Five Ways You Can Lower Humidity in Your Home
High humidity negatively impacts indoor comfort. It’s bad for health. It can dehydrate you, put you in a bad mood, and make you feel sweaty, bloated and sick. A humid environment encourages mold growth and the presence of dust mites, pathogens, allergens, VOCs and musty odors, thereby lowering indoor air quality. Don’t despair. Here are five ways to reduce humidity in your Louisville, KY, home:
1. Increase Ventilation
Today’s tightly sealed, energy-efficient homes need mechanical ventilation to maintain comfort and ensure healthy indoor air. You can enjoy whole-house ventilation using supply, exhaust, balanced or energy recovery systems.
2. Seal Leaks
Your HVAC technician can test your home for leaks that you can seal with caulk and weather-stripping. Sealing a leak will prevent dehumidified, air-conditioned air from getting out. You should also check for dryer vent leaks that increase indoor heat and humidity.
3. Maintain Your HVAC
Ductwork leaks and AC systems that aren’t performing optimally encourage humidity and increase cooling costs. Schedule air conditioner maintenance every spring and duct cleaning every several years to keep your equipment in good repair.
4. Install a Dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers range from simple, homemade varieties to comprehensive whole-house systems. All of them can increase home comfort. Adding a heat pump dehumidifier can systematically eliminate indoor moisture. Dehumidifying ventilators are ideal for basements, crawl spaces and attics. Portable units work well in single rooms, and whole-house dehumidifiers offer maximum protection against discomfort, mold, warping, rust and cracking.
5. Operate Your AC or Heat Pump in Dry Mode
If your air conditioner has a “dry mode” setting, you can use it to remove moisture from the air without changing indoor temperature.
Optimal relative humidity is between 40 and 50 percent. An inexpensive device called a hygrometer can keep you posted on indoor relative humidity levels. To learn more about dehumidifying your Louisville, KY home to increase comfort, call One Choice Mechanical, LLC today!
