We’ve all heard the old comic quip about heat and humidity. All kidding aside, the humidity can make your home seem much hotter than it actually is. In addition, the summertime humidity levels in your home can reach an optimum level for mold growth conditions.
Let’s start with the difference between the two:
- Heat is plain old heat. The actual temperature outside.
- Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air.
- Dry Heat is that plain old heat minus the humidity.
Why That Matters
When there’s a high amount of humidity in the air, it hinders the body’s ability to cool off by sweat. Though keep in mind, even though high humidity feels a lot more dangerous, exposure to both humidity and dry heat needs to be limited. Both can cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Humidity & Your Home
Today’s air quality inside the home should be easy to adjust. Newer furnaces have more options in which to adjust not only the temperature but the humidity also.
These adjustments can be set to provide comfort year-round. They can also be set at dangerous levels with just the touch of a button. If your home has a built-in whole-home dehumidifier, we suggest paying close attention to your summertime indoor humidity level.
If you have an older furnace, then controlling items such as indoor air quality and humidity can be daunting. Attempting to match up your furnace’s operation with that of a stand-alone dehumidifier purchased from the hardware store can be quite a feat. We don’t expect you to be an expert, that’s why we’re here.
Learn the proper settings for your fan on your system. Should you set it to auto or run most of the time? Does one set bring a higher level of summertime humidity in the house? Am I placing my family at risk by having an environment conducive to mold and dust mites?
Take the time to understand the underpinnings of your home’s air quality, heating, and cooling capabilities. How old is your system? Does it hold water within the furnace, making for a potential health hazard? Do you have an old stand-alone dehumidifier tucked in the basement somewhere, or do you have a whole-home system that works on the same duct system as your furnace? These are all good things to examine on your home’s system. Find the answers, or most of them, then come in to see us for a chat.
Indoor air quality is an important component of your future health. Is now the time to upgrade your air quality? At Healthy Home Heating & Cooling LLC, we provide those solutions. Call us today.