While I’ve always been aware that overly dry air creates some complications, I didn’t fully realize the potential damage it can cause. I own a cabin in the northeastern part of the country, where the weather is cold & snowy for the majority of the year. We often experience temperatures below chilly & aren’t surprised by downside studyings. The snow officially piles up in feet overnight, however cold air doesn’t retain as much moisture as warm air. Over the winter, inadequate humidity is a problem in the local area. We notice chapped lips, frizzy hair & static shocks. Because dry air feels cooler than properly moisturized air, it encourages higher temperature control settings. This adds to demands on the boiler, forcing the system to work harder, run longer & use more energy. While the cost of heating goes up, the comfort of the cabin diminishes. A few years ago, my hubby & I bought a second cabin down south. We were exhausted of battling the winter conditions. We now relocate for approximately six months. Instead of shoveling snow, scraping ice off the car’s windshield & bundling up in layers of sweaters, we adore sunshine, orange skies & a fresh breeze. While we want to conserve energy in the empty cabin up north, we can’t shut down the boiler entirely. The water pipes might freeze & burst. The first year, we set the temperature control to run the boiler on low & hoped for the best. When we returned in the Springtime, we found a tremendous amount of damage caused by the lack of typical humidity. Our hardwood floors had developed an frustrating squeak. Our hardwood doors would no longer close properly. There were cracks in our wood furnishings & several of the drywall seams had finished making. We have since installed a whole-cabin humidifier that operates 24/7 over the winter.
