Don’t Let Humidity Control Kill Your Home Comfort?
One of the least talked about but most important aspects of your comfort is humidity control. The summer humidity is way too high in our area, and the winter humidity is too low. Humidity can cause all kinds of trouble when it is high and when it is low. The solution is to maintain your humidity levels between 35-45% year-round. Let’s look at how this humidity affects your home, your health, and ultimately your comfort.
Humidity Swings
Some things are occurring in your home that you may not realize are caused by humidity swings. The first is as humidity rises in the summer, all the building materials and furnishings in your home absorb this moisture. This causes wood, hardwood floors, picture frames, trim and more to swell as it absorbs the excess moisture. As the humidity falls in the winter, all the wood, hardwood floors, picture frames, trim and more shrink and release the trapped moisture in the air. You can see the result of the humidity swings in cracks in your trim, cracks in your hardwood, and any caulking. If your home has collectible antiques, high-end picture frames, or any other pieces of high value, you should know that the rise and fall of humidity are wreaking havoc on these pieces. In addition to the swelling and shrinking of everything in your home, you can also see humidity issues in your well-being.
Humidity Control And Your Health
Humidity can also play a big part in the health of everyone living in the home. Any humidity levels higher than 50% will allow mold to grow in and around the house. Sometimes you can see this mold in your bathroom or kitchen, but sometimes this mold is hidden behind sheetrock walls or flooring or trim. If your home is on a concrete slab, this concrete acts as a giant sponge. You can quickly grow a tremendous amount of mold under hardwood floors, carpeting, and tile. Many times, the mold can cause serious health problems for the occupants.
Humidity Removal is Critical
The cool crisp feel of air-conditioned air is due to the air temperature reduction, but humidity removal is critical. When air conditioning systems are oversized, they do not run long enough to remove enough humidity. The first tell-tale sign that you have a humidity issue is setting the thermostat temperature to levels below 70 degrees. If your average thermostat set point is around 67-68 degrees, you certainly have a humidity issue. When air conditioning removes enough humidity in the air, most people will report being cold at temperatures below 72 degrees. Low humidity in the winter can also cause severe comfort issues. Low humidity will result in frequent static electricity shocks, dry throat, sore throat, bleeding sinuses, and frizzy hair.
The best solution to control these humidity issues is with a Carrier Infinity HVAC system. The Infinity system is our most advanced heating and cooling system, and it will redefine what comfort is for you. The Infinity is the most powerful combination of comfort and control. With unmatched heating and cooling power, it can even save you up to 36% on your energy bill. The Infinity has an abundance of features that will feel like a dream come true for any homeowner.
What Are Your Humidity Control Challenges?
The right amount of moisture in the air can make your home more comfortable. Our Infinity technology can help balance your indoor humidity. When humidity can be even more challenging during hot summer months, our advanced systems can remove up to 400% more moisture than standard HVAC systems. The Infinity system is also equipped with sensors that detect low and high temperatures throughout your home and adjust accordingly so that no room is too hot.
The Infinity system is also equipped with the industry’s first Wi-Fi® controls that can connect to your home network and ultimately the Internet, giving you fingertip access to control every comfort function in your home. You can view and change settings from any computer or even a smartphone. In addition, it can integrate with many of today’s technology systems.
At Air Force Heating and Air, customers are the backbone of our business. If you have a question about any of the products or services we offer, feel free to contact us at any time.