The winters in South Bend, IN, are difficult, but temperatures in the teens require a powerful heat system.
The furnace in my loft blasts at maximum capacity just about twenty-four hours a day for approximately eight months.
The air becomes especially dry, however when there is unsufficient humidity, the air tends to feel colder. This leads to higher thermostat settings, a larger demand on the furnace and higher utility bills. Plus, it worsens the problem. The air can become so dry that it causes hardwood floors, doors, moldings and furnishing to crack. The dry air dries out nasal passages, making family members more susceptible to colds, flu and respiratory infection… Coughing, sneezing, headaches, bloody noses, difficulty sleepy and irritated symptoms of asthma, flu symptoms, psoriasis and eczema are some of the consequences, then i tried portable humidifiers and observed no improvement. I finally consulted with a local Heating & A/C business from South Bend to get some recommendations. The worker requested the replacement of a whole-loft humidifier. I researched and learned that there are three different types of humidifiers. There are steam-style, bypass and fan-style humidifiers that accommodate different sizes of homes and labor either in tandem with or independently from the furnace. I decided on a steam-style humidifier because it produces moisture really naturally. It uses electrodes to convert water into steam and introduce it into the heated air. The humidifier runs virtually silently and requires only annual repair. It makes an improvement throughout every room in the house, elevating comfort and indoor air quality, however because I’ve been able to lower the thermostat setting a bit, the savings on the utility bills have salvageed the cost of the humidifier.