Beat the Heat Humidity!

The dog days of summer are here, and although you may expect to sweat when you’re outside during these muggy days, the inside of your home should provide shelter and comfort from the stickiness.

How do you know you need to reduce humidity in your home or office? Damp marks or stains on drywall, foggy windows, and a stale smell are all indications that your home is too humid, but the most detectable and bothersome sign is your own uncomfortable, clammy skin. Providing HVAC services in Glens Falls and Saratoga NY regions, we are quite familiar with the humidity problems in our part of the Northeast and are ready to help!

9 Tips for Reducing Humidity in Your Home

1. Install a central air conditioning system.

How many times have you heard, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”? A central AC system helps humidity levels by keeping the air cool and moving. Keeping the air cool in your home means you won’t perspire as much, making your dwelling a happier place to relax. When it’s this hot, central air conditioning is an investment into your family’s physical and mental well-being.

2. Ventilate!

While ventilation fans are preferable to reduce the amount of moisture in the air, if your home does not have fans, consider having them installed. Leave fans on as long as you can to keep it consistently dry throughout your home.

3. Dehumidify.

The right type of dehumidifier can have a huge impact on the air quality in your home. The best and most common type of dehumidifier in the Northeast is the mechanical dehumidifier, which can be purchased at your local home improvement or retail store. All you need to do is empty the tray at the bottom a couple of times a day to see how much moisture they actually trap.

4. Ensure you have adequate insulation

Keeping your home as close to a constant temperature as possible prevents moisture buildup and makes it easier to control humidity. More insulation also has the added benefit of lowering your heating costs during the winter and requiring your air conditioner to run less in the summer.

5. Take cool, shorter showers

All you need to do is look at your bathroom walls to see the moisture caused by steam (which is why a ventilation fan is so important). A statistic from Critical Cactus states: “It only takes four to six pints of water to raise the humidity level by 60% in a 1,000 square foot home.”

6. Wash larger loads and line dry

Washing machines are responsible for creating lots of humidity, so make sure you are getting as much into one load as is considered safe. Although most dryers have ventilation to the outdoors, some moisture can escape. Consider a clothesline! This reduces your bills and leaves your clothes smellig nice and fresh!

7. Don’t forget to change those filters!

Replacing your HVAC system filters is important for the air quality in your home. It traps dust, which if not changed out, blocks air from moving through your home and causes the unmoving air to hold humidity.

8. Seal leaks

One of the most easily repairable and largest culprits of humidity seeping into your home are leaks…the same leaks you can feel a cold breeze through during the cold winter months. You can easily fix these leaks with new weather stripping, caulk, and other materials from your local hardware shop.

9. The little things

While these next morsels of advice may not have the same effect on reducing humidity in your home as installing a new HVAC system, every little bit helps!

  • Cover indoor plant soil with burlap. Whatever moisture the plant doesn’t use evaporates right back into your home.
  • Cover pots while cooking (or even better…use a slow cooker whenever possible).
  • Leave all interior doors open to allow for good air circulation.
  • Store firewood outside.
  • Cover aquariums.
  • Keep gutters and downspouts free of debris so water is carried far away from the home.

If you are ready to live cool and comfortably, eliminating the humidity from your home once and for all with a whole home A/C installation, call us at 518-745-0401, or schedule an appointment here. We can provide you with a full a/c system, or provide you with a ductless mini split system for a/c if you have an older home. Northern Heating and Air is your local Upstate NY air conditioning experts in installation, service or repairs, in Lake George, Queensbury, Glens Falls, and Saratoga Springs.

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