Your thermostat is set at the right temperature for summer comfort, yet your Kennesaw, Georgia home is full of humidity. Before you change the thermostat, see if your indoor humidity is the result of inadequate ventilation in humid rooms or lack of HVAC maintenance by trying these tips.
Ventilate Humid Areas
The kitchen and the bathroom create lots of humidity that finds its way into the rest of your house. Cooking on the stove with boiling water and taking hot showers will imbue your air with lots of unpleasant stickiness. If your kitchen and bathroom don’t have fans or air vents, open a window to let some fresh air in after you’ve showered or while you’re cooking. Take shorter showers with the water temperature turned down as low as you can stand it. Utilize your lids while you’re cooking to keep steam from escaping as much as possible.
Move the Indoor Air
Turn on your ceiling fans when you’re feeling humid. They offer subtle help in numerous ways. They add movement to the sticky, stagnant air in your home. That breeze they create helps to cool the sweat on your skin, which will make you feel a little better. Plus, the moving air encourages moisture evaporation. Fans won’t do a lot on their own to combat humidity, but they’re a great way to supplement what your AC is already doing and to move the cool air around your house in a more uniform way.
Invest in a Dehumidifier
One of the sneakiest things about humidity? The air feels hotter when it’s humid, even if the temperature hasn’t gone up. When the humidity in your house is above 50 percent, you’re probably feeling uncomfortable, even if your thermostat displays your preferred temperature. A dehumidifier is a simple way to cut down on the humidity in your home without touching the temperature.
When you invest in a dehumidifier, you have a few options. Local stores will carry single-room dehumidifiers. If you’re only suffering from extra humidity in one part of the house, or during a particular time of day (like while you sleep) then a portable option will work fine. If you need an extra kick, Carrier offers a whole-home dehumidifier in two sizes to fit your home’s needs. You set it and leave it alone, letting it make the air feel so much more comfortable while you go about your day.
Get HVAC Maintenance
Excess indoor humidity is a sign of poor indoor air quality. When your AC is sized correctly and properly maintained, it’s supposed to keep the humidity in your home at a comfortable level. When the AC stops eliminating enough moisture, that’s a sign you need maintenance. Worn out parts, dirty air filters, or coil issues all cause higher humidity. Have one of our technicians take a look and let you know if your humidity issue has to do with an AC problem.
Nix Dryer Use
Venting your dryer outside will help with indoor humidity, but clothes dryers add humidity to your home whether they’re vented outside or not. The best way to keep the dryer from creating excess humidity is to try and limit it’s use during the humid summer months.
Even when it’s humid outside, the sun and breeze will dry your clothes and other laundry pretty fast when you hang them on a line. Drying clothes outside gives them a nice, fresh scent. It’s easier on your fabrics, and it uses zero electricity. Installing a clothes line in the back yard (or on the porch if you don’t have a yard) is simple, and you can hang hangers by using clothes pins to keep them in place, or simply use clothes pins to hang the clothes themselves.
Is your indoor air quality suffering because of high humidity levels in your home? Before cranking down the thermostat, try a few of these tips. Make sure you give E. Smith Heating and Air Conditioning a call, too, at 678-369-8866. We know how uncomfortable Georgia summers can be, and we’ll solve any HVAC problems that are contributing to your indoor humidity problem.
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