In addition to impacting your comfort, health, and the structural integrity of your house, humidity is a significant factor in indoor air quality. We at Aurora Pro Services Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electrical, & Roofing know how important it is to keep the relative humidity in your home at just the right amount for your comfort and health. Read on to learn how humidity affects indoor air quality and the steps you may take to lessen its influence.
Impacts of High Humidity on Indoor Air Quality
A key component of indoor air quality management is humidity, the relative amount of water vapor in the air. Excessive moisture may collect in areas with high humidity, providing a favorable environment for mold growth, mildew, and dust mites. People living there may experience worsening respiratory difficulties, allergies, and other discomforts and health concerns due to these allergens.
Extremely high humidity is like inviting all unwanted guests into your home: mold, mildew, and dust mites. Imagine your bathroom transformed into a scorching sauna, your basement into a dark cave, and your kitchen into a tropical forest. However, the associated health hazards are more important than the pain itself. Asthma and other respiratory problems are exacerbated by the high humidity that fosters their growth. That musty, wet odor is becoming more than simply wrong; it’s a warning sign of possible airborne health risks.
Impacts of Low Humidity on Indoor Air Quality
In contrast, when humidity levels plummet, it can feel as if you’ve been transported to a desert. The air gets so dry that it leeches moisture out of your skin and respiratory system. Worse, the low humidity levels may cause a variety of health problems, particularly for those with asthma or allergies. Some people get bronchial inflammation or dry, itching skin. Others frequently suffer nosebleeds.
Moreover, low humidity can also affect household items such as wooden furniture and flooring. Dry air can cause wood to shrink, warp, and crack, leading to costly repairs or replacements. It can also damage electronics by creating static electricity that can cause malfunctions or even fires.
How to Maintain Healthy Indoor Humidity Levels
Use a Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is an efficient tool for lowering the relative humidity of a space, which is especially useful in damp environments like kitchens, basements, and bathrooms. Dehumidifiers improve indoor air quality by removing excess moisture, which in turn inhibits the formation of mold, mildew, and dust mites. As a bonus, this lessens the likelihood of respiratory problems and allergies caused by moist conditions while improving comfort.
Invest in a Humidifier
Using a humidifier might be helpful in areas with dry climates or during winter when indoor humidity levels tend to plummet. People may breathe easier in rooms with humidifiers because they add moisture to the air. Humidifiers aid in the prevention of dry skin, irritating respiratory pathways, and an increased vulnerability to respiratory infections by ensuring that adequate humidity levels are maintained. Humidity is also crucial for preventing the corrosion of wooden furniture and musical equipment by reducing the accumulation of static electricity.
Ensure Proper Ventilation
Ensuring proper ventilation is essential for healthy indoor air quality. An effective way to combat the development of moisture in damp environments is to install exhaust fans in high-humidity rooms like kitchens and bathrooms. Furthermore, opening windows and doors helps circulate air and manage humidity levels when the weather allows.
A cleaner, more pleasant atmosphere for inhabitants results from adequate ventilation, which does more than drain surplus moisture; it also eliminates interior contaminants, smells, and old air. Improving indoor air quality and reducing problems caused by humidity are both made easier with well-designed ventilation systems installed throughout the house.
Seal Leaks and Insulate
Ensure no hot, humid air can get in during the summer and no cold, dry air can get in during the winter by sealing any cracks or holes in the house. Sealing can be done with weather-stripping, caulking, or expanding foam.
In this process, you’ll also get the added advantage of optimizing energy efficiency since sealing leaks and cracks can reduce your heating and cooling costs. Depending on the location, insulation can be added to walls, attics, floors, basements, or crawl spaces. This will significantly decrease humidity by preventing outdoor air from entering your home through its exterior.
Control Moisture Sources
Apart from external sources of moisture, such as rain and snow, there are also internal sources within our homes that contribute to high humidity levels. These sources include cooking, showering, and even breathing.
Consider cooking with covered pots, taking cooler shorter showers, and using an exhaust fan or opening a window during these activities to decrease the amount of moisture released into your home. Additionally, indoor plants and aquariums can also contribute to high humidity levels, so it’s important to monitor them and ensure they are not adding excess moisture.
Schedule Regular Maintenance
For the best performance and air quality inside your home, it is essential to maintain your HVAC system regularly. Ensure your system is running well by regularly scheduling checks with Aurora Pro Services Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electrical, & Roofing.
Standard systems don’t leak as much moisture as swamp coolers, but they still need to be serviced regularly. HVAC technicians recommend changing your air filter every three months and having a professional service your system once a year.
How to Monitor Humidity Levels
The first and most obvious way is to simply feel the air around you. If it feels sticky or uncomfortable, there is likely excess moisture present.
The second method is performing an ice cube test. Take a glass, fill it with water, and add a few ice cubes. Let it sit on the countertop or table for about five minutes. If there is a large amount of condensation on the outside of the glass, your home likely has high humidity levels. If there’s no condensation, the humidity levels are most likely low.
A more accurate method is investing in a hygrometer. This device measures the humidity in the air and will give you an accurate reading of the levels in your home. They can be purchased at most hardware stores or online.
Some people also prefer the wet and dry bulb thermometer test. It involves using two thermometers, one with a wet wick and the other dry. By comparing the readings on each thermometer, you can determine the relative humidity in your home.
Trust Aurora Pro Services Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electrical, & Roofing for Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
When you work with Aurora Pro Services Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electrical, & Roofing, we are not your typical HVAC firm; we’re your allies in making your home a better place to live. We are committed to improving indoor air quality and provide various services to meet your needs.
Our team of specialists is available to address your unique requirements for humidity management, air quality testing, system maintenance, and more. We can help you with any indoor air quality problem, whether mold and mildew caused by excessive humidity or dry air irritating your respiratory system.
If you are interested in learning more about the extensive HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing services that Aurora Pro Services Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electrical, & Roofing offers, please contact us today. Helping you breathe better at home is our specialty, and we can remove all the guesswork from managing indoor air quality.
