The humidity in Gastonia, NC can get very high during certain times of the year, especially in the summer months. Many people head indoors to find some relief from the oppressive heat and humidity. However, the air inside your home may be just as uncomfortable as the outside. To remedy this issue, you can consider having a whole-house dehumidifier installed by one of our HVAC professionals. Let’s discuss how a whole-house dehumidifier functions, the importance of managing your indoor humidity levels, and other ways to prevent high relative humidity.
Humidity in Your Home
It’s recommended that the relative humidity in your home remain steady between 35% and 55%. If humidity is lower than this, this can lead to dry air that irritates your sinuses and increases allergy symptoms. Low humidity can even increase your risk of getting sick if there are germs in your home.
High levels of humidity can be devastating to your health as well as the overall structure of your home. When moisture is prevalent in your air, this can cause mold to grow. Breathing in mold on a regular basis can lead to many health problems, including allergies, asthma, fatigue, headaches, and much more.
While you can’t control the amount of humidity that’s in the air outside your Gastonia home, it’s possible to get a handle on your indoor air.
The Use of a Whole-House Dehumidifier
If the air outside is hot and humid, you’re probably using your air conditioning system throughout the day. Air conditioning equipment can remove some of the moisture in your air, but not enough if levels are extremely high. This is where a whole-house dehumidifier comes into play. You may be familiar with the portable dehumidifier units that you can plug into the wall and move from room to room as needed. A whole-house unit is installed in your HVAC system. It will remove moisture from the conditioned air that is circulating throughout your living space. That moisture will be removed from your HVAC system and home through a drain line.
Along with installing a whole-house dehumidifier, you may also need to upgrade your thermostat. By using a thermostat with an included hygrometer, your HVAC system can determine if your dehumidifier needs to run or not. Rather than having to turn a portable unit on and off and empty its collection bucket when full, a whole-house system is much more efficient and convenient. There’s very little ongoing maintenance that you’ll need to pay attention to. There may be an occasional clog in your drain line caused by mineral deposits, but this is easily addressed during routine HVAC maintenance completed by a professional.
Benefits of a Whole-House Dehumidifier
In addition to making your home feel more comfortable, whole-house dehumidifiers serve other purposes.
Reducing Allergen Concentrations
Humid air can hold on to more particulate matter. If you’re someone who suffers from allergy symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, and a cough, it’s imperative that you pay close attention to your indoor humidity levels. Asthma can also be exacerbated by a large amount of particulate matter in your air. If you notice an increase in asthma attacks, you may want to have your humidity levels assessed.
During cold and flu season, humid air can hold onto germs and pathogens more easily. This allows you and your family to pass illnesses from one person to another. If you feel like moist air can help alleviate some of your symptoms, consider using a small, portable humidifier in one room of the house for a short period of time.
Lowering Utility Bills
When you have very humid air in your home, your air conditioning system will need to work harder to cool your home. This can result in higher-than-normal utility bills as your air conditioning runs for longer periods of time. In addition, overworking your system can result in more frequent repair needs from a professional. Less repair work equates to a longer lifespan for your equipment, which can save you money in the long run.
Protecting Structural Integrity
Moisture can negatively affect different aspects of your home. If you have hardwood flooring, moisture can cause the wood to swell. This can lead to warping and damage to your floors. You may also notice a change in things like furniture as moisture is absorbed.
If mold becomes a concern, this is dangerous to both your health and the value of your home. Mold can very rapidly spread, infiltrating your ductwork and the various rooms of your home. If mold grows in inconspicuous areas, you may not be able to spot it right away. This turns into a very dangerous and expensive situation in a short amount of time. Mold remediation can be a very involved process that can displace you from your home while professionals ensure everything is cleaned properly and safely.
Preventing High Humidity in Your Home
There are some methods that you can use to help control the humidity levels in your home, regardless of what the weather is like outside. For example, adequate ventilation in your home is ideal. If you’re doing a lot of cleaning, cooking, or bathing, this can add moisture to your indoor air. Running exhaust fans in your bathrooms and kitchen can help eliminate some of this moisture, replacing it with more comfortable air. If you feel there is minimal ventilation in your home, there are additional fans and equipment that we can install to boost this exchange of air. Areas of the home like the attic and second floor tend to see higher temperatures and more humidity. These are ideal locations for enhanced ventilation.
Make sure that you’re running your air conditioning system on very hot and humid days. As mentioned earlier, your AC does a pretty good job at controlling humidity in many cases. If you open all your windows when the humidity outside is high, you’re going to trap a lot of moisture inside when you eventually close them. A healthy exchange of air between the inside and outside is optimal, but not at the expense of your indoor air quality.
Utilize fans in your home to help circulate air. This can include ceiling fans, which should be set to a counterclockwise motion. This pushes cooler, conditioned air down into your living space, where you benefit from it. This can also help prevent humidity from accumulating in your various rooms.
Professional Whole-House Dehumidifier Assistance
If you live in the Gastonia area and need professional assistance controlling your humidity levels inside your home, reach out to our team here at Roland Black Heating & Cooling. We can install, maintain, and service your whole-house dehumidifier. We also install whole-house humidifiers if dry air is a concern. In addition to humidity control, we install, repair, and maintain heating and cooling equipment.
We can address indoor air quality concerns by performing IAQ testing. We can install air purification devices, clean your ducts, and much more. Contact Roland Black Heating & Cooling today to schedule an appointment.