HUMIDIFIER

FROM PAGE 6 yourhomeusing yourductwork, soitcanbeapplied to many rooms atthesametime. They are plumbed intoa water line, eliminatingtheneed to refill,andmaintenanceissimpleandintuitive,” explainsMindy Wetzel,senior productmanagerofhumidifiers forAprilaire,a Madison, Wis.basedhealthyindoor air and humidity controlmanufacturer. “Keepingproperhumidity levels makes yourhomefeel warmer, thereby allowing you to keep your thermostat setpointlower and save onenergy costs.”

Ideal indoor relative humidity levelsare between40%and60%, according to Allan Feys,theDetroit-based directorofsales for GeneralFilters,whoseGeneralAire brandmakeswhole-house humidifiers.

“Thistarget level willilluminate conditionsunderwhich harmful organismsthrive,includingmolds, mites,fungi, viruses,dustmites,

GETTYIMAGES andpathogens,” Feyssays.Asa result, respiratory infections,viral transmissions,andsymptoms related to asthmaandallergies canbe avoided.

Humidifiersystemscanalso helpeliminate chappedlips,dry skin,dandruff, creaking wood floors,bloody noses,sore throats, andsinusirritations.

Awhole-househumidifierwith automatic controlswilladjust automaticallybasedontheoutside temperature andthe relative humidity inside yourhome.

Inother words,onceproperly installed andprogrammed, you shouldn’thave to continually adjustitmanually.

There area few caveats to whole-househumidifiers, especiallyiftheyare notappropriately set and maintained.

“Moldandmildew canformin yourHVAC systemorwithin your humidifierwithoutproperupkeep. You need to replace yourfurnace air filters regularlyandcleanthe whole-househumidifierasspecifiedinthemanual.Also,if your housesuffers fromairleakage,the whole-househumidifiermaynot work properly,”cautionsSorokina.

To determinethe typeandsize ofwhole-homehumidifierthat’s bestfor yourneeds, choose an experiencedHVAC contractor to evaluate yourhomeandinstalla recommended system.

“An HVAC professionalcan takea lookat yourheatingsystem andmakea recommendationthat bestsuits yourhomesizeand structure,nomatter how your houseisheated– even homeswith boilers,mini-splits,orbaseboard heatcanbeequippedwitha whole-homehumidifier,” Wetzel says.

On average, countonpaying between$400and over $700fora whole-homehumidifierprofessionallyinstalled.

Thedeviceitself typically costs between$100and$300, while HVAC contractorsoften charge between$50 and $70 perhour, per Sorokina. Popularbrands include Dyson, Greenhouse, Vornado,and Aprilaire.

Alternatives to having a wholehousehumidifierinstalledinclude old-schoolapproacheslike leaving thedooropenwhile you takea shower, gettingmore houseplants, placing a bowl of water near your return vent,hanging yourlaundry to dry indoors, andusing a portableplug-inhumidifierdevice.

“Butthese methods don’t work effectivelyataddingproperhumidity to yourhomeandmaking sure your relative humidity remainsbetween40%and60%,” adds Wetzel.

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Compassis arealestate brokerlicensedbythe StateofCaliforniaandabides by EqualHousingOpportunitylaws.License Number 01527365.All materialpresented hereinisintended forinformationalpurposesonlyandiscompiled from sourcesdeemed reliablebut hasnot been verified.Changesinprice, condition, saleor withdrawal maybemadewithout notice.No statementismadeas to accuracyofanydescription.All measurementsandsquarefootagesare approximate.