Best Ways to Combat Indoor Humidity
If you’re experiencing discomfort in your home despite the temperature being set within a comfortable range, you might be dealing with unbalanced indoor humidity levels. Too much or too little moisture in the air can affect your health, your comfort, and even the condition of your home.
Knowing the best ways to manage humidity inside your home and how to reduce indoor humidity can be tricky, especially since summers in Chicagoland are hot and sticky, while the winters are dry.
What is the Ideal Indoor Humidity?
Understanding what humidity is can help you figure out how to combat it.
Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor in the air. More specifically, relative humidity refers to the amount of moisture the air is holding compared to the maximum it could have at that temperature. Warm air holds more moisture, while cold air holds less. That’s why summer air often feels heavy and sticky, while winter air feels dry and harsh. The ideal indoor humidity range is typically between 35% and 50%, depending on the season.
Why Indoor Humidity Levels Matter
There are side effects of improper humidity levels that can affect more than just your comfort. Keeping humidity in the ideal range protects both your home’s structure and your wallet.
Health Impacts
When the indoor humidity level is too high, it creates an environment where mold and dust mites thrive, which can exacerbate asthma, allergies, and other respiratory issues. However, if the air in your home is too dry, it can lead to dry skin and sinus issues. It can also make you more susceptible to colds or respiratory infections.
Home Impacts
High indoor humidity can lead to warped wood floors, peeling paint, and musty odors. This also makes your HVAC system work harder than it needs to, causing excess wear and tear and higher energy bills. Low humidity is equally damaging, causing wood furniture to crack, wallpaper to peel, and higher static electricity.
How Seasonal Changes Affect Indoor Humidity
In Chicagoland, the seasons have a big impact on indoor humidity levels. During summer, homes often feel sticky and uncomfortable due to increased humidity. In contrast, winter air carries very little moisture, and once it’s heated indoors, it becomes even drier. To stay comfortable and protect both your health and home, it’s important to adjust how you manage humidity as the seasons change.
Everyday Ways to Manage Indoor Humidity
Humidity and HVAC efficiency go hand in hand. The excess moisture in the air during summer makes your HVAC work harder, whereas the drier winter air can cause you to turn the thermostat up. No matter the season, unbalanced humidity can have an impact on the longevity of your cooling and heating systems.
These tips can help you keep your indoor humidity levels within the ideal range year-round:
How to Reduce Indoor Humidity:
- Run kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans
- Open windows on mild days for natural ventilation
- Fix leaks quickly and cover pots while cooking
- Avoid air-drying clothes indoors when possible
- Use ceiling fans to circulate air
- Run a dehumidifier during muggy summer months
- Keep gutters clear to prevent moisture from seeping in
- Seal windows and doors to limit outdoor air leaks
How to Add Humidity in Dry Months:
- Run a portable humidifier in key rooms
- Consider a whole-home humidifier for consistent comfort
- Keep houseplants to add natural moisture
- Air-dry laundry indoors during winter to add a little moisture to the air
Whole-Home Humidity Solutions
If DIY solutions are not enough to control your indoor humidity levels, it’s time to bring in the professionals. A whole-home solution takes the guesswork out of managing the humidity inside your home.
- Whole-home dehumidifiers work in conjunction with your HVAC system to remove excess moisture, keeping your home cool and mold-free during the summer.
- Whole-home humidifiers add just the right amount of moisture in winter to ease dryness and protect wood and furniture.
- Air sealing and insulation help reduce drafts, maintaining stable indoor humidity levels.
Year-Round Humidity Control From Robert Bair
Managing indoor humidity is not one-size-fits-all. Every home has unique humidity control needs, and Robert Bair’s whole-home humidity solutions and indoor air quality services help protect the moisture levels in your home.
Balanced humidity not only protects your home from damage but also improves your comfort, lowers energy costs, and supports your overall well-being.
