If you live in Florida, you’ve grown accustomed to the humid summer days and nights. It’s a normal way of life and — except for the hottest of summer days — it’s become pretty easy to ignore. But, what if your home is humid? Is that normal? Isn’t your air conditioning unit supposed to prevent that? While your air conditioner functions by removing the humid air, cooling it, and redistributing it back into your home, there are other reasons why your home may feel humid.
What should humidity be in homes with air conditioning in Florida?
In Florida, it’s not uncommon for the humidity in your home to be above 55%, but anything above 60% needs to be addressed. Normal humidity for your home should be around 40-60%.
What causes high humidity in your Florida home?
As the weather’s cooling down, you’d expect your home to feel cooler as well. But, many factors can impact the humidity in your home. You may experience more humidity if:
- You have a modern, highly energy-efficient home that doesn’t ventilate well to the outside
- Your AC unit is less efficient at removing humidity or is broken
- Your exterior walls, windows, closets, and other areas of your home form microclimates
- Your home is filled with lots of plants
How can you tell if the humidity is too high in your home?
If you think your house is too humid, you should invest in a hygrometer. You can buy them online or at your local hardware store. A hygrometer is used to test the humidity in the room – from totally dry at 0% to full precipitation and fog at 100%.
What happens if your home is too humid?
While a humid home can feel uncomfortable, that’s not the only reason you should address high humidity. Too much humidity makes the air feel warmer than it actually is, which causes you to turn your thermostat down. This can lead to high electric bills as your AC unit fights against the humidity in your home. Higher humidity can also degrade the air quality by creating condensation in the wettest parts of your home – such as bathrooms, the kitchen, and the laundry room. This condensation can lead to mildew and mold growth. Mold can cause a plethora of problems, including health issues and impacting your AC unit. In addition, humid environments are a breeding ground for dust mites.
How can you lower the humidity levels in your home?
There are several things you can do to lower the humidity in your home. If your air conditioner is broken, and that’s impacting the humidity, then you can simply call an HVAC technician. Otherwise:
- Run ceiling fans to increase circulation
- Run bathroom or kitchen exhaust fans
- Open the windows to let in a fresh breeze if outdoor humidity levels are low
- Look for water leaks that could be increasing humidity
- Buy and run a dehumidifier
What if my home has low humidity?
While high humidity causes the air to feel warm and wet, low humidity homes can feel dryer than normal. Similar to high humidity, if you think your home is too dry, you should purchase a hygrometer to determine the levels of humidity. If the levels are below 40%, then you should consider buying a humidifier for your home. A humidifier dispenses humidity into your home to help relieve dry skin and throat, cracked lips, and nose irritation. Make sure your humidistat is set properly so that the humidity of your home is between 40-60%.
Related: 7 Ways To Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
If You’re Having Humidity Issues in Central Florida, We Can Help
At Complete Air Mechanical, we have experienced HVAC professionals who can help you restore or replace your air conditioner. We provide services in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties, and we offer financing options.
Call us today at (407) 915-0144 or schedule an appointment online.