Natural Ways to Reduce Your Home's Humidity

Too much humidity in your Corpus Christi home in the summertime is bad news. It can cause mold and mildew, and make us feel warmer than we should, so that we waste energy by turning up the air conditioner.

So how much humidity is too much? If your home feels continuously damp or you feel clammy, you probably need to look into the situation. But to be more precise, you can always purchase a low-cost hygrometer, which measures relative humidity. If the levels are consistently more than 45 percent, you probably need to take measures to reduce moisture.

Contributors to Moist Interior Air

Too-humid conditions occur for a number of reasons. It could be a leak in the ceiling or plumbing. Lots of bodies in a home can also generate moist conditions as we not only breathe out moist air and give off moisture through perspiration, but we also generate moisture through activities such as cooking, showering, flushing the toilet, washing clothes and dishes. An excessive number of plants, while good for cleaning the air, may also be a contributor.

So let’s look at how we can lower your home’s moisture levels with some easy remedies:

Lowering Humidity

1. Fix leaks. Once you realize you have a leak in plumbing or the roof or ceiling, get it fixed right away. Leaks can also occur in your air conditioner when the condensate drain is blocked, so if you hear a dripping sound in the cabinet, have it fixed.
2. Install exhaust ventilation to the outdoors. Exhaust fans don’t cost that much to install, and can do a great job of getting rid of excess moisture from showers and flushing, as well as cooking. Just be sure the fan is vented to the outdoors and not into the attic. You can also open a window and use a portable fan to blow moisture out.
3. Limit shower duration.
4. Isolate plants in one room. Also, keep the door closed.

To learn more about controlling humidity in your home, contact Mathews CCAC Air Conditioning of Corpus Christi. We’re constantly concerned about our customers.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.

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