Excess humidity can make you feel clammy when your home is cool and sticky when the temperature rises in Columbia, MD. Keeping the humidity low in summer is particularly important. High humidity not only risks your comfort but your health as well. Here’s what to do when your Columbia, MD, home is too humid
Keep Moisture Out
Make sure there’s no moisture in your basement or crawlspace. Check the drainage around your home. Carefully review your crawlspace and confirm good airflow.
If needed, put down plastic over any bare soil under your home. Moisture seeping under your house and into your basement will raise the humidity of your home to an uncomfortable level.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
A smart thermostat can allow you to efficiently maintain the temperature of your home overnight when you’re not battling the heat of the sun. Letting your home warm up too much will enable the air inside the home to carry too much moisture. Consider adding a programmable smart thermostat to keep the air conditioning efficiently running, both to keep your home cool and to keep air cycling and dehumidifying. These devices work when you’re away from your home at work as well, and many can be controlled from your mobile device.
Get Your AC Checked Out and Serviced
Your air conditioner is one of the hardest-working tools in your home. When conditions outside your home are hot and sticky, your AC unit needs to work even harder. Make sure you get your AC unit serviced before the hot weather hits so you’re cool and collected when temperatures go up.
Use Fans
If you have ceiling fans, make sure they’re turning counterclockwise in the hotter weather of the summer and use them to move the air in your home. Make sure to run bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans to lower the humidity in areas where steam builds up.
Directing small, portable fans across the floor can add to your comfort by cooling down the pulse points at your ankles and the backs of your knees. The air quality in your home will drop if the air is trapped. By moving the air in any room, you will stay cooler.
Add an Extra Dehumidifier
You may need to add a whole-home dehumidifier to aid your HVAC system in very moist conditions. Before making this investment, make sure to get your HVAC system thoroughly cleaned and checked out to make sure it’s running at maximum efficiency.
Your entire HVAC system should be tuned to remove sticky, uncomfortable humidity from your home. However, in some climates, it may not be able to keep up. Be sure to set up an HVAC checkup with Griffith Energy Services to keep you cool and comfortable all summer long.
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