Pros and Cons of a Whole Home Humidifier in Denver

In dry cities like Denver, the humidity is so low that it often has negative effects on our health, like a stuffy nose, itchy skin, scratchy throat and an increased risk of infection. While portable humidifiers help take the edge off, they will not raise the humidity of your entire home and they need to be filled regularly.

One of the best ways to increase the humidity of your home is with a whole home humidifier. These humidifiers are free-standing and often connect to your duct system, allowing humidity to be carried throughout the home.

Here are the biggest pros and cons to having a whole home humidifier instead of a small portable humidifier.

Pro #1: Humidity Control

With small humidifiers there is no telling how much it is raising the humidity in your room or household. With a whole home humidifier, the humidity is controlled with a humidistat and can be set to the desired level.

Pro #2: Minimal Maintenance

Whole home humidifiers have their own water supply so you do not have to worry about filling up a tank every time it runs out. With ducted humidifiers, all you have to do is change the evaporator panel (filter) once a year and lightly clean around the filter. This level of maintenance is unachievable with a small mobile humidifier.

Pro #3: Better Health

The air quality of your home has a huge impact on your health. With low humidity, your body is at a higher risk of allergies, respiratory conditions, and even infections. Here in Colorado, the humidity often drops below 20%, and the ideal humidity for your health is between 30% and 40%.

Con #1: Expense

There is no question that a small mobile humidifier is much less expensive than a whole home humidifier. While a decent quality humidifier will run between $30 and $100, a whole home humidifier will run between $400 and $1200 and that is not including installation. Thankfully, this is a one-time cost and as mentioned above, the unit requires almost no maintenance.

Note: We strongly recommend speaking to a professional if you are interested in installing a new unit as it requires HVAC, plumbing and electrical expertise.

Con #2: Mold and Mildew

Just like a small mobile humidifier, mold and mildew are always a risk with whole home humidifiers. With regular maintenance and cleaning this should not be an issue but could quickly become a health hazard if ignored. All it takes is a small amount of cleaning and a filter change once or twice a year to avoid this problem.

Are whole home humidifiers really worth it? In some parts of the country with higher humidity levels, there really is no need. In places like Colorado with extremely dry winters, low humidity is detrimental to your health and a humidifier is highly recommended. From the low maintenance to automatic humidity control, whole home humidifiers are far better than small mobile humidifiers.

If you are near us in Aurora, Colorado or anywhere in the Denver Metro Area, Grand Home Services would be happy to help you with a whole home humidifier. Contact us online or give us a call today to get started!