Have you ever heard that it isn’t the heat and that it is actually humidity? This particular cliché looks at a basic benefit of controlling household humidity, as it can help ensure you feel more comfortable. However, by working to ensure that your home’s humidity is in check, you can work to control the indoor air quality in the home. Though each person is a bit different when it comes to what feels the most comfortable, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that you maintain humidity levels between 30 and 50 percent to improve the quality of air in your home.
How Your Comfort Is Impacted by Humidity
The role of humidity in your comfort is ultimately supported by science. The body is cooled off on its own by sweating, and the amount of sweat that you produce is impacted by how much moisture is in the air. When there is excess humidity in the air, then your sweat will end up evaporating slower, which makes you feel less comfortable and hotter. In addition, higher humidity levels will impact the furnishings and finishes in your home, including peeling your wallpaper and paint or causing stains.
On the other hand, lower humidity levels, which tends to be associated with heated indoor air and cooler climates, can cause discomfort with dry throats, nasal passages, or dry skin.
How Indoor Air Quality Is Impacted by Humidity
Concentrations of pollutants inside the home can be impacted by the levels of humidity indoors. An example is the connection of high levels of indoor humidity and increased possibilities of mold growth. Keeping the indoor humidity levels between the previously mentioned 30 and 50 percent is recommended because controlling moisture is the key to controlling mold, as the EPA states.
How Humidity Can Be Controlled
You can assist in humidity control in certain areas or rooms of the home by utilizing a portable dehumidifier, using a vaporizer, using the range hood fan while cooking, or using the bathroom fun while showering.
If you would like a whole-home and more controlled approach to humidity control, here are a few tips:
- Run your central AC over the course of the summer since it can dehumidifier as it works to cool the home.
- Install a whole-home humidifier to offer relief from excessively dry air during the wintertime.
- Consider having whole-home ventilation added, such as an energy recovery ventilator or a heat recovery ventilator.
If you would like to learn more, get in touch with us at Annette Hale's Indoor Comfort Systems, Inc.