What’s the Proper Indoor Humidity Level for My Home?

April 5, 2021

You have probably heard about how low humidity can impact your health, but too much humidity may also affect it. It is important to monitor humidity levels to avoid health issues. Controlling humidity levels also helps your HVAC unit run more efficiently. Why Humidity Level Matters Low and high humidity both impact health and homes, but in different ways. High humidity in your home plus high temperatures could interfere with the body’s natural way to cool itself. The body sweats to lower its temperature, and if the body can’t cool off, it may cause a heat stroke. Low humidity commonly causes dry throats, chapped lips, dry and itchy skin, cracked wood, and static electricity. High humidity increases the chance of mold, which often worsens allergy symptoms, and too much moisture may damage wood and other fixtures. Measuring Humidity Level in Your Home There are methods you can use to find the humidity level in your home. Place a few ice cubes in water in a clear glass in any room but the kitchen, and check them in four minutes. Condensation on the glass commonly indicates high humidity levels, and no condensation indicates low humidity. If the home has balanced humidity,...

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Why Your AC Needs Effective Humidity Control for Optimal Performance

September 16, 2019

An air conditioner’s most important role is adjusting how cool your home feels; however, multi-stage ACs—which we offer at GVEC Home—also help control humidity. The amount of moisture in the air can heavily influence indoor air quality and comfort, so it’s important to have an AC system that keeps humidity at desired levels. When you properly control humidity, you get the following helpful boosts to performance. More Comfortable Indoor Temperatures When humidity is high, the human body feels hotter than the number indicated on the thermometer. This is because we cannot produce as much sweat—the body’s primary cooling mechanism—in a humid environment. As a result, you’ll need to crank your AC temperature lower if humidity is high inside your home. If humidity is properly controlled though, you can set the thermostat higher and save on energy bills. Reduced Wear and Tear Regardless of what the actual temperature is within the home, a high humidity level can make you feel a few degrees hotter—maybe more. The system must work harder to achieve your desired comfort, and the more it runs, the greater the stress on system components. If your AC is always operating in a home with high humidity, you’re more...

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