Table of Content
The heat from your furnace makes the already dry wintertime air even dryer. The more your furnace runs, the drier the indoor air will become. When the indoor air is too dry, you will often experience static electricity and dry skin. You can also have frequent bleeding in your nasal passages, chapped lips, sinus infections, and sore throats.
The top causes of humidity in the home are showering, boiling water, and drying clothes inside. If you often have high humidity in your home that is not caused by any of these, you might need to have your home’s ventilation and insulation inspected. In the bathroom, you can spread steam and moisture throughout your home by cracking the bathroom door when you shower or letting your bathwater cool before you empty the tub.
What are the symptoms of too much or too little humidity in your home environment, and what can you do about it?
For example, your door and window frames, wood floors, and your furniture can become so dry they will splinter and crack. You may feel cold because the dry air is robbing moisture from your skin, causing you to turn the heat up and make the air even dryer. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends levels between 30% and 50%. It’s also good to test each occupant in your home as the RH levels change. Some people are more sensitive to low humidity levels than others.
Too much humidity can lead to condensation on walls and windows, creating an environment where mold and mildew can grow. We had a cold spell in Atlanta, with high temperatures right around the freezing point. As a result, the indoor relative humidity dropped and we got some static electricity. The first sign of a home that’s been over-humidified is usually condensation. When warm, moisture-heavy air hits a cold surface, it will create water vapor, which will then condense and form droplets of water.
Protecting Your Wood Furniture
Lower concentrations of water vapor equal lower humidity levels. Higher concentrations of water vapor equal higher humidity levels. The reason humidity, whether low or high, is noticeable has to do with the significant amount of space appropriated by water vapor. A dehumidifier can be necessary when living in tropical climates or places with high humidity levels. Working to decrease humidity and therefore increase the coolness in the air, many homeowners wonder if a home dehumidifier can actually give off heat. Now you know the ideal humidity levels to aim for in your home during both winter and summer.
The above mentioned should be avoided when your humidity levels are too high. When they are high, be sure to create sufficient use of extra ventilation when cooking, showering and when there are many visitors in the house. Best humidity levels really depend on the temperature both outside and inside your home.
Heat Pumps for Cold Climates
This means that the air contains 30-50% of the maximum possible moisture that it otherwise could. Keeping it in this range helps prevent the growth of harmful mold and mildew. Seasonal changes and the climate where you live will play a role in your home’s humidity level, but the ideal atmosphere is below 50% humidity. Boil water and cook using the stovetop.When you use the stovetop for cooking and boiling water, you’ll release steam into the air while you prepare your food or boil water. Simply using the stovetop more often than the microwave will help improve your home’s humidity level.
An increase in moisture can also affect certain health conditions, like asthma, making it difficult to breathe. And whole-home humidifiers only require one filter change per year, demanding much less maintenance than portable humidifiers, which need to be regularly cleaned and disinfected. Make sure your fish tank has an open-top, and remember to keep it full of freshwater to prevent bad odors and mold spores from forming. Keep in mind that maintaining a fish tank requires lots of time, space, and expense. When the outside temperature drops, too much moisture is a bad thing.
Get Free Weekly HVAC Tips
If you want to measure your home’s humidity you’ll need a hygrometer. A hygrometer is used to measure the humidity level in your house. This small tool can be placed in a living space that’s a good distance away from a bathroom or kitchen where moisture is created. You’ll also want to avoid doors and windows to ensure the reading isn’t skewed by rain, sunlight, or other weather conditions.
The windows get cold because they lose heat to the outside environment. The air inside your home is warm, so moisture wants to collect on the cold window. As the outdoor, as well as indoor temperatures fluctuate, the capacity of the air to hold water changes. That’s why, during winters, the air’s ability to hold moisture decreases while during summers it increases. RH values below 30% are generally considered too dry, while values above 55% are too humid. A good rule of thumb is to aim for an indoor RH of 50%.
A common misconception is that setting your air conditioner to a lower-than-normal temperature will cool your home faster. You can lower your energy bills during the winter by setting your thermostat to the right temperature. Yeah, there's an ideal setting for your thermostat -- and it can save you up to 10% on your energy bills. For a single-stage air conditioner, the answer might be “there isn’t a solution.” Or at least, there isn’t one without the aid of a whole-home dehumidifier.
In winter, you get 45° F with indoor conditions of 70° F and 40% RH. No two families and their homes are the same, and there are a wide variety of factors that will impact your humidity level. It’s really important to adjust this number so you don’t get condensation on your windows…or you could damage your home and be in for some very expensive repairs. That is primarily for a stand-alone humidifier setting.
No comments:
Post a Comment