Whole House Humidifier Pros and Cons
I’m not a huge fan of winter. I know, I know, it’s the best time to drink hot cocoa and watch Christmas movies all day long. But honestly, between the cold weather, dry air, and never-ending flu season, I’d rather just stay indoors until April. That’s why I was so excited when we bought our first whole house humidifier last year. Turns out, there are some big pros and cons to owning one of these machines. Here are my thoughts on them.
Whole House Humidifier Pros
- Increases the humidity level in your entire home.
This is especially good for people living in dry climates or who keep their heat cranked all winter long, which tends to suck moisture from the air and cause dry skin and lips, irritated sinuses, and static-y hair. For me personally, I’ve noticed a huge decrease in my asthma flare ups since we installed our humidifier. It seems like I’m not waking up as congested and it’s so much easier to breathe at night now that we’re keeping our house at a higher humidity level.
Most models will automatically regulate the humidity levels based on what your home needs. When you turn on your furnace blower (like when you’re turning on your heat for the first time in the winter), the humidifier will turn on and add moisture to the air. Then, as the humidity level in your home rises and falls, the humidifier will adjust its output accordingly.
- No more waking up to a freezing cold house!
If you have a humidifier connected to your furnace, it will help keep your furnace from having to work so hard to warm your home up. This means that you can set your thermostat a few degrees lower and still stay comfortable without spending a fortune on your heating bill.
Whole House Humidifier Cons
- The filters need to be replaced often.
Depending on how often you run your humidifier, you’ll probably need to replace the filter every month or so. In our case, it’s less expensive to just buy a new humidifier than to continually replace the filter – but that might not be the case for you.
- Clogged nozzles lead to inefficient operation and increased energy costs.
If your humidifier is constantly running but isn’t actually adding moisture into the air, then chances are good that it needs a good cleaning because the nozzle is clogged with mineral deposits from your water source. If this happens to you, make sure you clean out those nozzles as soon as possible! It will save you money in the long run and keep your whole house humidifier humming along smoothly throughout winter.
- A dirty whole house humidifier can cause health problems.
If your humidifier isn’t cleaned often enough, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria and other nasties. So make sure you’re giving it a good scrubbing every couple of weeks (or more if you have kids or pets that like to play around near it).
All in all, I think whole house humidifiers are definitely worth the investment, especially if you live in a dry climate. They can help with everything from asthma and allergies to reducing your energy bill. Just make sure you’re aware of the pros and cons before you buy one so that you can be sure it’s the right fit for your home!
Do you have a whole house humidifier? What has been your experience with them? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time, stay positive and be awesome.
P.S. Do you know of any good whole house humidifier brands that you’d recommend? Let me know below!
