Why Is the Air In Your Home So Dry? Symptoms, Causes, and Solutions

Symptoms of Dry Air

Unless you own a hygrometer, a tool used to measure humidity levels, it can be challenging to tell if the air inside your home is too dry. Most homeowners begin suffering from dry air symptoms long before realizing they have a dry air issue. If the air in your home is dry, you or your family may be suffering from the following symptoms:

• Dry lips and skin – Cracked lips and skin are common symptoms. Your skin contains water, so when your home lacks moisture, your skin will start to dry out as well. If you have eczema or other skin conditions, overly dry air can cause flare-ups.
• Nosebleeds and stuffy noses – Your body needs moisture, so when the humidity level in your home is low, your body will start to dry out. Along with your skin, your nasal passages dry up too. As a result, your body will start producing mucus to compensate, which causes a stuffy nose. Nosebleeds can occur when the inside of your nose gets too dry. Nosebleeds are a strong indication your home is lacking moisture.
• Static electricity – Have you ever gotten zapped when you touch something or someone in your home? Static electricity begins building up when the air is too dry. If you notice these shocks, your humidity levels are too low.
• Asthma and other respiratory conditions – According to medical experts, asthmas symptoms can worsen by dry air. When humidity is too low, the fluid that hydrates the bronchial tubes can quickly evaporate. This can irritate the airways and make conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis worse.

Causes of Dry Air

Dry air is a byproduct of cold weather. As temperatures drop, the outdoor air loses its ability to hold moisture. When it gets cold, you turn on your furnace. When these two things are combined, they contribute to dry air inside your home.

If your home isn’t insulated well, you may be losing your conditioned, heated air through cracks, windows, and doors. Unless moisture is added to the atmosphere from other sources, the dry air will circulate throughout your home. If you’re losing this conditioned air, there will be an imbalance of dry air. So how can you solve this issue?

Solutions to Dry Air

The solution is to add moisture back into the air. There are several ways to do this. The most common way is to get a humidifier, but a few natural methods include:

• Boil water on the stove to release excess moisture
• Put plants in a dry room and spray them with water at least once a day
• Leave the bathroom door open while showering
• Place wet sponges in dry rooms
• Let damp clothes dry out in rooms with dry air

These simple solutions will help some; however, until you limit outdoor air from infiltrating your home, you’ll have to continue with these methods to replace the dry air. For this reason, we recommend sealing all air leaks. This is the most effective solution for dry indoor air. By doing this, your HVAC system will be able to heat your home and keep humidity levels under control efficiently.

Another solution is installing a whole-home humidifier on your current HVAC system. There are several advantages to having a whole-house humidifier installed. Some of these benefits include:

• They can be installed directly into your home’s cooling system
• They improve whole-home comfort, not just in individual rooms
• They are easy to maintain, only requiring attention once or twice a year
• They monitor the relative humidity levels so that the right amount of moisture is maintained
• They prevent wood floors and furniture from producing mold and rotting

St. Louis Whole House Humidifier

If you have humidity issues in your home, Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating can help! We are a full-service residential heating and air conditioning company in St. Louis. With over 30 years of experience and a master technician and mechanical engineer as our owner, we can replace, repair, and provide maintenance for your home’s HVAC system.