Winter in Grand County brings not just the chill but also desert-dry indoor air. At this altitude, keeping the humidity in a house at a healthy level takes some doing, and once the heat comes on it drops further. Low humidity affects your family’s comfort, their health, and the house itself. The usual answer is a whole-home humidifier working alongside your HVAC system.
What Humidity Level Should You Aim For?
Between 30 and 50 percent relative humidity suits most homes through the winter. Below that, the problems described below start to appear. Above it, in a cold climate like ours, you risk condensation on windows and inside wall cavities, which brings trouble of its own. This is a band to sit inside, not a number to push as high as it will go.
Research into airborne viruses points to the upper half of that band. Our post on humidity and airborne viruses explains why.
The Impact of Low Humidity on Indoor Air Quality
Low humidity levels in a Colorado winter can significantly reduce indoor air quality. Dry air allows dust, allergens, viruses and particulates to circulate more freely and for longer. That makes respiratory problems and allergies worse. The increase in airborne contamination also reduces the effectiveness of your home’s air filtration and heating systems, which shows up as uneven heating and higher energy costs.
Health and Comfort
The body is sensitive to humidity. Dry air causes dry and flaky skin, itchy eyes and respiratory irritation, and it aggravates skin conditions that are already there. It also dries out the mucous membranes, which are part of how your body filters out viruses and bacteria, so colds and flu take hold more easily.
How Low Humidity Damages Your Home
The house feels it too. Wood furniture, flooring and trim are the most susceptible, and the damage comes as much from the swing as from the dryness itself: wood absorbs and loses moisture as the level fluctuates, so it swells and shrinks, and eventually cracks or warps. Repairs are expensive and largely avoidable.
Wood is not the whole list. Musical instruments, paintings and electronic equipment are all harmed by air that is too dry for too long.
Whole-Home Humidifiers
What They Are and How They Work
A whole-home humidifier integrates with your HVAC system and distributes moisture evenly through the house, rather than treating one room at a time. Some evaporate water directly into the air. Others use a steam system that heats water to produce the humidity. Either way you get a consistent, controlled level rather than the peaks and troughs that do the damage.
Holding a steady level through our winters matters for your health, your comfort and the fabric of the house. We regard a whole-home humidifier as a standard part of an HVAC system here rather than an extra.
Want advice on whether one suits your home, or a quote to install one? Call Grand Lake Plumbing & Heating. We have been keeping Grand County homes comfortable for over 100 years.
