Temperatures have begun to warm up in our parts, with summer just around the corner. For the past few months, we’ve been battling chilly temperatures and subsequent dry air that makes the air seem even colder than it is. Perhaps your home is equipped with a humidifier for those drier months. But did you know that drier air can be a good thing during this time of the year?
Yes, there is absolutely such thing as too much humidity in the home. In fact, your humidity levels should be between 30%-50% and anything above that 50% means that there is too much ambient moisture in the air. To improve your indoor air quality in Nashville, TN, live healthier, and help your AC last longer, you should consider the installation of a whole-house dehumidifier.
Why Is High Humidity So Bad?
High humidity, as we mentioned above, is defined as a relative humidity level above 50%. We keep cool by sweating—more specifically, by letting our sweat evaporate off of our skin in a breeze. But when humidity is too high, there’s too much moisture in your air to let that happen.
As a result, our bodies stay heated and the sweat stays on our skin. This leads to an uncomfortable feeling, as well as the growth of mold and bacteria, which can of course be extremely unhealthy to your household.
The Impact of Humidity on Your Air Conditioner
One natural way to reduce the ambient moisture in your indoor air is to lower the temperature. So, in theory, you should just be able to turn down the thermostat of your air conditioner and be fine, right? AC systems do serve as dehumidifiers by default, to some extent. However, there are some problems with this solution.
For instance, AC systems can’t control the humidity levels in an effective way. They remove the moisture in the air, but you have no say in how much moisture they remove. Additionally, excessive humidity causes your cooling system to work harder to do its primary job, which is to cool the air!
Since the air in your home naturally feels hotter when humidity levels are too high, the air conditioner needs to do more. Ultimately, this raises your monthly bills and the possibility of a premature system breakdown. Over the years, high humidity levels can actually shorten the lifespan of your cooling system considerably.
The Benefits of a Whole-Home Dehumidifier
The effective solution to excess humidity is to have a whole-home dehumidifier installed. This will enable you to deal with excess moisture properly, and give you precise control over the relative humidity levels. Therefore, you can set it to the level that you like.
Additionally, dehumidifiers are designed to dispose of excess humidity better than air conditioners, which only have a small condensate pan and drain to do that. Overall, a dehumidifier will ease the strain on your air conditioner and allow you to keep your home comfortable without wasting money on unnecessarily high cooling bills.
At Covenant Heating and Cooling, we are “Dedicated to the Promise of Serving You.” Contact us today for exceptional indoor air quality services.