Feel Comfortable in Your Home
Air conditioners are a must-have for Louisiana’s tropical climate. Keeping your home comfortable is a huge job for your air conditioner. Not only does it have to cool your entire home, but it also has to lower indoor humidity.
High levels of humidity can make you feel less cool and drive you to turn down the AC. This can lead to higher energy bills, so let’s look at how you can reduce indoor humidity.
Create Ventilation
A few main culprits that increase the humidity in your home including your dryer and shower. Both areas tend to create moist, lingering air. Prevent these rooms from getting overly humid by creating ventilation. You can achieve this with exhaust fans to the outside, overhead fans, plug-in fans, or by opening a window.
Cooking can also raise humidity levels in your home. Be sure to use the exhaust fan on your stove to push humid air out of your home and reduce humidity. Using pot covers whenever possibly will also help to keep steam or condensation contained.
Stay On Top of Maintenance
If you are running your AC more, you’ll need to keep up with replacing your air filters. Regularly changing your filters will help to maximize air flow in your home and reduce heat and humidity.
Additionally, if you have leaky pipes or faucets, this can contribute to more moisture in the air. Have leaks inspected and fixed as soon as they appear to keep excess moisture under control.
Clogged gutters can also retain moisture and lead to more humidity in your home. Keep those gutters clean and clear to help moisture and debris move easily.
Reduce Greenery
While plants are known to improve indoor air quality, they can also add to the humidity of the space they are in. During those hot summer months, it might be a good idea to move your plants outside.
Humans also release moisture when they breathe (about one-quarter of a cup per hour). So having a house full of people can raise humidity levels. But we don’t condone kicking out your kids just to reduce the humidity. You can always try to keep doors in the home open to increase air circulation.
Invest in a Dehumidifier
For a stubborn humidity problem, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. Reducing the humidity in your home isn’t only about your comfort. Too much humidity in your home can lead to wood rot and foggy windows.
The ideal home humidity is 45 percent. Anything below 30 percent is too low, and anything over 50 percent is too high. If you’re not sure if you have a humidity problem, humidity sensors can help you monitor your home’s levels.
Work With Local Experts
If your windows are constantly fogged, or your house always feels clammy, it just might be time to call in the experts. For a home humidity assessment, don’t hesitate to call Pioneer Comfort Systems at 318-795-8000.