Combating Home Humidity Levels When Your AC Isn’t Cutting It

Humidity can make any level of heat uncomfortable, from those sweltering 90 degree days outside to your comfortable, temperature controlled home. However, it has long been known that part of the air conditioning process is to remove humidity from the home.

It is true that turning on your air conditioner can help remove humidity from the air inside your home, but your air conditioner wasn't designed to do that as its primary job. It is more of a by-product of the process. This means you shouldn't be depending on the system to take care of a humidity problem. If you have a home made uncomfortable by humidity or are having problems from excessive humidity like damaged wood, paint, or mold growth, you need to take more specific steps.

CHECK YOUR DUCTS

If you only have a humidity problem on days when the outdoor humidity is especially high, it could mean that you don't have a humidity problem in your home, but have a problem with it getting inside your home. Drafty doors and windows can be a cause, but a more unseen cause could be gaps or breaches in your duct system that is letting humid air in and causing it to be pumped in with the treated air.

USE VENTS IN KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

A large cause of humidity in the home is from water use in your kitchen or bathroom. As such, most homes come installed with ventilation fans. As important as having them installed is actually using them during times when humidity is produced, such as while boiling water or taking a shower. The vents will help to get rid of excess humidity so it doesn't linger in your home.

A WHOLE-HOME DEHUMIDIFIER INSTALLATION

The most effective way of quashing humidity problems for good is to finish the work that your air conditioner started by installing a whole home dehumidifier. If your home has humidity problems and just feels uncomfortable in every room rather than just the usual spaces, you will want to look into these sort of systems that are specifically designed to remove humidity from your indoor air. 

-A R Engh Team