Home Humidity?

Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. Humidity, or the levels of water molecules in the air effects a lot of different things in our daily lives. Here in Southern California, we know that during fire season if the level of humidity goes down, we have the potential of dealing with a larger fire. But how does humidity levels affect the inside of your home?

It's actually pretty important. Humidity is what makes you feel warm in the summer and also what makes you feel like you can't quite breathe during the winter. Too much water in the air, and the heat is unbearable, too little and the air feels very thin. In your home, you want to have the optimum levels of humidity. Why? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, it's the most comfortable. You're nice and cool in the summer and nice and warm in the winter. Second, humidity (too much AND too little) can cause damage in your home. If there is too much humidity in your home, you may notice little condensation droplets on windows, or near the refrigerator. These droplets, if left for long enough can cause water damage and mold. If there is not enough humidity in your home, there may be an excess of dust, which causes allergies.

So, how do you keep your home at the levels of humidity you want? There are a couple of different ways to do this. First, there are some thermostats that allow you to control the humidity levels in your home. Every unit has some type of humidity controlling element, but if you want added protection (if someone suffers from allergies or uses certain types of medicines) you can always add a humidifier. Some units will have an external humidifier that you can plug into a unit, and other times you will need an entirely separate humidifier. In my opinion, it is much easier to run the humidity control through the heating and air system. That way it's on an automatic thermostat control, and each room of your home is adjusted equally. In the summer, if there is high humidity outside, your air conditioning unit works harder to cool your space. Likewise, in the winter your furnace (winter - I know it doesn't feel like it - but it's right around the corner) works harder to warm your house if there is low humidity. So installing a humidifier isn't such a bad idea...