How To Have Less Static In Your House
Static is electrostatic discharge. It commonly happens especially in houses that have carpet. When I was growing up I thought it was normal to “shock” yourself. I grew up in a house without a humidifier, without any kind of moisture control whatsoever. When I got into the HVAC industry, I learned why I had static in my house. I also learned it is possible to get rid of it. It was just brutally dry. Adding moisture into the air in the wintertime can help reduce static. It also eliminates many of the problems that go along with low humidity.
Which Humidifier Is Best To Get Rid Of Static?
When we first moved into our home I was shocking my hand on light switches. The humidifier just couldn’t keep up. I got a different humidifier and now we just don’t have static. I changed from a bypass humidifier to a steam humidifier. Our house was just a little too large for the bypass to humidify enough.
See the photos to the left for a view inside and outside of a steam humidifier.
Is It Bad When Your House Has Static?
Typically the static itself is not bad for your health. The problem is that static is a signal that your house has very low humidity. Low humidity does lead to dry skin, nose bleeds and makes you susceptible to colds and other illnesses.
To me the biggest advantage of a humidifier is is health benefits. Oftentimes we don’t contribute humidity to health. However having a good humidity level in your home all throughout the year, is good for your skin and protection against illnesses.
According to an article in Environmental Health Perspectives, a review of the health effects of relative humidity in indoor environments suggests that relative humidity can affect the incidence of respiratory infections and allergies.
The majority of adverse health effects caused by relative humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%. This would require humidification during winter in areas with cold winter climates.
