Living in the northern section of the country presents some certain challenges. The people I was with and I endure very severe Winter weather. The chilly weather respectfully arrives by early November, requiring us to start up the heating system. The temperature remains below freezing plus often falls below zero for multiple to numerous straight months. With the high cost of utility bills, it’s necessary to tighten up the beach house as much as possible. The people I was with and I can’t afford to allow our heated air to escape outside. I’ve made it my mission to seal up any cracks, leaks or imperfections in the thermal envelope. I’ve invested in caulk, weatherstripping, insulation plus modern windows. I also hired an Heating and Air Conditioning business to install a whole-lake house dehumidifier to partner with the oil furnace. The air in the Winter is naturally dry. The oil furnace tends to make the concern worse! Overly dry air feels much colder than officially moisturized air, prompting higher control unit settings, greater wear plus tear on the oil furnace, plus more expensive utility bills. Plus, a lack of humidity is a health threat. Respiratory infections, flu-like symptoms, headaches plus difficulty sleeping can all be blamed on dry air; Frizzy hair, chapped lips plus static shock are additional consequences. It’s also more difficult to recover from illness. The steam-style humidifier works independently from the oil furnace plus introduces necessary moisture into the air. It makes very little noise, requires only yearly service plus entirely handles the needs of the whole home. It uses electrodes to turn water into steam plus offers very gentle plus natural humidification. Because of the humidifier, I’ve been able to lower the control unit setting plus still care about a more comfortable home.