5 Easy Ways to Manage Your Home’s Humidity in Any Season

In Northern Virginia, humidity is a year-round issue. Whether too much or not enough, it can make your indoor environment very uncomfortable. Whether it’s a DIY or a more professional approach, there are ways to manage indoor humidity so you can be more comfortable in your Woodbridge home.

Switch on Ceiling Fans

When it is warm, and you are looking for an effective yet inexpensive way to reduce humidity, ceiling fans are a straightforward solution. When you turn on a ceiling fan, the breeze evaporates excess moisture, which makes you feel cooler. Better yet, these devices are easy to install in bedrooms, living rooms, and even dining rooms, and they also increase air circulation in each room.

Fall can bring both warm and cool temperatures in Northern Virginia, so be sure to set the fan so that the blades rotate accordingly. A counterclockwise direction is best when it is warmer when ceiling fans circulate cool air downward. When the temperature drops, change fans to a clockwise direction, which helps to move warm air through the room.

Use Exhaust Fans

Cooking, cleaning, and bathing are everyday activities that can generate a lot of additional heat and humidity. Whenever you boil water, prepare meals, or bake a batch of cookies, the heat and steam can cause humidity levels to rise. The same goes for every time you shower, take a bath, or run hot water for your dishwasher or washing machine.

The next time you cook, clean, or bathe, keep in mind that you can prevent the resulting moisture from affecting your entire home. Be sure to turn on exhaust fans in the kitchen or bathroom during these activities to pull hot, warm air from your home and release it outdoors. When you use exhaust fans, you will also have the added benefit of removing odors from cooking and cleaning, both of which can affect your home’s indoor air quality. It is also important that your dryer is vented to the outside.

Run the Air Conditioner

When your air conditioner runs during those warmer days, it does much more than just lower the temperature in your home. The air conditioner also helps to manage indoor humidity. Relying on your air conditioner to tackle excessive humidity will result in higher energy bills. Though you shouldn’t depend on the air conditioner to manage excessive humidity throughout the summer, it can be a good option during the fall and spring months. If humidity is a problem in your home, it is a good idea to invest in indoor air quality equipment that can provide a more comfortable indoor environment.

Use the Right Equipment

When it is too humid, investing in a whole-home dehumidifier is a good idea. A whole-home dehumidifier works with your existing HVAC system to effectively address high humidity problems. If you are dealing with serious allergy and asthma triggers in your home, a dehumidifier can also help get those pollutants under control. By keeping humidity at a comfortable and healthy level for your family, you will make sure that dust and mold can’t thrive.

In winter, a humidifier, on the other hand, helps to make the air less dry. You will be able to relieve symptoms such as dry, itchy eyes, dry nose, dry skin, and static shock. A humidifier can even protect your furniture from warping or cracking.

Though these are additional appliances, incorporating them into your HVAC setup can actually help you to save money on utility bills, especially during the hot periods since you won’t be tempted to run the air conditioner more than necessary.

Indoor Plants Matter

Green plants and colorful flowers do more than just add beauty to your home. They can do wonders to improve your indoor air quality since many absorb harmful airborne contaminants and remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from your indoor air. Most plants need humid air in order to survive. If the air is too dry in your home, you will notice, your plants, especially those with thinner leaves, won’t thrive as well. To help these plants to flourish you will need to keep indoor humidity even above the recommended 30-60 percent range, depending on the plant.

How you take care of your plants, or the type you choose to have in your home, will be affected by the indoor humidity levels.

Ready to take steps to lower the humidity levels in your home? Make sure your home is comfortable year-round. Contact Brennan’s Heating & Air Conditioning, the indoor air quality experts at 703-783-0145.

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