The Role of Humidity Control in Maintaining Comfortable Indoor Air
Have you ever noticed the difference between an 80-degree day where the humidity level is at 70% versus a day where it’s 80 degrees with 40% humidity? When it’s dry, you don’t feel as uncomfortable. The same is true in your home. When it’s high humidity, you don’t feel as comfortable. You feel sticky and warm. It can be harder to breathe.
For people with health issues like COPD, high humidity makes it harder to breathe. A higher dew point lessens the oxygen in the air. It can trap pollutants and allergens. In your home, it’s not ideal if you have asthma, COPD, or other lung conditions.
High humidity also increases the risk of mold and mildew growth in a home. Mold and mildew can impact your furniture, carpeting, walls, and ceilings. Those can also increase allergies and asthma. It’s essential to keep humidity levels low, and the right system can do that.
A dry home is another problem. If the air is too high, static electricity is just one of the issues you face. It can also cause dry eyes, dry skin, allergies, nosebleeds, and eczema. Viruses thrive in low humidity. Asthma attacks can increase in a dry home. It also damages the wood within your home by causing it to shrink and crack.
Key Facts About Humidity and Its Control
Homes can have too much or too little humidity. Keeping that balance is important to both your health and the condition of your home. Too much moisture depletes oxygen, traps particles and allergens, and increases the risk of mold and mildew. Too little dries wooden furniture, wooden doors and framing, and window sills and frames. It can make it harder for a door or window to close properly. It can lead to cracks and splits in kitchen cabinets, flooring, and décor.
Ideally, the EPA recommends humidity levels that fall between 30% and 50%. Anything over 60% is too high. This is a general guideline, however, as your health can change things. People with the following conditions should aim for the following humidity levels.
Allergies – 40% to 50%
Asthma – 35% to 50%
Dust mite prevention – 35% to 50%
Respiratory illnesses – 30% to 50%
Home Appliances and Behaviors That Assist with Humidity Control
When it comes to humidity control, there are different things people use. Some involve household appliances and HVAC solutions, while others are personal habits.
Central Air Conditioning Systems
Central AC works by drawing heat from a room, expelling it outside, and cycling over and over to ensure comfort. Air filters trap particles like allergens, hair, and fur. At the same time, the humidity in the home collects on the cooling tubing, drips into a drain pan, and goes outside the home through a condensate line.
While this approach can remove humidity, in some areas, it may not be enough. In very humid areas or regions where rainfall is above average, you may need to pair central AC with a dehumidifier.
Dehumidifiers
A dehumidifier is a small appliance that uses a fan to draw in the warm air. Like an air conditioning system, coils cool that air, collect the moisture in a drain pan, and release the dried air. Some systems have pans that you remove and drain outside, but they are often equipped with drain lines you can place in a sump pit or sink for constant draining.
Humidifiers
Homes that are too dry are equally problematic. A humidifier helps restore humidity to a home that needs it. There are different types of humidifiers. Regular filter changes are important.
Evaporative – Air is blown through a filter that collects moisture and releases the moisture in a mist into the room.
Ultrasonic – High frequencies are used to create droplets of water that are forced into the air through fans.
Vaporizer – Heats water to release steam.
Whole-House – There are different types of whole-house humidifiers and they connect to your existing HVAC system. Bypass systems require separate ducts to send humidity through the home. Fan-powered systems use the fans to distribute humidity. Steam systems heat water within the HVAC system and send it throughout the home.
Fans and Windows
Opening a bathroom window while taking a shower releases humidity outside the home. Running an exhaust fan also redirects the humidity outside. They may not be enough, however. Exhaust fans may break down, and the ducts may clog with lint. If they’re not properly maintained, they can become ineffective.
Lifestyle Changes
Sometimes, people change their habits to avoid increasing humidity levels. If they need to boil water for pasta, they do it outside on a grill’s side burner. Take shorter showers or cold showers to avoid adding humidity. Washing all dishes in a dishwasher instead of a kitchen sink is another change. Sometimes, those changes are difficult to keep up as a family or household size increases.
Home maintenance tasks can help with humidity control. Seal windows and doors to keep outdoor air from getting inside. If there are holes or cracks in a basement or crawlspace wall, seal them. Make sure you’re having your existing HVAC system cleaned and inspected each year. A system that’s in great working condition will do a lot for maintaining healthy humidity levels.
Moisture-Absorbing Products
Silica gel desiccant is used to absorb moisture from the air. People often use it to keep humidity out of a closet. You may know it as the product used to keep food products like protein powder from clumping. Products like Damp Rid or Vacplus use calcium chloride to absorb moisture and melt into a liquid that is thrown out.
Choosing the Best Method for Establishing Proper Humidity Levels in Your Home
How do you choose the right method for balancing your home’s humidity levels? It depends on the issues you face. Central AC is a great way to draw excess moisture from your home and make sure your room temperatures are ideal for comfort. But, some homes end up drier than is ideal. The addition of humidifiers may be necessary.
Air Blue has options that help keep excess humidity out of your home. When you control humidity levels, your living environment remains comfortable and issues like mold and mildew are under control. Reach us online, by text, or by phone to discuss your home’s humidity issues. With affordable solutions and payment options, don’t keep trying to manage the humidity that keeps you from feeling comfortable.
