High humidity in the household causes several adverse effects. The most immediate impact is personal discomfort. When it’s hot and humid, during the summer months, it can feel uncomfortable. It makes you sweat and makes you feel stuffy. Thankfully, unlike the humidity outside, you have options to control the humidity indoors. In this article, we will cover some of the effects of high humidity on your health. We will also discuss how you can reduce it with the help of an air conditioner.
A highly humid environment is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria like mold spores and mildew. Mold and mildew proliferate in hot and humid environments. These pores can cause dermatitis, breathing problems, and can be a particular risk for those who have a compromised immune system. Dust mites also proliferate in hot and humid quarters. They are the number one agitators of asthma and allergy sufferers. Humid environments make people get sick more often. They often get sick for longer periods of time. This is especially true when compared to a household that has controlled humidity levels.
What Is The Right Level Of Humidity For My Home?
Having the right level of humidity in indoor home environments will ensure that your air conditioning and HVAC systems work correctly and efficiently. The right level of moisture and in the home can help it feel cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. When the humidity levels in your home are out of whack, your home is going to feel uncomfortable. This is true regardless of what time of year it may be. Thankfully your home’s AC system helps to remove excess moisture in the atmosphere. Your home need to have a humidity level between 45% and 55%. This window is the ideal for temperature dispersion and to ensure that there isn’t a breakout of mildew and mold. A high level of humidity is north of 80%. Anything greater than that is very uncomfortable and noticeable.
To help a manage humidity levels during the summer months, you can help by discontinuing home humidifiers. Instead, use air conditioning systems to help remove excess moisture from the air. Use exhaust fans. This will help you to cool down your home while simultaneously ensuring that humidity levels aren’t too high. During the winter months, you can:
- use a room humidifier
- add additional plants to the room
- place a small basin of water near your heating system
How Do AC Systems Remove Humidity From My Home?
Most modern air conditioning systems are capable of regulating humidity. The system has an evaporator coil installed inside of it. The liquid then condenses out of the air, simultaneously removing moisture from the surrounding atmosphere. The moisture is in collected in the evaporator coil. It drains down a line. This line is located outside of the AC unit.
You also need to consider your air conditioning unit. A window unit will only be able to adequately maintain humidity levels in a small space. A bedroom or a home office are two examples. They will not function properly in a large master bedroom or a living room. Your central air conditioning system will also need sufficient power to cool the air around it. If the AC system is too large, it has the potential to short cycle. The compressor will not run for a duration that is sufficient to cool the whole home. In contrast, when the central air conditioning system is too small, then it is not be powerful enough to keep up with incoming and outgoing air. This defeats the purpose of its primary function to cool the air.
Dehumidifier South Brunswick NJ
Your air conditioner can make a huge difference on the humidity levels of your home because it acts as a dehumidifier. Be sure to have your AC checked out by Princeton Heating & Air Conditioning. Not only does an A/C tune-up make your home feel much more comfortable but an it will reduce your cooling costs. PFO offers many different home comfort services. For a list of our service options, click here.
We service Cranbury NJ 08512, South Brunswick NJ 08540, Dayton NJ 08810, Franklin Park NJ 08823, Helmetta NJ 08828, Kendall Park NJ 08824, Monmouth Junction NJ 08852, North Brunswick NJ 08902, and surrounding areas.
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