Too much moisture in the air can lead to mold, dust mites and other unwelcome pathogens. If you are noticing increased moisture in the air in your home, the problem should not be ignored. Increased humidity in your home can not only compromise your comfort, it can also lead to an indoor air quality issue that affects the efficiency of your HVAC system. Too much humidity in your home also has the potential to trick your HVAC system into thinking that it’s warmer than it really is, forcing it to over-cool your home. Here are some ways that you can manage the humidity in your home.
One way that you can combat humidity is to improve the ventilation in your home. Making sure that your home is completely ventilated can control moisture levels in the air. When the humidity levels outside spike, make sure to remember to close all windows and keep doors all the way shut, and that your HVAC system is running so it can circulate air throughout your home. Other ways that you can ensure ventilation is by checking your bathroom, dryer and stove vents. Make sure all of these areas in your home have ventilation systems that work so it can extract excess moisture when you are showering, drying laundry or cooking.
Another way to get rid of humidity in your home is to use your air conditioner. If the weather is warm enough, turn your air conditioner on to lower the humidity levels outside. Heat holds in water vapor which results in humidity. Turning on your air works by removing the heat from the air, which makes water vapor less capable of holding as much heat. In order for this method to work, you will need to set your air conditioner several degrees lower.
Excess humidity in your home might mean that it is time to upgrade to a high efficiency HVAC unit. There are some high-efficiency heating and cooling systems that are able to adjust humidity conditions inside. The system works by monitoring your home’s moisture levels based on the preferred settings that you input. If you need to lower the humidity while the weather is warm, you can adjust the settings so the air conditioner works slowly to remove humidity from the air without over-cooling your home.
If you are noticing too much humidity in your home, test some of these tips out on your own. If you come to the conclusion that you need your HVAC looked at, give us a call today at 515-965-7272.
Comments