A humid home doesn’t just reduce the comfort level for all human and animal occupants. It can also encourage mold and mildew growth and cause wood surfaces to expand. If your Florida abode seems too humid for comfort, try these three tips to help dehumidify.
Lower Your Thermostat Temperature
During the hot, humid Florida summers, your home needs more conditioned air. When the air conditioner runs, it dries out the air and leaves you feeling cooler. Try lowering the thermostat setting one or two degrees to see if it makes a difference. You can also buy and run a dehumidifier to help.
Run Ceiling and Floor Fans
Although fans don’t produce cold air, they make you feel cooler because they dry moisture from your skin and promote air circulation. You can also increase ventilation in your home by installing exhaust fans and vents. Bathrooms and kitchens are often the most humid rooms in the house, so focus on those areas first.
Hire a Professional for a Load Calculation
An HVAC specialist can conduct a load calculation on your home. The results of the test might reveal that your air conditioner isn’t sized properly for your home. When this happens, your home might feel damper and warmer because the HVAC system isn’t able to run efficiently.
Avoid Adding Moisture to the Home
Move your house plants outside so misting them doesn’t increase the humidity in your home and hang your clothes to dry on a line in the backyard instead of running your dryer. You might also take baths instead of showers or set a timer so you don’t stay in the shower too long on muggy days. Search your home for any leaks, such as in the bathroom sink or the attic, so a constant drip of moisture doesn’t add to the humidity.
A humid home makes summers less bearable. Give us a call at (941) 758-3080 to discuss a load calculation or an HVAC maintenance visit so you can enjoy the summer without the sweat.
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