefits to having a comfortable humidity level, such as avoiding dry throat and skin or even keeping the flu at bay. Dry winter air can dehydrate your nasal passages, leaving you more prone to infections and viruses, and other unpleasant contaminants. A comfortable range of humidity also will reduce static energy build-up and prevent furniture from drying out or shrinking.

The main types of humidifiers available are:

• Tabletop humidifiers - These appliances can easily adjust the humidity of any room in your home because they are portable. However, a tabletop humidifier will only be able to work in a single room at a time. With lightweight designs, these humidifiers can be easily transported.

• Tower humidifiers - With slightly taller designs than regular appliances, these humidifiers can be easily placed on your floor. They also will require less frequent refilling due to their larger water tanks. Opt for this model for a medium-sized room.

• Console humidifiers - These units can humidify multiple rooms at a time, but they are heavier and less portable. Usually, they don't require frequent refilling because the tanks are considerably larger.

• Whole-house humidifiers - These are installed in the HVAC system and distribute moisture though the system's ductwork. The humidified air reaches every room in the house.

Adding a humidifier to your home can make your family feel more cozy and comfortable. Most humidifiers are easy to set up and require minimum care and cleaning. Tabletop, tower and console humidifiers only need to be filled with water and placed in the room, while whole-house models should be set up by a professional. For more information about humidifiers and how to select the type that best suits your needs, contact Air Assurance today. We've been serving greater Tulsa, Oklahoma metropolitan area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Getting the Right Humidity Is a Balancing Act

Getting the Right Humidity Is a Balancing Act

No one likes to be uncomfortable. Humans spend a great deal of their time and money on achieving comfort, in whatever form that may be. One of the most important ways you can make your home comfortable is by ensuring you have balanced humidity year round.Achieving the right humidity is necessary for a variety of reasons, mainly for optimal health. Our bodies cool themselves through our natural process of evaporative cooling, and this is affected by the humidity level. If the humidity is too high, this becomes difficult.The right humidity level in your home is one way you can increase comfort and prevent health problems. Aim for a humidity level of 30-50 percent in your home. An inexpensive hygrometer can tell you what the humidity in your home is.You can use mechanical devices such as air conditioners, programmable thermostats, and humidifiers and dehumidifiers to regulate humidity. Humidifiers put more moisture into the air, decreasing problems around the home such as: static electricity build-up and dry nasal passages that can lead to sickness, as well as issues with wooden furnishings and musical instruments. Too little moisture in the air can cause any wood, including furniture, to shrink over time. It is necessary, however, to keep the humidifiers clean so they do not mold and spread that in the air.Dehumidifiers work the exact opposite: they remove excess moisture from the air. This prevents the growth of mold, mildew and sickness resulting from too much moisture. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers come in many shapes and sizes, from portable units for one room to whole house models that work with your heating and cooling system. Sealing your home can also keep out moisture and allergens while increasing the efficiency of your home's heating and cooling systems.For more expert advice on keeping your home operating at peak efficiency and comfortability, regardless of the season or temperature, contact us at Air Assurance. We are an award winning HVAC business that has been serving the greater Tulsa metropolitan area since 1985.Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Controlling Humidity in Your Tulsa Home Increases Summer Comfort

No one wants to live in a humid home. And in summer, controlling humidity in your home can be a challenge.

Controlling Humidity in Your Tulsa Home Increases Summer Comfort

How humidity makes you feel warmer“It's not the heat, its the humidity,” is a common expression. And it is true. A higher level of humidity in your home will make you and your family feel hotter on a warm day. But why?

Humans release heat from their bodies in a many ways, but the most common is by sweating. It is the evaporation of the skin's sweat that cools your body. A humid environment reduces this evaporation and makes you feel warmer. People feel most comfortable in homes with a relative humidity level of around 45 percent.

Controlling humidity in your home

Maintaining an ideal level of humidity in your home can be difficult. While air conditioners can reduce the humidity in your home's air by cooling the air (cool air holds less moisture than warm air), A/Cs are not the ideal way of reducing humidity. A/Cs are designed for hot weather operation and humidity is a hot and cool weather problem. To feel a difference year-round, you need to install a dehumidifier.

