Everyone wants their home to be comfortable. It allows for better relaxation and a happier atmosphere. There are three main factors that contribute to indoor comfort. These are temperature, cleanliness, and humidity. Knowing about your home’s humidity is important. Humidity affects almost everything, including your family, pets, plants, and furniture. If you need help understanding your home’s humidity, check out B&L Ott’s guide for indoor humidity. If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us through our website or call us at 610-927-5133.

Effects of Low Humidity

Lack of Comfort

When your home’s humidity is too low, you may notice a variety of side effects. Even if your thermostat is set between 68-72 degrees, you may feel like your home just isn’t warm. Your family may experience problems with dry skin, dry hair, or static. The ideal indoor winter environment has a humidity between 30%-40%. This level will allow more comfort and help keep your family healthy.

Dry Skin

During winter in Berks County, the air outside can steal the moisture from the air in your home. The air can also steal moisture from your body, usually from the skin. Moisture evaporates off of your skin and makes you feel cold. Our bodies are approximately 60% water so maintaining moisture in your body is important.

Colds

The air will also steal moisture from your mouth and sinus passages. This causes them to dry out and crack. Your lips dry out and get chapped. Your eyes and nose also get dry and itchy. The cracks allow germs to pass through and you end up getting a cold. This is one reason why it is more common to get sick in the winter.

Effects of High Humidity

Lack of Comfort

When summer hits the Leesport area, the humidity is high. Conversely to winter, the drier air in your home will steal the moisture from outside. This makes the air in your home feel sticky and clammy. Even if you have an air conditioner, it may not be dehumidifying properly. Your house may be reaching your desired temperature, but your home can still be uncomfortable due to excess humidity. If you don’t have an air conditioner or your system is not functioning properly, it can be uncomfortably warm and humid in your house.

Dehumidifying Your Home

B&L Ott can help you fix the problems of high humidity by air conditioning the home; cooling AND dehumidifying. We can install a whole-home humidifier. An upgraded thermostat will also provide more control over the humidity in your home. If you are using a dehumidifier in your basement, you should talk to us about a whole-home dehumidifier. A portable dehumidifier is not the answer, and it wastes a tremendous amount of energy.

How Humidity Affects Your Property

Humidity also affects the items in your home. Wood is highly sensitive to humidity. If you have wooden furniture, lack of humidity can cause the wood to shrink and crack. Conversely, excess humidity can cause wood to swell and expand. Your wood floors and cabinets may also buckle and warp. Musical instruments are greatly affected by moisture levels.

Your windows and doors may also begin to stick and become difficult to open. Too much moisture can cause rotting. Too little can cause windows to shrink and lose their effectiveness and efficiency. Having B&L Ott help you control the humidity levels in your home is the best way to keep your property in good condition. A new humidifier is much cheaper than having to replace your floors, doors, windows, and furniture.

What Models Does B&L Ott Recommend?

If you think you need a humidifier, talk to a trained B&L Ott comfort consultant. We can make the appropriate recommendations for your home and family. All of our systems are simple to use. One of our technicians will teach you everything you need to know. We will show you how to set the humidity and how to properly maintain your humidifier.

B&L Ott also recommends installing a professional-grade humidifier rather than a “homeowner version” found at a lower price in a big box store. These humidifiers may be cheaper, but they also have a greater failure rate. They also do not provide an accurate method of measuring and controlling humidity.

Getting a New Humidifier Installed by B&L Ott

The number one problem we see with humidifiers is homes that don’t have one and need one. The number two problem we see is bad installation practices. Even if you have a quality humidifier, if it is not installed properly, you may still experience problems.

Let B&L Ott help. A 30-minute conversation with one of our comfort specialists can provide you with the education you need to make an informed decision. We have all of the tools, training, and experience necessary to properly install this important device. You will receive a warranty, peace-of-mind, and a properly functioning humidifier.

Our options start at $840 for a basic model and installation typically takes 2-4 hours. You can rest assured that your new humidifier will be placed on the appropriate part of the system and tested to ensure proper operation. If you would like to schedule a consultation, you can do so here: https://otthvac.com/contact-us/. You can also call 610-927-5133.