Natural Remedies for Reducing Humidity in Your Home
Florida is just a humid place, and regardless of how hard you try, that humidity is going to get inside your home. High humidity is a negative factor in a home for several reasons:
- Makes the air feel warmer and people feel clammy so it’s necessary to turn down the air conditioner. That means you’re wasting energy and your utility bills are higher.
- Increases the opportunity for mold, mildew and fungus to take up residence in the home. These substances reproduce by means of spores, which are unhealthful to breathe when they get in your home’s air.
- Can cause harm to books, clothing, wallpaper, wood and upholstery. Excessively moist conditions can cause staining, wet spots and mold growth that will destroy your furnishings and property.
Reducing Humid Conditions
The moisture content of your air should be well below 50 percent, and in the summer perhaps below 40 percent, since warm air holds more moisture. An inexpensive hygrometer can help you measure it.
To reduce the moisture content, take the following measures:
- Reduce shower time to five minutes. If there’s a window in the bathroom, open it and use a fan to blow out moisture.
- If you have a lot of plants, sequester them in one room during the summer and close the door. Plants produce a lot of moisture in the transpiration process.
- Change your air filter regularly. A dirty air filter will block airflow so that your HVAC system can’t dehumidify your air adequately.
- Make sure the condensate drain of your HVAC system is always draining properly. A plugged drain can cause flooding and high humidity in your home.
- Check your home’s plumbing for leaks. Fix leaks from faucets and shower heads.
- Install ventilation in bathrooms and over range hoods. Make sure it is properly vented to the outdoors. You don’t want moisture being exhausted into the attic or into the wall space or you could have mold issues.
For more on reducing humidity, contact Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We serve Orlando and the surrounding area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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