The original post: /r/lifeprotips by /u/Enginerdad on 2024-12-04 15:21:51.

Winter air in cold regions is usually very dry. Humid air feels warmer than dry air at the same temperature, so raising the humidity is a cost effective way to increase comfort without increasing your heating bill. Just be sure not to make it too humid or you could promote mold growth. Usually 40%-60% relative humidity is recommend for indoor spaces. Your dry skin and sinuses will also thank you.

Edit: holy balls Batman, the reading comprehension here is atrocious! Yes, of course if your RH is 90% in winter, you shouldn’t be running a humidifier. I wrote a very specific RH range to target, but I honestly feel like I shouldn’t have had to. And yes, humid air takes more energy to heat to the same temperature, but this is about comfort. Humid air feels warmer than dry air at the same temperature, so you’d need to heat dry air to a higher temperature to achieve the same level of comfort.

Let’s also not forget that with so many people working from home nowadays, it’s very practical to run a small humidifier in a single occupied room for most of the day, rather than turning up the heat for an entire house, floor, or however your heating zones are set up.