Have you been wondering if “does space heater dry out air?” If yes, then stay with us to find out more. Space heaters are an excellent way to supplement heat during the coldest months. When you turn them on, they warm up the space and remove moisture from the surrounding area. You might think about using it to double as a dehumidifier preference. You are aware that there is a little extra humidity during this time. So, does space heater dry out air?
A space heater does not dry out the air; a common misconception among homeowners is that operating their forced-air heating systems nonstop dries out their air and lowers the quality of the indoor air. However, this isn’t true, and we do not want you to start turning down the heat as winter wears on. Although the dry air can be a pain, limiting how often you use your heater won’t make you feel more comfortable.
Does Space Heater Dry Out Air?
Space heaters do not dehumidify and dry up the air in your room. The relative humidity will, however, decrease as the temperature rises. Because it can absorb more moisture from your skin, the air feels dryer. You frequently experience drying out of the air when using a space heater at full power.
Imagine a closed box (your room). This box is impenetrable to all objects. It is well-sealed. Only a space heater and damp air are present in the box. Let’s now turn on the heater. What transpires?
The box’s interior becomes warmer. However, the amount of moisture (water) remains constant because nothing can pass through the box’s walls. The water is unable to exit the box.
It is the same as when you use a space heater at home. Your room is a sealed container, and your space heater warms the air inside. Because it can’t leave your space, the humidity level stays the same.
How To Know If The Air In Your House Is Too Dry
It might be challenging to determine whether your indoor air is too dry without a hygrometer, a device that resembles a thermometer and is used to evaluate humidity levels. Our research shows that most homeowners are aware of the signs of dry air long before they become aware that they have a problem. Here are some of the most typical signs of dry indoor air to assist you in determining if your home’s air may be affected:
- Stuffy Nose and Nosebleeds: When exposed to dry air, your body loses water. Low humidity air makes your nasal passages dry up when you breathe it in. Your body will consequently produce more mucus to make up for this, which may result in a stuffy nose. Additionally, nosebleeds can be brought on by an overly dry nose. If you experience nosebleeds frequently at home, the air in your house may be too dry.
- Static Electricity: Do you ever feel zapped when you touch someone or something? Static electricity starts to accumulate when the air is too dry. That static shock might indicate that the air in your home is too dry.
- Dry Lips And Skin: Your skin and lips feeling overly dry may be another sign that there is not enough moisture in the air in your home. Water is present in your skin; thus, when the humidity in your home is low, your skin will also begin to dry up. Additionally, dry air can worsen pre-existing skin disorders like eczema and acne.
Why Does Air Dry Out?
Since less moisture evaporates from the soil during the winter due to the sun’s heat radiation, the humidity is typically lower to begin with. This implies less moisture in the air that is drawn into your home. The outside air dries up even more when this combines with the furnace’s dry heat. This explains why the air’s moisture decreases noticeably throughout the winter. Wintertime is frequently when those with dry skin may notice this the most.
What Happens When Air Dries?
It warms up, but an electric heater doesn’t add any moisture. Normal home activities like cooking and taking a shower will add a little moisture to the air, but because it was so dry to begin with, those sources won’t be able to make up the difference, leaving the air within the house notably dry. The heater didn’t cause the issue in the first place; instead, it did little to address the fact that the air entering your home was extremely dry.
How To Combat Dry Air
A humidifier is the best defense against the dry air that a space heater is causing. In addition to other problems, air that is too dry might harm your furnishings.
To make breathing easier for you and your family, humidifiers add moisture to the air. They can significantly enhance dry conditions produced by ceramic space heaters and other types of space heaters when used consistently.
Is Dry Air That Bad?
Everything it comes in contact with, including you, will dry out if the air is too dry, defined as having a relative humidity of less than 30%. You may experience flaky and itchy skin, chapped lips, frequent coughing and sore throats, illness brought on by weakened mucous membranes, and sore throats.
And it doesn’t end here. The presence of dry air can lead to various home issues accumulating. This includes split wallpaper, cracked wood furniture, damaged electronics from static shock, and split wooden floorboards.
How To Make A Heated Room Less Dry?
Heating A Baking Pan
In front of your heater, place a sizable cookie sheet, baking dish, or something comparable. The surface area of your baking tray should be as large as possible. Please place it in front of your space heater with a thin layer of water. As the water evaporates, it will add moisture to the air in your home.
Using Your Shower
The second approach operates quite quickly. You will have a humidified room in less than a minute. Because you require a restroom close to the room you want to humidify, it doesn’t always work.
For a minute, turn the shower on high heat. There will be a lot of water vapor produced. The water vapor can then be directed into your room using a fan or a similar device. I discovered that it would work best if the restroom is directly connected to the space you want to humidify.
When Is It Ideal To Run A Space Heater To Lower Humidity?
In the winter, excessive humidity is typically not a problem in most newer dwellings. They do not frequently experience condensation that accumulates inside the walls. A space heater can therefore aid in evaporating moisture from the immediate environment if there is a slight increase in air moisture.
Living in an older home might not be adequately insulated to keep moisture from accumulating. Any ice and frost from the previous night will melt and become moist inside the inner walls during the day. This spreads into any particular room and raises the humidity levels.
When the outside temperature drops at night, the water on the walls refreezes, sealing the room’s humidity. Then, all the moisture and water in the air warms up when you turn on the space heater. If the levels are high, it doesn’t do much to remove the humidity.
Solving For Dry Indoor Air In Your Home
Add moisture to the air in your home right away for the simplest and quickest way to improve the dry indoor air conditions. There are a few ways to accomplish this, with a humidifier being the most popular. There are some other straightforward DIY remedies you can try if you are not ready to invest in a humidifier:
- Plants should be placed in a dry area and watered at least once daily.
- To remove extra moisture from your home, boil some water on the stovetop.
- While taking a shower, leave the bathroom door open.
- Allow damp clothing to air dry in spaces with dry air.
- Place damp sponges in a room and allow them to air dry.
Any of the solutions above can help add moisture to the air inside your home, but until you stop outside air from entering your home, you will need to keep using them to replenish the moisture that the cold weather is sucking out of the air.
Your HVAC system will be more successful at controlling your home’s humidity levels without much help if you can identify and block the points of entry for dry air. While a humidifier will offer temporary relief, it is effectively a band-aid. You must evaluate how well your home is air-sealed and insulated if you want to fix your dry heat problem permanently.
Conclusion On Does Space Heater Dry Out Air
Space heaters are great for heating homes and eliminating cold during the cold seasons. Although they are frequently helpful, space heaters significantly impact the humidity in a room. Unfortunately, space heaters do not dry out the air.