14 Easy Ways to Increase Humidity in a Dry House

Table Of Content

• Levoit LV600HH 6L Warm and Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier
• Open up the windows.
• Anker’s New Home Battery Tower Is a Sleek, Modular Step Toward Complete Energy Independence
• Genius Ways to Convert a Garage Into Living Space
• Your Home by the Numbers: The Temperatures, Ratios, and Levels That Every Homeowner Should Know
• Column: Lauren Boebert is her own best asset — and worst enemy — as she fights to stay in Congress

Humidity levels that are too high or low can be detrimental to your health and home. The humidity level in your home should stay between 30 percent to 50 percent, says Richard Ciresi, the franchise owner with Aire Serv, a Neighborly company. "If your home or any part of it has a humidity reading of over 50 percent, consider installing or running a dehumidifier," he says. "An HVAC technician can take a reading or multiple readings throughout your property to determine what level of humidity is currently present." The right conditions can help you avoid indoor mold and mildew growth, skin and allergy flare-ups, and poor air quality overall. And if you have a chronic issue such as asthma, adding moisture could make your time indoors more bearable.

Levoit LV600HH 6L Warm and Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found a correlation between indoor moisture levels and COVID-19 transmission. High indoor relative humidity can result in condensation issues, resulting in substantial repair costs if not addressed. Installing a whole-house humidifier is the best way to maintain consistent relative humidity. This humidifier works with your heating and air conditioning unit blower to add moisture to your indoor air by introducing hot steam or a cool mist. Whole-house humidifiers frequently require a connection to your home’s water supply and a drain line to the home’s exterior, and some require dedicated 120- or 240-volt electrical circuits. Commonly controlled by an indoor humidistat, whole-house humidifiers will add moisture to the air until it reaches the relative humidity percentage of your choosing.

Open up the windows.

When outdoor humidity is high, that damp air can make its way inside via gaps not sealed by insulation. This also means that cool, air-conditioned air can escape instead of circulating indoors. So while it may seem like the central AC is not blowing cold air, it actually may be working overtime (and driving up energy costs, too). An interior plumbing leak from a bathroom or kitchen sink can cause increased moisture in the air. It’s important for homeowners to check pipes often for cracks and corrosion; according to the EPA, leaks can lead to the growth of harmful biological pollutants.

Anker’s New Home Battery Tower Is a Sleek, Modular Step Toward Complete Energy Independence

You may also have lower indoor humidity in the summer if you live in a drier climate and run your air conditioner often because air conditioners remove moisture from the air. When the indoor humidity levels in the entire home are consistently high—if they regularly register higher than 50 percent humidity—it might be time to consider a whole-house dehumidifier. To lower your home’s humidity level, you need to reduce the amount of moisture in the air. A whole-house dehumidifier is likely the best way to accomplish this task if you regularly battle high indoor humidity. You’ll also want to change the filter in your heating and air conditioner system as recommended (usually every days) and have the unit inspected each year for needed maintenance.

These machines pull air from the room over a very cold coil, which causes any moisture in the air to condense and then drop into a collection bin. As this process continues with more and more air from the room passing over the coils, the overall humidity level decreases. Standalone dehumidifiers —such as the Vremi 22-pint Dehumidifier, the top pick in our guide to the best dehumidifiers—are relatively compact solutions for a single room. But whole house dehumidifiers that connect with a home’s HVAC system are also available to decrease moisture levels throughout the entire house.

From major investments to minor adjustments, HVAC.com discusses tips to combat high indoor humidity levels. The ideal indoor humidity level for sinuses is in the range of 40-60%. This humidity level helps keep the mucous membrane in one’s nose and sinuses moist, which can help reduce congestion, sneezing, and itchy eyes. Individuals with allergies or asthma should consult a doctor before making significant changes and get professional advice. The right humidity level is also key for sleeping throughout the night. "Generally speaking, our body needs to drop two degrees Fahrenheit to sleep comfortably and remain at that temperature through the entire sleep cycle," says Ciresi.

