Winter weather means the holidays, the first snowfall, and many other fun winter activities but it can also bring along so many different small annoyances throughout the day. You have to get bundled up head to toe just for a quick trip out of the house, your car is freezing cold when you first get into it, and then there’s the static electricity.
Is your hair constantly standing on end? While static electricity in your home can be quite the annoyance, not many homeowners realize that standard HVAC services can eliminate this problem from your home for you. Static electricity is caused by dry air in your home. Here in Illinois, we experience very dry winter conditions. We can help you balance the levels of moisture in your home. If you’d like to counteract the effects of static electricity in your home, try installing a humidifier in your home this winter.
What Causes Static Electricity
So what exactly causes static electricity? As we mentioned above, static electricity is caused by dry air. When the air in your home gets dry it makes static electricity much more common. Static electricity can build up throughout any time of the year but it’s more common to release in dry air. Even if you’re not experiencing chapped lips, dry skin, or dry hair due to the air in your home, it could still be very dry. Static electricity is a sign that the relative humidity in your home is much lower than it should be even if you can’t feel the effects.
How to Reduce Static Electricity in Your Home
So what can you do to reduce the effects of static electricity in your home? You can reduce the amount of static electricity in your home by keeping the indoor humidity levels above 35%. Maintaining water vapor in the dry winter air helps discharge static electricity gradually.
Winter air is already dry, and the gas-fired heater that you likely have in your home just makes it even drier. You can offset the effects of this with a humidifier. We recommend a whole-home humidifier rather than ones that are plug-ins dedicated to one room. A humidifier works alongside your heating system. A humidifier boosts the level of moisture in your home and extends this moisture to all your living spaces.
What Else Can a Humidifier Do for You?
As we mentioned above, a humidifier will help lower the levels of static electricity in your home, but it will also hydrate the wooden furnishings in your home and restore the moisture in your body. Restoring the moisture in your body will help you avoid colds or get over colds faster alongside eliminating problems like dry skin, hair, and brittle nails.
How Comfort First Heating and Cooling, Inc. Can Help
While many other HVAC companies prefer to install humidifier and dehumidifier systems in your home, we can install one of these systems into your preexisting HVAC system. We’re experienced in everything HVAC at our company—we’ve been doing it for over 25 years.