When winter’s chill strikes, cold air starts to seep into your home through cracks and crevices—while warm air flows out. Your first instinct may be to crank up the heat, but warmer temperatures rob indoor air of moisture, blanketing the inside of your home with a desert-like oasis of dry, stuffy air.

With humidity levels at an all-time low, the overly dry air pulls moisture from everything it surrounds, causing a variety of issues affecting health, comfort and home. They include:

Aggravated allergies or respiratory illnesses
Scratchy, sore throat or excessive cough
Dry, irritated nasal passages
Dry, itchy skin
Chapped lips
Static shocks
Cracked, peeling wallpaper
Warped or cracked wood
Damage to household furnishings

The good news is, these problems can be resolved by keeping humidity levels in balance.

Adding humidity to heated, dry air with an efficient, whole-home humidifier—like the Lennox Healthy Climate® Steam Humidifier—helps to restore the proper balance of moisture inside your home and eliminate problems associated with dry air.

The Steam Humidifier heats water to produce steam, which is dispersed evenly throughout your home to make the air more comfortable. Plus, because humidified air feels warmer than dry air at the same temperature, you can lower the thermostat and still feel comfortable, resulting in extra savings on your monthly utility bills.

For more information on how you can restore balance to dry indoor air, find a Lennox® Dealer in your area or call 1-800-9-LENNOX.

Replacing your home’s HVAC system may seem like a daunting task, but it’s easy if you know what features to look for. We’ve compiled the ultimate “things to consider” checklist to help you take the plunge:
Some of your rooms are too hot or cold
Duct problems, inadequate air sealing or insulation could be the cause. No matter how efficient your heating and cooling system is, if your home is not properly sealed and insulated against air leakage, you will not be as comfortable and your system will have to work harder.

Your home has humidity problems and/or excessive dust
Poorly operating or improperly sized equipment could be to blame. Leaky ductwork can also cause these problems, so having it sealed may be a solution. Monthly maintenance of your heating and cooling equipment’s filters may also help.

Your cooling system is noisy
Your duct system could be improperly sized or there may be a problem with the indoor coil of your cooling equipment.

Your equipment needs frequent repairs and your energy bills are going up
In addition to the rise in energy costs, the age and condition of your heating and cooling equipment may have caused it to become less efficient.

Your air conditioner or heat pump is more than 12 years old
Consider replacing it with newer, more efficient equipment. And, remember, high efficiency levels begin with ENERGY STAR.

Your furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old
Consider replacing it with ENERGY STAR® qualified equipment. ENERGY STAR has set high efficiency guidelines for both types of heating systems.

You leave your thermostat set at one constant temperature
You could be missing a great energy-saving opportunity. A programmable thermostat adjusts your home’s temperature at times when you’re regularly away or sleeping.

Source: “A Guide to Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

According to the EPA, the air inside your home may be up to five times more polluted than the air outside. So when you’re doing the annual clean-sweep, don’t forget to add it to your list.

Spring clean your air
Spring sprucing can have your home looking great in no time. But what about the mess you can’t see? Invisible particles, like bacteria, chemicals, pet dander, and viruses—along with dust, mold and mildew—can pollute your indoor air, affecting your home, health and comfort. And since most people spend 90% of their time indoors, keeping the air clean is just as important as cleaning the surfaces you can see. Here’s a spring sprucing checklist that will help keep things tidy while helping to improve indoor air quality (IAQ): (cut down pollutants and combat poor indoor air quality).

Ban the use of chemicals in your home
Scented fragrances—like laundry detergents, floor cleaners and air fresheners —may smell fresh, but chances are, they’re polluting your indoor air. These products can emit dozens of different chemicals into the air, causing respiratory irritation. To combat synthetic fragrances, purchase naturally scented or fragrant-free products, use mild cleaners without artificial ingredients and discontinue use of aerosol sprays. Use sliced lemons and baking soda to get a clean scent in the kitchen.

Place a floor mat at every door
Chemicals from dirt, pesticides and other pollutants enter the home on the soles of shoes. A doormat will reduce the amount of pollutants tracked inside and help to keep IAQ levels in check. If possible, have family members leave their shoes at the door, too.

