Winter Tips for Managing Home Humidity

Experts have declared that to have a healthy and comfortable environment in your home, the relative indoor humidity should be within the range of 40 to 60%. Relative humidity is the percentage of water vapor that is in the air at a specific temperature. In the cool, dry winter months, that humidity level can easily drop to the 30-20% range. When it gets to this point, it’s hard to ignore.

During the winter, the air’s ability to hold water decreases, making the air in your home feel dry. The relative humidity is important because the humidity level can impact your health and comfort, as well as the cost of heating your home in the winter. This can result in you or your family experiencing dry and itchy skin, respiratory problems like coughing and sneezing (especially for those who suffer from asthma or allergies), bloody noses and other no-so-fun side effects. The dry air can irritate the mucous membranes of your nose, making you more susceptible to colds and infections.

Outside of your health, your home’s health is also at risk. Wood and paint in your home can even begin to dry out. Static electricity can build, sometimes impacting your electronics.

Fortunately, here are a few ways to help maintain the ideal relative humidity in your home this winter. Some you can do yourself, and others you may want to seek out the help of a professional.

How to Improve Your Home Humidity Levels

Here are a few different ways homeowners can increase humidity levels within their house:

Invest in a Single Room Humidifier

Room humidifiers are freestanding and don’t require any kind of installation other than plugging them into an electrical outlet. They are limited in their range but can deliver humidity right where you need it. Room humidifiers have a variety of methods to generate humidity: evaporation, vaporization, and ultrasonic vibration.

Upgrade to a Whole House Humidifier

Here is where the professionals like Bradley Mechanical come in. A whole home humidifier is attached directly to the air ducts in your home’s HVAC system. It monitors the indoor humidity by measuring the moisture in the air return duct, which can automatically adjust its output. Whole home humidifiers require little maintenance, are energy efficient and extremely quiet.

Exercise Your Green Thumb

House plants continuously release moisture in the form of vapor from their leaves and stems. As long as you keep them watered (we hear talking and singing to them sometimes helps too), they will continue to help regulate humidity levels in the home.

Cook Often

Cooking on the stovetop (especially with boiling water) will release moisture into the air. Pasta, anyone?

Repurpose Candle Warmers

If you have an electric candle warmer that doesn’t get much use anymore, place a glass vase or cup on it filled with water. Just be sure to monitor it, and don’t let the glass run dry.

Take a Long Shower

While your water bill may feel the impact of this a bit, longer, steamier showers can increase the humidity levels within your home. However, this option is temporary and shouldn’t be relied on to fix your home’s overall humidity issues.

Water Bowl on Registers

Place a metal or ceramic bowl on top of a floor register. The heat should evaporate the water into the air in about a week. That’s if your pets don’t drink it first.

Dry Laundry the Old-Fashioned Way

Give your tumble dryer a break and dry out your laundry on a rack to allow the excess moisture into the air. This will also help you avoid static buildup in your freshly washed clothes.

Turn the Heat Down

If and when possible, turning the thermostat down a couple degrees can help avoid an excessive amount of dry, heated air from entering your home.

Leave the Dishwasher Open

After running your dishwasher, pop it open to release the steam into your home.

Humidity & Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial to the health of all who live under your roof. Poor indoor air quality caused by a lack of humidity can result in a number of health issues and harm your overall day-to-day comfort.

Bradley Mechanical can help you with your indoor air quality and comfort needs. We have kept homeowners in Central Richmond breathing easy for over 50 years. When it comes to the health and comfort of the air in your home, we are the experts. Give us a call today at (804) 748-6728 to learn more about our products and services to help your air quality.