Your best Chance at eliminating Winter Colds and Flu

October 16, 2017  3:30pm    Brian Nagle                

Dry Sinuses and how you catch a Cold.  Let’s figure out why.

A new customer had this issue:  Our house was so dry this winter that I was having nosebleeds. I bought a humidifier and that helped, but now I have so much ice on my windows I cannot see out of them.  This is a situation that happens all too often in cold climates. Research indicates that for health and comfort, a relative indoor humidity of 35 to 55 percent is optimal. But keeping the air that moist over the course of a winter is more than most Sayville or Hauppauge residents want to deal with.

As the temperature drops so does the amount of moisture in our bodies. Dry air will cause our immune system to be compromised, allowing airborne viruses into our systems. What’s next; a cold or flu. If you notice, most colds occur between November and March. Maintaining proper hydration levels helps, and keeping proper humidity levels in the home is imperative to allow our immune symptoms to repel colds and flu.

Too much humidity is an issue as well, contributing to winter poor health. Mold associated with too much moisture can and does make people sick.

A direct relationship exists between temperature and humidity. Cold air doesn’t hold much moisture, and the colder the day, the drier the air, and the end results are indoor humidity levels that are too low for personal comfort.

Dry indoor air indicates that too much outdoor air is coming indoors.  Corrective action includes caulking and sealing windows, doors and other leaking areas in addition to adding the proper amount of relative humidity into the existing space.

Proper (RH) Relative Humidity saves on your heating bills, while maintaining proper comfort. This one tip can save 10% on your heating bills simply by introducing the right amount of moisture into the air.  Thermostats can be turned down without compromising comfort. The solution is to install a properly installed humidifier with an adjustable control.  You can test your humidity levels with a simple hygrometer (which measures relative humidity and is available at most hardware and home stores).

Rule of thumb for indoor humidity levels, outside temp  is  20 to 40 degrees, humidity indoors should not be more than 40 percent, outside temp  is 10 to 20 degrees, RH should not be more than 35 percent.

Reputable HVAC installation companies will do a free assessment and offer you the proper solution for your home and budget. 

Call us for a free estimate today. 

Our management team at True Mechanical has well over 100 years’ experience in all phases of heating and cooling. 

We offer affordable service,calls and service contracts. We offer no charge quotes on system replacements. True Mechanical is 40 years in business and with over 100,000 installations on Long Island. Visit our website at www.truemech.com. 631-563-1298.

We ask for your input and comments. If there is an industry subject you wish to know more about, please let us know.

About the Author. Brian Nagle started in the HVAC industry in 1996 on Long Island and has been with True Mechanical since 2011. Additionally, he has over 20 years experience in finance and aviation management. 

Brian can be contacted at the office number above or by email at brian@truemech.com.

True Mechanical Corp, Bohemia, NY  www.truemech.com 

IAQ, AFUE, Allergy, Humidifiers, Furnace, Steam Humidifier , Aprilaire, Honeywell, Seaford Massapequa Merrick Bellmore Wantagh, HVAC Boilers Gas Heating Equipment Sears, Home Depot, Lowes, PC Richard's Air Conditioning Installation Trane, Rheem, Mitsubishi, Daikin, Carrier, Bryant, Goodman, Lennox, York,