You can’t see it, but you can feel it. It’s sticky, wet, and uncomfortable, but it can be difficult to escape in Florida’s subtropical environment. You can’t get rid of it outdoors, but you can control your comfort indoors. As the ruler of your home, it’s time to cast out excessive moisture in your air for good!
Today we are talking about humid air, and six ways you can beat the heat by reducing your indoor humidity level.
What’s the big deal about the indoor humidity level?
Besides being miserable to live with, an unbalanced humidity level is bad news for your energy consumption and your wallet. That’s because high humidity makes it feel hotter than it really is. If the moisture in your air is out of control, you are probably cranking up the AC higher just to make your house feel more comfortable.
The ideal relative humidity indoors is between 30% and 50%. Anything above 50% can lead to:
- Wood rot
- Mold growth
- Bacteria growth
- Water damage
- Warped wood (including your heirloom furniture)
But it doesn’t have to be this way! You can have a balanced indoor humidity level and enjoy energy-efficient air conditioning.
Let’s dive right into what you can do to reduce the humidity inside your living space and make your house a cool oasis.
1. Seal Up Drafts
Sometimes humidity is creeping in from outside, and no matter how much you try to dehumidify your home, it continues to pour in.
This is a job for caulk and/or weatherstripping.
If the job is too big for that, a new window or door may be in order. And if you don’t have the budget for that, duct tape and plastic can be a temporary solution.
Do whatever it takes to seal up the drafts coming in around your windows and doors, and you will notice a big difference in your indoor comfort level.
2. Check Your Drainage
The next time it rains, go outside and observe where the water is flowing. Are puddles forming around your foundation? Are tiny rivers racing around your exterior walls?
Look up and watch how the rain pours off your roof. Is the water leaking from your gutters? Is the downspout depositing water less than 4 feet away from your foundation?
If you have a waterfall cascading down your building and a moat filling up, these are signs of poor drainage and water intrusion. There is a good chance water is getting inside of your house and contributing to high moisture levels. It can also reduce the life of your foundation and cost thousands to repair.
The first thing you want to do is correct the drainage problem and redirect water to flow away from your house. Keeping your house dry is your number one priority.
3. Insulate Pipes
Anytime that wet heat or moisture can get inside of your house, it can increase your indoor humidity level. Cold pipes sweat and hot pipes…well, heat up! And that heats and humidifies the air around them.
By insulating your hot and cold pipes, you’ll get more dramatic temperature ranges coming out of your faucet, and prevent condensation and heat loss from disrupting the humidity in your home.
4. Ventilation
Property owners commonly overlook the importance of ventilation. Your bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and attic space need to breathe to keep your home’s indoor humidity level balanced.
When you bathe, cook, or wash dishes, it creates steam and water condensation. When exhaust fans are installed and used to force the moisture-laden air through ductwork and outside, you remove unwanted humidity where it starts.
But it’s crucial to know where those vents go because some homes send them to the attic instead of outdoors!
Your roof should also have adequate ventilation. Well planned and installed intake and exhaust vents will circulate the air in your attic, preventing moisture buildup. Sometimes, a solar or electric exhaust fan will help to push out moist hot air to keep the entire building cooler and less humid.
5. Regular AC Maintenance
In Florida, our air conditioners are workhorses! They function day and night to provide us with cool air most of the year. Like vehicles, we depend on them to function on demand and never expect them to fail their job.
But sometimes they do, especially if we don’t take the necessary steps to keep them in tip-top shape. Tuneups aren’t just for cars and trucks; Your air conditioner should be serviced at least once a year, but twice a year is optimal.
Your Action Air Conditioning technician will carefully check your air conditioner unit and make sure it’s working efficiently. Contact us today to get started!
6. Dehumidifier
Sometimes, even the best HVAC systems fall short to dehumidify your property.
Maybe your air conditioner unit is the wrong size, or it’s getting old. Your roof may be reaching the end of its life, or your house could have more drafts than you can count.
Once you’ve weighed your options, you and your trusted contractor might conclude that a dehumidifier is the best solution.
If you think that your HVAC needs a boost to balance the indoor humidity level in your home, a dehumidifier might be right for you. And there is only one way to find out!
Choose Action Air Conditioning for All Your Cooling Needs in Tampa Bay
If you are experiencing high humidity in your home, and it’s making you miserable, get in touch with us and speak with one of our informative and friendly representatives. Ask questions and receive real answers from experts in the field. We will get to the bottom of your indoor humidity level problems and restore cooling comfort to your home.