No matter how harsh the climate is, controlling home humidity levels is a must for comfort. Air conditioners will reduce humidity, but that is a side effect of the cooling process, not the goal of the unity.
Let’s understand what humidity is before we delve deeper into it and how it affects us.
What is Humidity?
High humidity levels in the summer can lead to excessive sweating and feeling swampy even while sitting and doing nothing. Properly maintained ideal home humidity levels not only reduce the chances of suffocation but also promote a healthy living environment.
In order to start understanding what humidity really is, let’s first learn about absolute humidity and relative humidity.
Absolute Humidity
“Absolute humidity” refers to the air’s moisture content, expressed as the mass of water in the air divided by the mass of air that is in the space. Absolute humidity is a number that measures how much moisture is in the air around you. It is measured in grams per cubic meter of air (g/m3).
Relative Humidity
This is the type of humidity reading you are probably more accustomed to. In order to find out what is the ideal home humidity for you, this is also what we will use. Humidity measures the amount of moisture in the air, while relative humidity measures relative humidity to the potential moisture in the air.
So what this means is that when you see your humidity reading at 40%, the air around you is 40% as moist as it could be.
Setting the Ideal Humidity for Your Home
You and your family will need to decide on the ideal relative humidity level for your home based on the time of year, the kind of clothing you’re wearing, and where you and your family naturally feel comfortable.
Research shows that your home’s ideal relative humidity level is between 30%-60%. Anything below this would be too dry while anything over 50% may enable bacteria growth. Just remember to get this relative humidity adjusted to your comfort level and relative to outdoor temperatures.
ASHRAE has recommended the following humidity levels for a normal home:
- Comfortable: 30% – 60%
- Recommended: 45% – 55%
- High: 65% – 80%
Learn What to Do to Get the Best Humidity in Your Home
Understanding how humidity affects your comfort and your health can help you make better and smarter decisions that will better cater to this problem. By keeping the humidity levels fully controlled, you can lower energy bills and save a few bucks on your electric bill.
To some extent, your home’s air conditioning unit will address humidity issues. However, you may need additional dehumidifying in the summer based on how your home is built, what your comfort level is, and where you are located.
You may find that controlling your home’s humidity may allow you to feel comfortable in warmer temperatures than if you have a higher humidity level. We can advise you on what will work best for your home.
