To many of our patients, especially in the Southwest corner of Virginia, humidity is a major concern. In particular, the air is often very dry, especially in the winter. This leads to excessive drying, cracking, and bleeding of the front part of the nose. This is quite uncomfortable to most patients. However, humidity in the home is also dependent upon the amount of moisture added to the air as a result of cooking, bathing (especially showers), and the number of persons and pets living there. In certain cases, despite a very low outdoor humidity, the water content of some homes may be unusually high based on the factors preciously mentioned. In these instances, dehumidifation may be needed.
First, determine whether or not your home needs to have water removed or added to the air depends upon the humidity reading. Usually, humidity exceeding 50% promotes the growth of molds and dust mites, although it may be soothing to patients who have excessive nasal drying and irritation and who are allergic to molds and dust mites will probably be more likely to improve if the humidity is kept below 30%.
Determination of humidity requirements depends upon the presence of a humidifier gauge. These can be purchased quite inexpensively (usually $6 - 8) at local department stores. Gauges that run from $20 - 30 are more accurate, however, these have to be ordered though the mail. If your humidity gauge dictates that you should remove humidity from the home, a standard dehumidifier is needed especially if you are living in a basement dwelling. On the other hand, if your humidity is low, the addition of moisture is necessary. There are many different types of humidifiers that are currently available and the primarily fall into three categories, listed below:
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Cold Water Evaporators - Generally less expensive. May "spit" water our in less expensive models which could settle into carpets and cause excess mold growth. Put a towel, etc., on the floor beneath these units to collect the excess moisture |
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Ultrasonic Nebulizers - Relatively more expensive. Creates fine mineral dust that coats furniture and walls and may harm electronic appliances |
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Hot Water (Steam Generators) - Best choice. Requires monthly maintenance to remove mineral accumulation on heating rods or coils. |
The primary reason that any of the above methods fail to adequately humidify your home is that many of these products do not put out enough moisture to humidify more than a single room - even with the door closed. Some larger stores carry humidifiers that are the size of a small cabinet and, hooked up to your water supply, they can humidify 2,000 - 3,000 square feet.
Whole-house humidification is often considered by many people. Unfortunately, there is a major drawback to this process that very few people are aware of. The two types of add-on humidifier systems are noted below. These systems are installed into the ducts of home with furnaces.
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Standard drum-style system, incorporating a revolving drum of sponge that picks up water from a water-filled reservoir. As the furnace blows air across and through the wet sponge, moisture is added to the air and distributed throughout the home. |
Advantages - Less expensive
Disadvantages - Humidifier comes on only when furnace is running. Especially in energy-efficient homes, this time is quite reduced. Therefore, these homes usually do not attain the desired humidity. These can be verified by the individual humidity gauges you have purchased to place in your home.
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Steam-type evaporators - In this example, a steam generator is inserted into the furnace duct. A control switch is mounted somewhere in the home. With this system, the fan is automatically turned on and moisture circulated even when the furnace is not operating. |
Advantages - It is the only centralized system that is likely to being the home's humidity to the desired level.
Disadvantages - More expensive. Also, since it is a steam evaporator, mineral deposits must be removed from the heating elements on a periodic basis. This is type of unit would not be efficient if it were located in an area of the home that was relatively inaccessible for such maintenance.
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