Updated May 30th, 2024
Humidifiers are a useful tool to help you heal dry skin or moisturize your nasal passages when you’re overcoming a cold. What you may not realize, though, is that humidifiers can also help increase the temperature of a space. You might wonder why humidifiers are present when heating is desired but not so much when you want to cool down. By understanding the nature of humidity and how it works in the air, you may be better prepared to keep your Frederick home comfortable.
Does a Humidifier Cool a Room?
While a humidifier primarily adds moisture to the air, it does not cool a room. Instead, increased humidity can make a room feel warmer. This is because high humidity levels reduce the effectiveness of sweating, which is the body’s natural cooling mechanism. In a humid environment, the air is already saturated with moisture, so sweat evaporates more slowly, making it feel warmer. Thus, if you’re looking to cool a room, a humidifier isn’t the right tool. Consider using an air conditioner or dehumidifier for a cooling effect.
Why Does Humid Air Feel Hotter?
If you’ve ever been to the desert, you’ve probably been amazed at how the warm climate compares to summers in Maryland. The reason is that most desert environments lack humidity. Therefore, even though the temperature may be close to the triple digits, the humidity doesn’t augment that feeling of heat.
Why does humidity cause the air to feel warmer, though? The main reason is because of moisture evaporation from your skin, also known as sweating. Sweating is one of your body’s main ways to cool itself down. To maintain a constant temperature, your body sweats a small amount even when you’re not exerting yourself.
However, if the air around your body is saturated with too much moisture, the sweating process isn’t nearly as effective. Therefore, walking out into a 90-degree day in Florida will feel much different than walking out into a 90-degree day in Arizona because your body can expel heat much more effectively in the low-humidity environment of Arizona.
When Is It Wise to Add Humidity to The Air?
In the winter, most humidity leaves the air no matter where you live. This is because cold air can’t hold moisture as effectively as warm air can. This dry outside air, when coupled with the dry indoor air in your home, is what leads to chapped lips, cracked hands, and an itchy back.
Fortunately, humidifiers allow you to return some of that moisture back into the air. You can opt to humidify either a single room with a portable humidifier or your entire home with a whole-home humidifier.
In addition to soothing dry skin, humidifying your home’s air also makes sense if you are suffering from the effects of dry nasal passages, such as an itchy nose, coughing, a sore throat, or other similar symptoms. Some humidifiers allow you to add medicine to the reservoir so that you can open up your nasal passages in addition to moisturizing them.
Extra humidity has benefits for more than humans, though. Your interior finishes can suffer if the humidity in your home drops too low. This may cause doors to pull away from their frames, cracks to form in drywall, and antique items to sustain excess wear and tear. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep your home at a constant humidity level, even if you aren’t there to enjoy it.
Adding Heating Capacity
If it gets especially cold in the winter, a humidifier, especially a whole-home humidifier, can help you keep your home warmer without running the furnace as often. Remember from earlier that more humid air feels warmer on the skin. While this fact is a liability in the summer, it can be a reward in the winter when you want to do everything possible to stay warm. For a variety of reasons, then, it makes sense to add a humidifier to your home.
Monitor For Optimal Comfort
When using a humidifier to increase the comfort of your home, it’s a good idea to monitor your home’s humidity levels to ensure that you maintain optimal comfort. A home that’s too humid can quickly start to feel sticky, leaving you and your family uncomfortable. Plus, excess humidity can lead to mold and mildew growth, which can cause respiratory irritation in sensitive family members. At the right levels, though, adding humidity can make a dramatic positive impact on your home’s comfort.
Keeping You Comfortable Year-Round
At Weather Masters Corp. in Fredrick, MD, we’ve been providing unique home comfort solutions for several years now. We deal with humidifiers, heat pumps, and more. Of course, we know that more straightforward solutions are important, as well, which is why we offer complete repair, maintenance, and installation services for furnaces and air conditioners. Since our founding, customers have appreciated our straightforward and honest approach. To join our family of satisfied customers, give us a call at Weather Masters Corp. today. We look forward to serving your home comfort needs.
