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Have you ever returned from a trip to somewhere humid and then once you get back to Calgary your skin feels noticeably dry and it’s a little harder to breathe?  That’s the low humidity that comes along with the altitude and thin air of having a home just east of the rocky mountains.

Here at ClearView Services, we love Calgary, but something that really bothers us about our great city is the humidity (or lack of) much of the year, especially in the winter!  These days Calgarians spend around 90% of our time indoors and we breathe all of this stale, dry air instead of crisp, refreshing air made possible by maintaining a healthy level of humidity in our homes.  Knowing the impacts of humidity in your home is very important in order to optimize your family’s comfort and health.

How Can I Check the Humidity Level in My Home?

Checking the humidity levels in your home is fairly straightforward. You can use a tool called a hygrometer, which you can pick up from Canadian Tire or your local home hardware store. It looks like a thermometer and costs between $20-$150, and some are both a thermometer and a hygrometer with both temperature as well as humidity level displays.

Although, for the most part, you shouldn’t need to purchase one unless you want a handheld tester since most humidifiers have internal hygrometers to check and adjust the relative humidity to optimal levels. Relative humidity refers to the percentage of moisture content in the air in your home, with between 35% and 45% being the optimal and most comfortable range.

What if I have Low Relative Humidity in My Home?

If you have low relative humidity in your home, well that can cause a wide variety of problems (so can high humidity, but we’ll get into that later). Calgarian homes that have low humidity can experience problems such as:

  • Frequent Nose Bleeds
  • Dry, Itchy and Cracked Skin
  • More Difficulty Breathing
  • Increased Static Electric Shocks
  • Dry and Sore Throats
  • More Dust Irritation

Low humidity issues like these are usually more common in older homes, as they are often less energy efficient and have hardwood flooring. That was the case with one ClearView customer here in Calgary who had just bought a new home, but the hardwood had shrunk due to the low humidity.

Check out these humidifier tips for hardwood floors to prevent cracking/shrinking

Poor humidity will also make it more difficult to maintain a comfortable interior temperature causing your furnace or forced-air system to do more work. As a result, you can expect increased heating bills if relative humidity levels aren’t efficiently maintained.

So what do you do? Enter, the wonderful world of humidifiers!  These lovely inventions will provide moisture for your environment, which is great if you are suffering from asthma or allergies, get that dreaded winter cold, or just want to breathe easier with a little moisture in the air.

Now, there are several types of humidifiers and we will go through some of the more popular ones, so you can pick which one best suits your needs.  Let’s get moist up in here!

What type of Humidifier is best for my home?

Portable units come in three general types: Warm Mist, Cool Mist, and Ultrasonic. The process they use differs, but they all add moisture to the air. Choosing between them is largely a matter of personal preference. The price ranges for these types stretch from $45 to $170.

Make sure the model you choose is easy to clean. As we discovered in our clean-air tests, these humidifiers can harbor gross bacteria if not cleaned regularly. You’re going to want to clean these humidifiers with every single filling to maintain optimal air quality and minimize bacteria and airborne viruses.

There is a 4th type, which requires far less maintenance and cleaning: a whole-house humidifier. In-duct or furnace humidifiers are the ideal choices if you have a forced-air heating system and want to humidify your entire home. They are tapped into the air ducts and plumbed into your home’s water supply, so they would require professional installation from ClearView Services.

What are the benefits of installing a whole home, in-duct, or furnace humidifier?

These types of humidifiers are hooked directly to your home’s current installed heating or air conditioning system and give you a few advantages, namely:

  • Adding moisture back into your home so that you can breathe again
  • Moist air is easier to heat meaning that you don’t have to crank up the furnace and so can save on your energy bills.
  • The extra moisture in the air helps your health and preserves the life of many of your belongings.

Whole house humidifiers are useful, but you have to be sure you install the right size. Too big, and it will chew through power for no real purpose. Too small, and it won’t do anything at all.

Now, before you crank that humidifier you just installed, keep in mind the recommended levels. Calgary homes should have humidity levels of between 35% and 45%. Any less than that and you have dry air. Any more than that and you’ll have the problems we mentioned earlier, including mold growth, food rotting faster, and bacteria growth. These things will damage your home and your health just as surely as the dry air did and, in the case of toxic mold, the damage could be much worse!

The right moisture level in your home is essential for the sake of your health and comfort. A whole-house humidifier can definitely help to make your home more comfortable to live in. They are fairly easy to buy and install nowadays, though if you’re looking for a different approach you could consider replacing your furnace for a boiler. Because it’s a water-based heating system, it doesn’t pull moisture from the air and keeps a moderate level of humidity in your indoor air, which can provide health benefits. It’s also a radiant heating system, so unlike forced air, boiler heat naturally distributes to all areas of a room, including the floors and surfaces, providing maximum comfort.

If you need help figuring out what size humidifier is best for our house – call ClearView Services at 403-216-8439 and we’ll come to help you!

Clearview Plumbing and Heating is Calgary’s plumber of choice since 1996. From boiler systems to whole-home humidifier systems, ClearView can handle any installation, maintenance or repair need you might have!

