Bartlett Heating and Air Talks About Humidity Control

Having the right humidity in your home is key! Humidity and lack of it affect your family and your home in a few different ways. Here are some reasons why you should watch the humidity levels in your home and how you can control the humidity better. First, what is humidity? Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. At times you will also hear about relative humidity and that is the measure of actual humidity versus the maximum water weight air can hold. Relative humidity is more important to your family’s health and comfort and should be kept at 35-45% in your home. When your home is too dry you and your family can have nosebleeds, sinus trouble, headaches, itchy eyes and dry skin. Dryness can also dry out and warp wood products in your home including your floor. If your home becomes too humid you will have issues with more insect activity, allergic reactions, your wallpaper can start to peel, doors will be harder to shut from humidity affecting wood, condensation issues, and the worst for your health is the mold and mildew issues that will arise. High humidity can also affect your homes electronics including your HVAC equipment. Excessively dry air causes static electricity which can fry electrical components of your appliances. You can see that having the balance just right is necessary for a comfortable safe home. So how do we do this? You can get a humidifier to help with your homes humidity. Humidifiers add water vapor to the air. You can either get a humidifier that attaches to your HVAC system or a portable one. The humidifiers attached to your HVAC system have a few nice benefits. When your HVAC system is running, all the rooms in your home are humidified. The humidified air is also cleaned by your HVAC system so that benefits your family’s breathing. If your home has an issue with too much humidity you can get a dehumidifier. Other things you can do to help control humidity are watch the number of houseplants you have, keep them to a minimum. Always use your exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen when you can. Limiting shower times can help with humidity. Watch the use of heat generating appliances to help control humidity in your home. Bartlett Heating and Air can install humidifiers and dehumidifiers that are right for your home. Call us today!