Around The House

Humidity is probably the biggest factor that produces the increase in static electricity. As winter sets in, a heating system can begin to dry out the air inside a home. Dry cold outside air can quickly drop indoor relative humidity by 10 or 20% (cold winter air does not hold much moisture). As the air becomes dryer, it can become less comfortable - throats, eyes, noses and skin can become irritated. In prolonged dry conditions, woodwork and furniture can begin to crack and shrink.

The normal humidity range for human comfort is between 35 and 45% Relative Humidity. If you maintain the humidity in your home in this range, you should have very little if any problems with static electricity.

Here are some tips for reducing static electricity:

• Place pans of water on the stove or near heating ducts. (Caution: do not let pans on stove boil dry!)
• Purchase portable plug-in humidifiers. The manufacturer generally states the area that the humidifier will effectively humidify.
• Spray carpet surfaces with and anti-static product. Some of these products can be sticky. It is recommended you contact a carpet retailer that can give you product recommendations for the type of carpet you have in your home.
• After carpets are cleaned, mix one part liquid laundry fabric softener with two parts warm water in a spray bottle. Lightly spray this mixture on your carpets. (Please note: if carpets are not thoroughly clean, this solution may stick to soiled areas and cause stains or additional dirt to collect.) The fabric softener has anti-static properties.
  Use the same fabric-softener spray in your car. It not only freshens, it prevents static electricity, which can give you a shock and can be dangerous when refueling, as well.
• Purchase a powerless electrostatic carpet sweeper.
• Have a properly sized whole-house humidifier installed.

Information on whole-house humidifiers:

It's important to choose the type of humidifier carefully. For example, studies show that standing water can promote bacteria growth. Better humidifiers are equipped with a drain that removes unused water from within the humidifier either continuously, or when it is turned off. These humidifiers fall into one of two categories, Power or Direct Humidifier and Bypass Humidifier. Each type has advantages and disadvantages, and each is a better choice for certain applications.

The Power Humidifier has a built-in fan which pulls heated air directly from the hot air (supply) side of the furnace, pushes it across a water panel or media where the warm air picks up humidity and þlows back into the supply duct. The humidified air blends with the air exiting the furnace and is distributed throughout the home.

A Bypass Humidifier usually has no fan. It bypasses a portion of the forced air from the supply side of the furnace, forcing it across a water panel or media. The humidified air is then routed to the return side of the furnace, blending with air from the cold air returns. The pre-humidified air is then heated by the furnace and delivered to the conditioned space.

Both types of humidifiers are capable of providing the right amount of humidity. Your contractor/dealer can recommend which one is best suited for your home.

The device that senses and controls the humidity level by turning the humidifier on and off, is called a Humidistat. It's usually mounted either next to the thermostat, or in the main return air duct by the furnace. As the outdoor temperature drops, the humidity level should be slightly decreased to avoid condensation on windows and glass doors. Most humidistats have charts which show the recommended setting based on outdoor temperature.

An option offered by some manufacturers automatically changes the humidistat setting as outdoor temperatures rise and fall. The device uses a temperature sensor located outside the home which tells the humidistat to increase or decrease relative humidity.