There are two types of dehumidifiers: a whole house dehumidifier and a portable unit. The portable unit can be placed in any room as needed. While this may sound like a good idea, remember that dehumidifiers are noisy. Depending on where you place your unit, you may find the noise to be distracting. In addition, as many portable dehumidifiers are not attached to drain pipe, the unit's water reservoir needs to be emptied often. Whole house dehumidifiers are built into the HVAC system of the home. They have the benefit of dehumidifying your entire house and require less maintenance.

Homeowners thinking about installing a dehumidifier, should speak with HVAC experts to assist them in their decisions. The HVAC specialists at Air Assurance are more than happy to assist you with any of your heating and cooling needs. Air Assurance has been proudly serving the Tulsa-area community since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Whole-House Humidifiers Help Keep The Flu At Bay

Does dry indoor air have your senses flaring? Dry nose and skin, and a sore scratchy throat are symptoms of indoor air that is too dry, all of which provide the perfect breeding ground for the flu virus. A whole-house humidifier can relieve your symptoms, and help keep the flu at bay.Flu virus and dry airIt’s important to maintain a healthy immune defense to fight against infections, particularly during the cold and flu season. However, research has shown that a diminished immune system is only one component to the reasons why viruses, like the flu, are more prevalent and infectious during the winter season.Flu viruses produce a defensive coating in cold outdoor temperatures that make them more stable, allowing more time to find an unsuspecting host to infect. This compounds the problem for household occupants of warding off health ailments when dry winter air contributes to a weakened immune system brought on by fatigue, dehydration and dry nose and throat.The third component to the reason why flu viruses spread so easily during dry winter months is the dry air itself. Coughs and sneezes release the flu virus into household air. The dry air quickly evaporates the moisture within the coughs and sneezes, essentially removing the barrier between household occupants and flu viruses. If you have dry nasal passages and sore throat, the likelihood of infection is tremendously increased if you inhale an airborne flu virus.Maintain a moisture barrierWhole-house humidification provides a protective moisture barrier to prevent health ailments, discomforts and household damage caused by dry air. A whole-house humidifier connects to the ductwork of your forced-air system. As airflow passes through the humidifier, water vapor is collected which humidifies the dry air, providing optimal indoor humidity for your entire home.Optimally humidified air carries many benefits in addition to fending off the flu. Optimal humidity protects hardwood floors, wooden cabinetry, molding and all wooden and porous objects, possessions and home structure.For more details about a whole-house humidifier, contact Air Assurance today. We provide outstanding service and installation throughout the Greater Tulsa Metropolitan Area.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Treat Your Whole-House Humidifier To A Winter-Time Maintenance Check-up

As cold winter winds blow across Oklahoma, it is time to have your whole-house humidifier checked. A properly functioning humidifier not only prevents static and unpleasant dryness, it can make you feel warmer. This is because warm air retains heat better than dry air. The warmer you feel, the lower you can set your thermostat, thereby saving money on your energy bill. Schedule a maintenance check this winter, to ensure your whole-house humidifier runs right all through the winter.

Make sure the technician performs the following tasks:

• Checks the water panel -- a water panel will become clogged over time due to sediment and minerals. This restricts airflow and makes the unit less efficient at humidifying the home. Water panels must be changed yearly, at minimum.

• Levels the unit – a whole house humidifier works best when water is distributed evenly over the water panel evaporator. If something caused the unit to shift, distribution may be uneven. This can happen if your house is settling or the unit is moved somehow, for example. A technician can check this and adjust the unit to make sure it is level.

• Cleans the orifice – the orifice controls the amount of water flowing to the distribution tray. If the orifice is blocked, there will be an insufficient supply of water and your humidifier will not work properly.

• Replaces worn parts and parts covered with mineral deposits – all parts wear out eventually or become less effective due to mineral deposits. As water evaporates, minerals are naturally left behind and build up over time. These parts can be, and should be, replaced for optimum function of the humidifier.

