How Comfortable is the Humidity Level in Your Home?

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been linked to a number of common health problems such as headaches, fatigue, stress and irritation of the eyes, nose, skin and respiratory functions. It’s also been known to exacerbate asthma and allergies in some people.

There are many ways to improve your home’s IAQ. Regular maintenance of your system by a certified HVAC contractor, as well as installing and using indoor air purifiers, both contribute significantly to high IAQ levels. Controlling indoor humidity can make a huge difference as well, as we’ll discuss in this post.

Humidity Recommendations

Humidity is a measure of how much moisture is in the air, and comfortable humidity levels can vary from one person or home to another. Properly balancing temperature and humidity levels will not only improve your home’s IAQ, but will also help make your HVAC system more energy-efficient.

On warmer days, higher levels of humidity are usually acceptable. Outdoor temperatures hitting 50 degrees and above are  with 50% or lower humidity levels. For colder days between 20 and 40 degrees, you want a maximum of 40% humidity–and that amount lowers along with the temperature. Humidity often makes the air feel warmer than usual without it actually being warmer, which is why a lower level is better on warmer days to keep you from unnecessarily lowering your air conditioner temperature and consuming more energy without making a noticeable difference in temperature.

How to Control Humidity

There are two main units that handle humidity levels in homes: humidifiers and dehumidifiers. There are also packaged units that can serve either function, depending on what your home needs at the moment. Ask your HVAC contractor about adding a dehumidifier to your heating and cooling system.

Resolve Humidity Problems With Cardina

Our NATE-certified HVAC specialists at Cardinal Heating and Air can help keep the humidity in your home at a comfortable level. We offer Carrier HVAC products that will not only enable you to maintain an acceptable level of indoor humidity, but will also improve your home’s overall IAQ as well. Call us at (425) 827-9997 or fill out our contact form to schedule a visit from an HVAC contractor today. Services are available in and around the Greater Seattle Area.