One of the simplest ways to increase your indoor comfort this winter in Ohio while lowering your heating bill is to add a whole-house humidifier to your home. If you've used portable humidifiers in the past and were frustrated with how much work they require to fill and clean them, consider adding a central humidifier to your home's forced-air heating equipment. These units connect to your furnace and send measured amounts of water vapor throughout your home.

The Problem

A forced-air furnace dries out the air indoors and causes flyaway hair, nose bleeds, and chapped skin—and even promotes the spread of cold and flu germs. Dry air is not good for your home, either. It causes wooden furniture to crack, and glue joints and cabinet doors can shrink.

Portable units

If your home doesn't have forced-air heating, portable humidifiers are generally the best option. However, portable units have several drawbacks:

• Operating several units at a time uses more electricity than a centralized whole-house humidifier.
• The water in them must be changed—or filled—daily.
• They are prone to significant buildup, and maintaining them is time consuming, as it's necessary to clean the unit with diluted vinegar every three days to avoid bacterial growth.
• You'll also have to change the filter, as frequently as the manufacturer recommends.

Whole-house humidifiers

Whole-house models can effectively access every corner of your home, by connecting with your HVAC system. Central units use just pennies each season, tap into your home's plumbing to maintain a constant water level in the unit, and eliminate the need to monitor the amount of water in the smaller room units. And most centralized humidifiers use humidity meters, just like thermostats, to maintain a constant humidity level, typically around 33 percent, the ideal level indoors.

If you would like to learn more about how important humidity is in your home during the winter, contact Tri-County Heating & Cooling in West Chester. We'll be happy to answer any of your questions, and help you choose the right system to keep your indoor air healthy during the heating season. 

Water droplet image via Shutterstock.