• Inspects the seasonal damper – the technician should make sure the damper is set for winter months and show you how to close it later on when summer arrives.

For additional advice about your whole house humidifier and other issues related to comfort this winter, please contact us at Air Assurance. We have been serving the greater Tulsa metropolitan area since 1985 and look forward to hearing from you.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Dry Air? Try TrueSTEAM Humidification

Maintaining an adequate level of humidification in your home is an important factor in how your living spaces feel and how you and your family feel living in them. A relative humidity level between 35 and 50 percent will help keep your indoor environment comfortable and at a temperature consistent with the season.If the humidity level in your home falls below this level, you’ll begin to feel some of the unpleasant symptoms of dry air. These include itchy skin, dry sinuses, nosebleeds, irritated throats and aggravation of respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies. Dry air can also cause damage to your home, warping floors, paneling and furniture.The Honeywell TrueSTEAM humidification system is a reliable solution to dry air problems in your home. A TrueSTEAM humidifier provides an effective alternative to larger whole-house humidifiers. Its small size makes it especially appropriate for areas where space is at a premium.The TrueSTEAM humidification system produces steam that increases your home’s humidity level. It uses up to 70 percent less water than other humidification systems yet is more effective than a whole-house model.The unit produces steam independent of HVAC equipment operation, which means that humidification will be available without having to rely on a boost from the furnace.TrueSTEAM humidification does not rely on moistened pads or similar techniques to produce steam. These pads can attract and hold bacteria that grow within the pad and then end up in your home’s indoor air. Instead, the TrueSTEAM uses an independent water tank as its moisture source. If the unit is inactive for 48 hours, it automatically empties the tank to prevent water stagnation or the growth of microorganisms in the water supply.With air moistened by the TrueSTEAM humidifier, you will also likely save money on your heating bills. Since adequately moisturized air feels warmer, you’ll be able to run your heating system at lower levels.Contact Air Assurance today for more information on TrueSTEAM humidification systems and how they can improve your indoor comfort. We've been serving the Tulsa and Broken Arrow areas for more than 30 years.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Humidifier Care and Cleaning Tips

Hands down, the benefits of using a humidifier surpass any downside of owning one. Adding moisture to the air through humidification decreases the discomfort you may experience due to dry sinuses or skin. Humidification also decreases the likelihood of static electricity, cracked wood furniture or floors and a host of other problems associated with dry air.There are, however, some hazards to avoid when using a humidifier, whether it’s a portable unit or a whole-house system. Too much moisture is a breeding ground for organisms like mold and dust mites. Therefore, it’s important to maintain a safe, comfortable humidity level (no higher than 50 percent) and to properly care for and clean a humidifier to avoid such conditions.For portable and whole-house units:

• Use water with a low mineral content to avoid buildup in the tank and prevent the release of minerals into the air.

• Owner’s manuals include manufacturer’s directions for cleaning and what products to use. In any case, you can use a mix of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and water. After cleaning, rinse the tank thoroughly with water.

• Use a hygrometer, commonly found at a hardware supply store, to gauge humidity and maintain levels below 50 percent.

• Keep areas around the unit dry. Any dampness that occurs, such as a wet carpet or floor, invites organisms to form.

• Use only approved parts when replacing or cleaning the unit, according to manufacturer suggestions.

• If you won’t be using the humidifier for awhile, clean it before storing it away or turning it off.

For portable units only:

• Clean frequently, at least every three days. Drain water from the tank and use a scrubbing brush to clean around the inside. Be sure to scrape away mineral deposits and build up. Dry the tank.

• Every day, use new water in the tank.

For whole-house systems only:For systems with a holding tank, regular water changes are recommended. Water that collects inside the tank provides conditions for organisms to develop.Questions? Thinking about upgrading to a whole-house humidifier. At Air Assurance, we want you to get the most comfort from your home heating and cooling investment. Call us if we can help.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.