As winter revs up, we tend to spend much more time indoors. Without a doubt, the number one complaint we hear from our clients during the colder months is “My house is so dry!” The good news is there are several options to remedy this problem. In the field of residential humidification, there have been many advancements in the technology in recent years.
In the past, most of our clients had drum style humidifiers on their forced warm air furnace systems. These humidifiers were prone to breakdowns and required yearly maintenance and cleaning. In addition, they often were a breeding ground for mould and bacterial growth. Over the past several years, we have been replacing these humidifiers with flow-though type humidifiers which only have one moving part, a solenoid valve. These units drain the unabsorbed water preventing any mould or bacterial growth. Although these units require a yearly pad replacement, they virtually never have any repair issues.
In addition to flow through type humidifiers, steam humidifiers have become a very affordable option to homeowners. Although these unit are slightly more expensive, they are excellent at delivering the appropriate amount of moisture into your home.
There are several other products that can improve the indoor air quality in your home, I will outline some of these below:
- HEPA Air Cleaners – capture the smallest of airborne particles in your home.
- Ultra-Violet (UV) Lights – kill viruses, eliminate odors.
- Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) – exchange stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air without any heat or energy loss.
As many of us are sufferers of respiratory issues such as asthma and allergies, we at Mckinnon Heating Cooling always try our best to match the right indoor air quality product for your specific health situation. Please feel free to contact me or my staff should you have any questions on your home heating system and how we may be able to make your home more comfortable for you and your family.