The dry summer heat in Nevada and Southern California is only exacerbated when we run moisture-sucking air conditioners all season long. Overly dry air is not only uncomfortable to many people, it also can aggravate conditions such as asthma or dry skin and cause dry and itchy throats and noses.

That’s where a humidifier can help. Humidifiers help make your home more livable by putting vapor into your indoor air at comfortable levels — around 40 percent to 60 percent humidity for most people.

There are many humidifiers on the market. When choosing one, first consider the size of the space you want to humidify. Just one bedroom? Your entire home? Room-size models are known as “tabletop” units and can take care of that bedroom. To treat your entire home, though, you need a freestanding cabinet “console” unit or a “central” humidifier that is installed as part of your forced-air HVAC system.

Then consider some of the special features that might work for you. For instance, different models provide mist in different temperatures. Cool mist humidifiers are more comfortable for people in the warm months and warm mist models are preferred for the colder months. Dual-mist humidifiers allow you to switch. Another option:  Vaporizers, also known as steam humidifiers, allow you to add a medicated inhalant to the vapor to reduce coughs.

One thing to watch out for: Ultrasonic humidifiers release a very fine mist, which some people prefer. However, these tiny water droplets carry along any hard-water minerals or microorganisms that are in the humidifier’s reservoir. That’s why ultrasonic humidifiers require regular cleaning.

If you are considering purchasing a humidifier for your home and have questions, please feel free to contact an air conditioner contractor in the AC Pro network.

Our goal is to help inform our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about humidifiers and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

AC PRO services the Southwestern United States including Southern California and Nevada.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.