For us Texans, humidity in the home can be the bane of our existence. It’s hot a humid outside, and we surely don’t want the environment outside to reflect what we’re experiencing outside!
Although it may not be something that homeowners think about every day, there is an ideal humidity level for your home, which is between the range of 40-60%. However, most experts agree that keeping it at a cozy 50% is the wisest. As you inch closer to 60%, the risk for mold and mildew begins to climb. Any lower than 40%, and you risk harming your own health, skin, and even fabrics in your home.
Therefore, keeping your home at around 50% humidity is the best for the comfort and health of your home and belongings. Now, how exactly can you monitor and control the level of humidity in your home?
Understanding humidity
Humidity can be expressed in two different ways: absolute humidity and relative humidity. The difference to note here is that absolute humidity denotes the true amount of moisture in the air, while relative humidity is its expression in the form of a percentage depending on the current tempe
rature of the air. As the temperature fluctuates, relative humidity also fluctuates, even if the amount of moisture stays the same.
Here, it’s important to note that as temperatures inside your house change, the relative humidity will change with it, which is why it’s important to watch the humidity levels in your home, especially during stark temperature changes.
How to monitor
To measure humidity, you’ll need a hygrometer. If you have an advanced electronic thermostat or even a smart thermostat, you may be lucky and have a hygrometer built in. If not, hygrometers can be a relatively inexpensive addition to your home. When activated, a hygrometer will measure the humidity level in the area and display the percentage on the screen–-and boom, you’re done measuring!
Now, what do you do with the information?
Too Humid?
What do you do if you’ve measured and saw that your home is a little too humid for comfort? There are tons of different ways to dehumidify your home, including:
A dehumidifier. Of course, this may seem like a no-brainer! A dehumidifier will do just that–dehumidify. Place it in problem areas to extract extra moisture. These small, portable machines can run a wide gamut, and no matter your budget, you can find the right one for your space.
Dehumidifying boxes. Maybe you’ve never heard of this one! These are small boxes with dehumidifying agents inside (usually calcium chlori
de) that pose to absorb excess moisture. They can come in a variety of sizes, which you can use to put in all areas of the home (bathroom, closet, kitchen, etc.) for a relatively low cost.
Work on the causes. Humidity can accumulate in your home for many reasons–cooking without a vent, long showers, or poor circulation. Cracking windows, running fans, and shorter showers can make a big difference, especially paired with a dehumidifier or dehumidifying agent.
Too dry?
If you find your home is a little arid, there are plenty of ways to add some more much-needed moisture into the air. Your skin will thank you!
Vaporizer or humidifier. These little machines are great and very simple. Simply add water and turn it on, and you can count on it. Humidifiers, much like dehumidifiers, also run a wide gamut. They can be quite inexpensive and easy to use, or you can opt for a higher-end gadget.
Boil water. Yes. It truly is that easy. Let a pot of water boil on your stove so it releases vapor into the air. This is great for a quick fix!
Air dry your clothes inside. Not only can it save you some coin if you don’t run your dryer, but the moisture from your clothes as they dry will get sucked into the air in your home, raising the moisture levels.
Houseplants. Not only do they look great, but fitting your home with some indoor house plants can clean and moisturize the air with little to no effort on your part.
The bottom line
Humidity is very important to your overall health and the health of your home and belongings. Monitoring and adjusting humidity levels, although something you may not think about often, is something crucial to keep in mind long term. Have questions about humidity, humidifiers, or anything else HVAC related? Please, don’t hesitate in giving us a call here at Tri-Point Refrigeration. We’re happy to hear from you and are excited to help you along the way.
For a direct line to any of our employees ready on the line to help you, please call…(512) 651-4565 for our Austin, Texas community (806) 686-0050 for our Lubbock, Texas community.
Or check out our website at www.tripointrefrigeration.com
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