WHY YOUR HOME’S HUMIDITY IS A BIG DEAL

Within every home is humidity. It’s the amount of water vapor in your indoor air. Maintaining the right level of humidity in your home can be tricky.
If it’s too low, you and your guests can experience noticeable discomfort. If it’s too high, you’re practically giving the green light for mold, dust mites and mildew to take over your home.
In this issue, we’ll talk about the ideal humidity level for homes and how to get it there.

​WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF LOW HUMIDITY?

Any health or respiratory conditions of household members can be affected by humidity – especially low humidity. In addition to static electricity building up inside the home, and wooden floors beginning to crack and warp, possible health problems that can be triggered by low humidity include:

• Nosebleeds
• Itchy eyes
• Dry throat
• Dry, cracked skin

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF HIGH HUMIDITY?

Beyond the feelings of discomfort (muggy, steamy, clammy, sweltering), caused by high humidity, other negative effects include:

• Mold growth encouraged by moist air being trapped in ceilings, walls and floors
• Algae growing on surfaces
• Dust mites – which are living in your bedding, pillows and fabrics – begin to multiply

WHAT ARE THE IDEAL HUMIDITY LEVELS FOR MY HOME?

Here in San Diego, the ideal indoor humidity is typically between 30-55%. To measure your home’s humidity, consider purchasing a hygrometer – an inexpensive gauge that resembles a thermometer.

HOW CAN I ADJUST HUMIDITY LEVELS IN MY HOME?

If the humidity is too low in your home, your best bet is to add a humidifier in the areas where you spend the most time. Conversely, you can also choose to install a whole-house humidifier to your heating and air system.

If the humidity is too high, you may need a combination of running your heat and a dehumidifier.

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There’s much more to home humidity than being comfortable. As you can tell from the information above, your health and the health of your guests is dependent upon ideal humidity levels.
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If excess humidity has led to mold and bacteria growth in your home, give us a call; our number is 800-368-2757.