Month: January 2021

Having excess moisture in your home has been proven to cause unsavory issues within the four walls of your home, such as mold or other water-related damages. When you lower the humidity in your home, not only are you comfortable, you save money, and keep harmful contaminants from growing. 

Why is it important to keep the humidity in your home at a healthy level? 

When the humidity levels in your home are too low, you experience a lack of moisture. This will cause common issues such as dry nose, dry throat, dry skin, and an increase in catching colds or other respiratory illnesses. 

Too much humidity can cause an increase in pollutants such as mold, bacteria, viruses, fungi, dust mites, and more that will also cause respiratory problems. 

What is a normal range of humidity? 

Here at JD’s A/C we have the ability to check your home’s humidity levels, as well as temperature monitors. As you have read above, it’s extremely important to keep a comfortable level of humidity throughout your home. 

• Low humidity levels 

Less than 25% 

• Moderate humidity levels

Between 25% – 55% 

• High humidity levels 

Over 55% 

What causes humidity levels to rise? 

Rising humidity levels are usually a cause of everyday living. Such as, cooking, showering, laundry, washing dishes, all contribute to high levels of humidity. 

What can happen from maintaining high humidity levels? 

There are several negative effects of maintaining higher than usual humidity levels. 

1. You may notice the temperature in your home is warmer than usual. 
2. Wood inside your home can begin to swell, causing deterioration. 
3. Mold and mildew will not only grow, but multiply. 
4. You may experience respiratory problems, or other respiratory illnesses. 

How can you lower and maintain humidity in your home? 

There are several ways you can decrease, and maintain the humidity in your home. 

• Proper ventilation

Make sure your home is well ventilated, especially in areas where moisture seems to be most present, such as your kitchens and bathroom areas. You may either crack a window, or install exhaust fans to help lower the humidity levels in those areas of your home. Using a form of consistent airflow throughout your home will actively help in reducing humidity levels as well. 

• Dehumidification systems 

Dehumidification systems can be installed in both new and existing homes. These types of systems are programmed to maintain a healthy level of humidity for the best level of comfortability possible. 

• Shorten your showers

 By shortening the duration of your shower time, and/or decreasing the temperature will also help reduce high levels of humidity in your home. Taking a long hot shower sounds wonderful, but the moisture adds up. For those who don’t wish to decrease the temperature or duration of their showers, look into ‘low flow’ shower heads. These can help decrease the level of humidity as well. 

• Limit indoor house plants 

Naturally plants will release moisture into the air, and if you have several of them within a small space, that moisture will accumulate quickly. To avoid this, limit the amount of indoor plants that you have, or alternate them outdoors as well. 

• Maintain your gutters

It may sound strange, but making sure that you have clean gutters not only improves the effectiveness of your system when carrying water away from your home’s foundation. This plays an important role when lowering the humidity level of your home. 

• Repair windows, and replace if necessary

Oftentimes, we see this as a common issue in many older homes. Drafty, older windows and doors will cause moisture to build up within the home and raise humidity levels. Adding plastic film to the window glass, or weatherstripping your windows and doors will help reduce draft and moisture significantly. 

 

If you are concerned about the humidity levels in your home, give our trusted technicians a call today! Don’t delay your health, and comfort another day.

Here at JD’s A/C, we want to provide our customers with the best our industry has to offer, that is why we proudly offer our customers, Carrier the American made brand. 

Willis Carrier “The Father of Air Conditioning” was the original inventor of the modern air conditioning we are so thankful to have today. Dating back to 1902 when Mr. Willis Carrier made the realization that he had the ability to dry out air but allowing it to pass through water to create fog. And within a year from when he began his experiments, he was able to complete his invention. Although it wouldn’t be until 1915 before he founded the Carrier Engineering Corporation. 

What options are available for my home? 

A certified member of our team will be able to tell you exactly what unit fits your home’s needs best by doing an inspection of your home. First, our specialists will look at how much square footage of space your home has, then they will determine the base BTU (British Thermal Unit), notate the number of doors, and windows that are in the home. They will also take into account any indoor pets, as well as the occupancy level. 

What type of options are available? 

• Standard efficiency 
• Medium efficiency 
• High efficiency  

System types 

There are several types of indoor air control that you can choose from. However depending on several factors. We want to educate you on the many different options, and the pros and cons of each. 

Air Conditioning System 

• Pros 

Consistent temperature year-round 

Filtered air 

Heating and air conditioning combo 

Reduce the promotion of germs and other toxins 

Relief for those who suffer from allergies 

• Cons 

Higher energy bill (depending on the model efficiency) 

Duct maintenance

The need for ductwork  

Ductless System

• Pros 

Energy efficient 

Environmentally friendly 

Customizable 

• Cons

Upfront cost

Regular maintenance 

Aesthetics 

Furnaces 

• Pros 

Inexpensive to install 

Long life span 

Reliable heating (even in the coldest of weather conditions) 

Less maintenance 

• Cons 

Electric furnaces can be costly to run 

Gas furnaces lifespan is shorter than electric furnaces

Gas furnaces can be risky; fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning 

Heat Pumps 

• Pros

Energy efficient 

Less maintenance 

A safer option for heating 

Reduction of carbon emissions 

Provide cooling as well 

Long life span, usually 14-15 years 

RHI scheme eligible 

• Cons

High upfront costs

Less efficient in extreme weather conditions

Frequent maintenance and routine care 

Larger than other systems 

Your HVAC system is an investment, not only for yourself, and your family, but your home as well. If you are in the market for a new HVAC system but don’t know where to start, give us a call here at JD’s A/C! We would be happy to help you every step of the way, the JD way.