Fall 2011
Humidify For Your Health
Winter is approaching, and that means dry air. Aside from causing itchy, dry skin and chapped lips, air that is too dry presents other health concerns. Keeping the air in your home moist with a humidifier can counteract these effects and help keep your family healthy. The result is an effective, low cost contribution to your family’s health and comfort.
Benefits of Humidification
Keeping the air in your home at a properly humidity level provides several health benefits, such as:
- Increased energy levels. Your body has more trouble transferring oxygen to the blood from dry air, which can make you feel tired or fatigued. Humidification helps the oxygenation process.
- Reduced chance of infections. By keeping mucus membranes moist, humid air reduces your body’s susceptibility to cold, flu and other infections.
- Relief of cold and sinus symptoms, as well as shorter recovery time from these ailments.
- Reduction of asthma symptoms.
- Facilitates sleep, especially for infants and young children.
- Helps prevent nosebleeds.
- Reduces levels of airborne dust and allergens.
In addition to all these potential health benefits, moist air can also extend the life of wooden floors and furniture, as well as reducing static electricity.
Please note that while humidifiers have health benefits, they are not meant to cure, treat or diagnose any illness or ailment. Humidifiers can help keep you from getting sick, and help relieve symptoms, but you should still seek professional treatment from a doctor if you or anyone in your family is feeling ill.
Finally, keep in mind that humidifiers are not without risk. Air that is too humid can create water damage, and the hot steam from a humidifier can cause injury.
Humidifying the Whole House
Much like air conditioners, humidifiers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can get a small model for a single room, such as a nursery or bedroom. You can also get a humidification system which covers your entire home.
A whole house humidification system is incorporated into your HVAC system to deliver moist air throughout your home in winter or any other dry times. These systems can be particularly helpful if you live in the desert or any area with a dry climate.
Whole house humidification requires professional installation, so consult with a licensed contractor in your area. He can help you choose the right model for your needs, which will help keep your family safe and comfortable year round.
Preventing the Perils of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is pretty scary stuff. It is invisible, colorless and odorless. It is undetectable by humans. Even worse, it is extremely harmful, causing severe illness and death. Perhaps worst of all, it is produced by some things we do every day, like heating our homes and mowing the lawn. In order to avoid the health risks associated with this deadly gas, the best solution is to equip your home with a carbon monoxide detector.
How CO Gets In Your Home
Carbon monoxide is not rare, and in very low concentrations it is not harmful, so there is often some negligible amount present in the air. It’s when the air becomes too densely concentrated with CO that your family’s health is at risk.
Some possible sources of increased CO levels in your home may include:
- A dirty or clogged chimney
- An improperly sealed gas or oil furnace
- Improper ventilation when using tools or machinery, such as in the garage
- Lack of air exchange between the home and outside
Any of these can contribute to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide, potentially paving the way for you or your family to become ill.
The Dangers of CO
As mentioned above, carbon monoxide is potentially deadly. One estimate by the United States Consumer Product Safety Division reports that over 150 Americans die each year due to carbon monoxide poisoning, which does not include poisoning caused by automobiles.
The effects of CO poisoning may not be immediately obvious, as they can build up and progress over time, and the symptoms may look like something less serious. In short, carbon monoxide is an unfortunate but very real risk for homeowners.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
The good news is that there is a very simple and affordable solution to potential CO poisoning. Installing a carbon monoxide detector in your home keeps your family safe. The alarm will alert you if concentration of the gas has risen to an unsafe level, giving you time to evacuate and fix the leak before it causes any health problems.
Many modern smoke detectors include technology to detect carbon monoxide, so you only need to purchase, install and maintain one device. These combination devices can literally be lifesavers in your home, and at an extremely affordable cost.
With proper maintenance of your CO detector, it really can be that easy to keep your family safe and healthy.
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