You can reach us at any time by calling 587-741-1562.

Serving Calgary, AB and surrounding areas

We take immense pride in providing Calgary, AB and surrounding areas with top-notch plumbing, heating, and cooling services, ensuring every home and business operates smoothly year-round. Our team’s expertise and dedication shine through in every project, earning the trust and satisfaction of our valued customers across the city. Serving you isn’t just a job for us; it’s a commitment to excellence and a testament to our passion for keeping our community comfortable and thriving.

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A job well done.

Our hot water tank blew and fortunately we noticed right away. We called Clearview Services late in the evening and we were answered right away. We were kept in the loop throughout the entire experience and Gabe Colpitts was the service technician who visited the next morning. He was very professional and spent the time to explain and educate the different options that were available. We were up and running with hot water the very next day.

Mike Mario

Jon was on time and dispatch team did their best to get him to the property to do an inspection on leaking pipes and backup sewer system. Jon then immediately got another job into the system to have a deeper inspection of the entire system to determine where the blockage was.

David Crawford

Heinz was professional and honest. He gave me options and the price. The price was the price and there were no extra charges. He worked on a boiler system that was having issues. He flushed and cleaned system and everything is back up and running. When he was finished he asked if I had any question. I look forward to him coming back to service this system again.

Curtis W.

I felt the company is oriented on quality of customer service , they send me the track link when dispatch the plumber, and the plumber is super on time too . I really appreciate Richard , he is supper patient to help me find out what is the best solution, focus on customer’s interest . Thank you again , I will definitely use your service again when I having plumbing problems, which I hope it will never happen.

Jing Huang

We could not do the water valve replacement because the city could not shut the water off. I was warned ahead of time that this might happen so was not worried. Yamil was courteous and professional and I look forward to his return when the city can fulfill there end of the job. Justin and Sean were great with the furnace install. It went smoothly and Justin explained the new thermostat fully. The walk through on the furnace was useful and timely. Justin and Sean were friendly and professional and great to work with. John who came out for the initial inspection…

Paul Palardy

Drake Ahern did an awesome job cleaning the ducts. Was very friendly and professional. Worked hard and paid attention to all the details. I’d definitely have him back next time.

David Dickinson

Thank you! Your service has always been reliable, professional,and friendly.
Rural folks can depend on you, as We have for more than 30 years, for both our property and others.
If you say you’re coming – you show up- or you promptly let us know of any delays! AND do a fantastic job. We’d asked for certain day & hours, as our neighbour has a B&B, didn’t want to cause issues with septic removal smells for them. YOU DELIVERED! Thank you. The Jackson’s.

Robert Jackson

Clearview was excellent to deal with. Very professional in their approach and the picture sent of the plumber before hand is an excellent idea. Richard was great to deal with. He gave me different options to resolve the problem.

Rick Pultz

I had furnace venting replaced. This company is efficient and very professional. You know who is coming to do the work and given notice of when they’ll arrive. Heinz was very knowledgeable, professional, was not bothered by all my questions. He gave full explanations, reasons why, and great advice on maintenance care. He showed that he cared about what he was doing and was very efficient in getting the work done quickly. I highly recommend this company and Heinz.

Elsa Krienke

Barry did a great job in replacing a leaking Hot Water tank. Just a bit shocked at how much the cost of a new tank has increased over the years. We would certainly use ClearView for future jobs.

Ken Stowell

Had them update and install our infloor heating two zones, and add tank less hot water on demand and install a water softener. Our technician was very professional kept his work area tidy, cleaned up after himself. He also wiped down all the equipment used including piping and tubing. He was friendly, kept us informed on his progress. You could tell he enjoys what he does… great job Thank you so much.

Carol Hill

Arrived on time and did a quick and efficient replacement of my kitchen sink faucet. Also took the time to further explain the operation of the water softener installed on the last visit.
Richard was friendly and knowledgeable. Great service!

Marybeth Marrow

John came out to review our heating and AC set-up. He was very knowledgeable and patient as he walked us through the various units and proposed maintenance program. Would highly recommend.

Lucus Tomei

Barry was fantastic. Explained the steps that would be required to detect the leak and then proceeded with the work. He was professional and managed to fix our issue same day. He left our home clean and tidy before leaving. Overall very happy.

Jonathan Wilson

The appointment to come to check my boiler was prompt and early I’m the day so I didn’t have to wait the whole day. I received a call 15mins before the arrival. An email and a text was sent earlier. Gerry introduced himself and told me his purpose. He checked my boiler for a while then explained clear to me what the problem was, it was relief to know that it is nit necessarily a serious one. He made further checks and made some recommendations for change of some worn out parts, the re-glycol – 10yrs overdue and some leak that…

Roland B.

Can’t say enough about the great service I received from Heinz regarding some concerning alerts we got on our Ecobee Smart Thermostat yesterday. I felt cared for and trusted that he was focused on the necessary followup to assure our safety. Heinz is very good at his job.

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