If your home constantly feels muggy or you’re always coming down with a cold, your home’s humidity levels might be at fault. Typically, ideal humidity levels hover around 40% to 55%, and when your home’s humidity dips below or spikes above these levels, you can run into several problems. To keep your home in the best shape possible and protect your comfort, take a moment to learn more about why home humidification is essential and the five main signs you need a humidification system.

Why Is Home Humidification Important?

When your home has too high or low humidification levels, you can experience several issues, both to your home and your comfort. For example, if your home has low humidity levels (around 15-30% humidity), you can experience the following problems:

• Damage to art, instruments, floors, furniture, and electronics
• Chipping paint
• Dry, itchy hair and skin
• Susceptibility to infections and colds
• Excess static electricity

Besides the problems low humidity levels can create, high humidity levels (around 55-80% humidity) can also harm your quality of life and home. Some of the main problems high humidity causes include:

• Wood rot
• Mold growth
• Muggy conditions
• Difficulty sleeping
• Pest issues
• Dust mites and harmful bacteria

The Top 5 Signs Your Home Needs a Humidification System

Since low or high humidification levels can cause several issues, it’s essential to monitor your levels and ensure your home’s air stays at around 40% to 55% humidity. Fortunately, HVAC technicians can solve the issue by installing the right humidification system for your home. However, before you spring for a humidification system, you’ll need to know you’re having humidity issues in the first place. Review the five main signs that you need a humidification system below:

1: You’ve Noticed Your Scalp and Skin Is Always Dry 

Low humidity levels in your home can cause your hair and scalp to feel dry. Since dry air pulls moisture out of your skin, your skin will be more easily irritated, leading to an itchy scalp and dry, flaky skin. A humidification system can solve this problem by increasing the humidity in your home.

2: Your Furnace Runs Constantly in the Winter

When you have low humidity levels in your home, your home’s air will feel drier. This dry air will cause your furnace to run longer during the winter, as dry air retains less heat than wet air. As a result, your furnace will have to run for longer periods to keep your home at your desired temperature. By fixing your humidity levels, your furnace will work more efficiently and use less energy, leading to reduced energy bills.

3: Wood Furniture and Floors Are Cracking or Rotting

Dry air will have a direct effect on your wood furniture and floors. Since dry air pulls moisture from wood, low humidity levels can warp and crack your wood flooring or furniture. When you have high humidity levels, the opposite problem occurs, as your wood floors and furniture will absorb too much water from the air. These wet conditions can cause your floorboards to expand and cup. Eventually, high humidity levels can even cause your wood floors to rot.

4: You Notice Musty Smells or Mold Around Your Home

Besides rotting your floorboards, high humidity levels can cause mold to grow in your home. Overly humid air regularly causes patches of mold to form on a home’s walls and can make your home smell musty. If mold builds up in your home, it can harm your indoor air quality, causing allergic reactions and respiratory issues. Mold growth can also stain surfaces, cause your home to smell bad, and make it easier for fungi to grow and damage your home.

5: Excess Static Electricity or Dust

Another key sign that your home’s air is too dry is if you’ve noticed a lot of static electricity or dust around your home. Since low humidity levels increase static electricity, you’ll probably notice more static shocks when you touch a metal door handle or another metallic object in your home. This static electricity will also cause dust to cling to your furniture and other surfaces, leading to greater dust build-up in your home.

Choose Peter Levi for Humidification Services in Novato and Vacaville

If you’re looking for humidification services near you in Northern California, Peter Levi has you covered. When your home’s humidity levels are too low or high, our HVAC technicians can inspect your home and help you select the right humidification system. After you select a system, we’ll install it for you to ensure your home always has the correct levels of moisture. You can also review our coupons for our plumbing, heating, and air conditioning services to receive the best deal possible on whatever service you need.

Learn more about our humidification system services today. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please contact us.