Maintaining Ideal Relative Humidity Levels in the Home

Low humidity in the house can have a significant effect over time. As humidity decreases, wood materials such as floorboards will warp or shrink and wallpaper may start to peel. In extreme cases, gaps will form between the boards and the wallpaper could completely fall off.

However, on a hot summer day, the home’s air conditioner can help with humidity control. An air conditioner pulls air in the home over an evaporator coil containing refrigerant. During this process, heat is collected and moisture condenses on the coils, similar to how a dehumidifier works.

Here's How to Achieve the Ideal Home Humidity Level - Good Housekeeping

Here's How to Achieve the Ideal Home Humidity Level.

Posted: Thu, 08 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Since it has its own heating element, this model doesn’t need to rely on heat from a furnace or hot water connection. Insufficient humidity can also make you feel colder, tempting you to turn the thermostat higher than necessary — and leading to a higher heating bill. Homeowners who live in a climate with excessive rain will want to ensure that gutters and downspouts work correctly and rainwater is directed away from the house to keep moisture out. Professionally installed awnings placed above windows and doors are an excellent way to keep water out as well. Most of today’s new homes have poured concrete basement floors, but many houses built before 1950 still have unfinished dirt floors.

If you don’t have exhaust or ventilation fans, consider having them installed in the more humidity-prone parts of your house. Poor dehumidification is a common reason to buy a new air conditioner. Replacing a unit that’s more than 15 years old can result in lower energy bills, improved cooling efficiency, and balanced humidity. Conversely, studies have shown that many viruses stay alive in the air much longer at humidity levels below about 40%. In fact, this is true of the coronavirus that brought the world to its knees in 2020.

Houseplants release moisture into the air, so if you have a lot of them, they could be contributing to the humidity of your home. This is why we sit down with every potential customer and walk through what we call “comfort concerns.” A lot of times, you’ll be experiencing one or more of the problems we’ve discussed in this article. But it’s rare to find someone who realizes that these problems can be solved with HVAC solutions. So a more advanced system may actually run longer, but it’s using less energy since it’s operating at a lower power, and it’s making your home more comfortable in the process.

Unfortunately, this can breed mold and mildew growth and lead to uncomfortable skin and allergy symptoms. Ahead, discover the ideal humidity level for the inside of your house and several expert-recommended ways to adjust your home's moisture levels. High humidity levels over prolonged periods will cause mildew and mold growth and can result in serious health issues.

"Relative humidity" (expressed as a percent) measures water vapor, but RELATIVE to the temperature of the air. In other words, it is a measure of the actual amount of water vapor in the air compared to the total amount of vapor that can exist in the air at its current temperature. As such, relative humidity by itself does not directly indicate the actual amount of water vapor present (definition from National Weather Service). Relative humidity is typically high near the coast, but may be quite low along the foothills. During periods of high temperatures, relative humidity is usually below normal so that discomfort is rare, except for those infrequent periods when high temperatures and high humidities occur simultaneously. In areas of the U.S. where the humidity remains high most of the year, a heating and air conditioning system has to work doubly hard to remove the water from the indoor air.

These dry conditions can also dry out the wooden floorboards, wood furniture, cabinetry, tables, doors, window frames, and more, causing the wood to crack. Cold spots become more common when the humidity levels are lower, though this may be a result of a faulty furnace, clogged ductwork, or drafty windows. The ideal humidity level for the home depends on the personal preferences; different people will feel more comfortable at different humidity levels. However, a humidity level that falls between 30 to 50 percent is considered the most comfortable for the average person.

In both scenarios, our body’s natural cooling mechanism, which is sweating, gets disrupted. In low humidity, we might not feel the need to sweat, leading to overheating, while in high humidity, the sweat doesn’t evaporate efficiently, making us feel hotter than the actual temperature. While 40-60% range as ideal for indoor humidity, it’s essential to understand the discomfort that can arise outside this range. Keeping the indoor humidity level at 40–60% and the temperature at 65 degrees can help create an atmosphere conducive to restful sleep. It can be tricky to determine if home issues are due to high or low humidity levels. This is why it’s important to find an experienced IAQ expert who can help determine the problem and advise on the best system for your home.