Why is My Home’s Humidity So High?
A delicate balance of humidity in your home is necessary not only for comfort but also to protect against mold and other health issues.
The most ideal indoor humidity level is somewhere between 40 and 50 percent. Anything lower can make your eyes, skin, and sinuses feel dry. Anything more can lead to property damage.
If you’ve noted that the humidity in your home is too high, you may wonder what’s causing the problem. Let’s talk more about this delicate balance of humidity inside the four walls of your home.
What is Healthy Humidity in a Home?
As we mentioned earlier, indoor air professionals recommend that your home’s humidity levels remain between 40 and 50 percent. You may be a little on the higher end of the spectrum if you’re sick and need to run a humidifier, if it’s been raining outside, or someone has taken a shower in the bathroom, and the humidity passed from that room into the rest of your house.
Low humidity levels can be caused by your HVAC system or by dry weather conditions.
You can very affordably monitor the humidity in the different rooms of your house by investing in a humidistat. It works very similarly to a thermostat, but it reports to you the humidity levels in your home rather than the temperature.
Why is Too Much Humidity Bad?
When too much moisture is present in your indoor air, this can increase the risk of developing mold either on surfaces, within carpet fibers, on the walls, etc.
Mold is extremely dangerous for your health and should be avoided at all costs. Some signs of mold exposure are an itchy throat, sore throat, irritated eyes, coughing, and rashes.
High levels of humidity can affect any of the wood that is inside of your home. If you have solid hardwood floors, wood cabinets, cupboards, or wood furniture, the wood can swell and warp if it takes on moisture. Your risk of this happening increases if these home features are located near walls.
The humidity in your home can actually affect your utility bills because an indoor temperature can feel quite different when humidity levels are high. For example, your home may only be in the low 70s but feels like it’s getting closer to 80 degrees. This would result in you running your HVAC equipment more frequently.
What Are the Reasons Behind High Humidity?
High humidity levels can be caused by several things in your home. Here are some of the major culprits.
High-Moisture Activities
Baths and showers quickly raise the humidity in your home because you’re introducing water vapors right into the air.
Bathrooms should always be equipped with fans that move humid air out of the home, and you should make sure that you’re using them. Washing dishes and cooking are also high-moisture activities.
Not Using Your HVAC System
You may be tempted to turn off your HVAC when the temperatures outside are comfortable, but you may not be taking into account the humidity levels outside. Running your air conditioning unit or furnace can help keep humidity in check as well as temperature.
Make sure that you’re keeping up with HVAC repairs in Dallas to ensure your equipment is working properly.
Leaks
If the plumbing in your home is old or there may be damage to your plumbing system, this could introduce moisture into your indoor air. It doesn’t take a massive leak to raise humidity levels.
If you suspect that there is a problem, schedule a whole home evaluation, assess your home, and schedule vital repairs.
How Can Advanced Home Comfort Help You Control Home Humidity?
Advanced Home Comfort is a company in Dallas that performs HVAC maintenance and necessary home insulation repairs and installations. If you’re interested in improving the indoor air quality of your home and would like to address humidity levels, reach out to Advanced Home Comfort for a whole Home Evaluation in Dallas.
Our professionals can find the source of your home’s high humidity and help you implement an affordable solution that makes your home a comfortable place to live.
Schedule your appointment today!
