Servicing the Sun Coast Since 1972

Home Humidity: Strike a Balance for Year-Round Comfort in Your Bradenton Home

Indoor humidity can be a problem year-round in southwestern Florida. While humid conditions outdoors can cause you to feel sticky, humidity inside your home can encourage the growth of mold and dust mite populations. Your air conditioner may help control humidity in the summer but keeping the humidity level low in the cooler months often requires extra steps to achieve an optimal balance.

Many people are able to reduce some home humidity by making a few lifestyle adjustments. Hanging clothing outdoors to dry instead of using a dryer, using a bathroom fan while showering or bathing, grilling instead of using the stove and keeping houseplants outside when the weather is nice can naturally decrease the humidity levels inside your home.

Another way to control moisture inside your home is by installing a dehumidifier. This device measures the humidity level and pulls in excess moisture from the air. The ideal home humidity level is about 45 percent. A humidity level that is too high can promote dust mites and provide optimal conditions for mold growth, causing homeowners to develop or feel more keenly the effects of respiratory illnesses. Too little humidity can cause dry skin and increase static electricity in a home, so it is important to keep the level between 30 and 50 percent year-round.

Dehumidifiers are an effective way of reducing home humidity but they also consume a lot of electricity. Energy Star-certified machines are the most efficient. In order to receive the certification from the federal Energy Star program, dehumidifiers must meet minimum efficiency requirements.

If the subtropical climate in the Sarasota area is making your home too humid, and your indoor air quality is suffering, contact Climatic Conditioning Co. for answers to all of your home humidity questions.

Climatic Conditioning Company, Inc., Air Conditioning Contractor, Sarasota, FL