Keep everything clean underfoot
Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to suck up pollutants that can accumulate in your carpets, like pollen, pet dander, dust mites and PBDEs (brominated fire-retardant chemicals). Vacuum high traffic areas several times. Next, mop every surface that can’t be vacuumed to pick up any lingering dust or allergens. Be sure to use an eco-friendly cleaning solution.

Add plants to the mix
Houseplants help to beautify a room while naturally filtering pollutants from the air. NASA research shows that foliage and roots work in tandem to absorb chemical pollutants released by synthetic materials. Recommended: aloe vera, ferns or spider plants.

Change your filter often
If you haven’t already, upgrade your furnace filter to a HEPA (High Energy Particulate Air) air filter, and change it regularly. HEPA filters capture a minimum of 99.97% of pollutants at 0.3 microns, helping you to breathe a little easier at home.

Keep humidity levels in balance
Excess levels of moisture in the home help dust mites and mold thrive. Keeping humidity around 30%-50% can help keep them—and other allergens—under control. A dehumidifier helps to reduce moisture in indoor air while reducing the indoor pollen count, helping to keep symptoms at bay. Using exhaust fans and cracking windows, venting the clothes dryer to the outside, fixing leaky plumbing and emptying HVAC drip pans can also help to balance moisture levels inside your home.

Don’t forget the ducts
If you have a forced air heating system, have the air ducts cleaned and sealed internally. This process can result in more even temperatures and lower utility bills. Make sure the contractor is a member of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association.

Purify your air
Installing a whole-home air filtration system, like the Lennox PureAir® Purification System, is your best defense against poor indoor air quality. The PureAir system uses exclusive UVA-light technology to attack all three classes of indoor air contaminants–particles, mold/mildew/bacteria and odors/chemical vapors. It also destroys ozone, an irritant known to be harmful to lungs.
Tags: air filter, air purification, bacteria, chemicals, HEPA, humidity, indoor air quality, pollutants

How can you identify and prioritize home upgrades that will also reduce your energy bill and make your home more comfortable? With a do-it-yourself home energy audit! Like the home energy audits offered by many utility companies, the DIY audit starts with a simple walk-through of your home to assess energy wasters and improvements to eliminate them.

Here are three important places to start:
1. Inspect your cooling/heating system

Heating and cooling accounts for nearly half your home’s energy usage. Improving efficiency here can make a noticeable difference on your monthly energy bill.

Your HVAC system should be inspected at least once a year. Your Lennox dealer can check and clean your equipment to help control energy usage.
If you have a central heating and cooling system, the filters should be checked monthly – especially during high-usage seasons – and replaced as needed (at least once every three months) to keep the system working efficiently.
Check ductwork for streaks of dirt that indicate air leaks. These should be sealed with duct mastic. Insulate ducts or pipes that extend through unheated spaces.
If any HVAC unit is more than 15 years old, a newer system can greatly reduce your energy usage and lower your energy bill.

2. Assess your lighting

Lighting makes up about 10 percent of your electricity costs.

Examine the wattage of your light bulbs. If your lamps are using 100-watt or larger bulbs, consider a 60- or 75-watt replacement.
Install compact fluorescent bulbs in areas where lights are left on for hours at a time.
Move lamps away from your thermostat. The heat produced by traditional light bulbs can be sensed and may force your air conditioner to work harder.

3. Eliminate drafts

Reducing air leaks or drafts can reduce your energy usage by 5 to 30 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy and make your home much more comfortable.

Look inside for gaps along the baseboard or edge of flooring and where the walls and ceiling meet.
Look outdoors at exterior corners, where siding and chimneys meet and areas where the foundation and exterior brick or siding meet.
Rattle windows and doors: Any movement means possible air leaks. If you can see daylight around a window frame or door, there is a leak that can often be fixed by caulking or weather stripping. Check storm windows for a tight fit. If new, high-performance doors and windows are too expensive, low-cost plastic sheets can be installed over windows to block air.
Plug or caulk air leaks from or around electrical outlets, switch plates, attic hatches and window-mounted air conditioners.
If you’re having trouble locating air leaks, you can try this simple building pressurization test:
Close all exterior doors, windows and fireplace flues
Turn off all combustion appliances, including gas-burning furnaces and water heaters.
Turn on exhaust fans in the kitchen and bath.
Dampen your hand to feel any cool drafts, or burn an incense stick to look