FinancingManaging Your Home’s Humidity Level
Let’s be honest—indoor humidity is a drag.
It makes relaxing at home almost impossible. Nobody wants to feel like they are sweating while sitting on their own couch!
If you live in the Southwest—across Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, or Texas—you know exactly when this battle begins. Around June 15, the official North American Monsoon Season kicks into gear, bringing a massive wave of outdoor moisture that lasts all the way through September 30.
In fact, states like New Mexico and Arizona get up to 75% of their entire year’s rainfall during this intense summer stretch.
All that sticky outside air quickly sneaks indoors, putting everyone (even the goldfish) in a sluggish mood. Worse yet, it can flare up your allergies and trigger asthma attacks.
At the Carrier Cooling Center, we carry a network of Carrier Factory Authorized Dealers who can help you zap that excess moisture right out of the room. We believe you should always be in total control of your comfort, and that starts with your indoor air quality (IAQ) and relative indoor humidity right here in your home.
How to Manage Your Home’s Humidity
What is the magic humidity number for your home?
The answer is a little different for everyone—just like temperature, some like it a bit warmer and others like it cool. However, for the perfect balance of health and comfort, you generally want your indoor humidity levels sitting between 30% and 50%.
Keeping your indoor humidity below 60% is the golden rule for stopping mold growth in its tracks. This keeps your home safe and protects your family from mold-related health issues like coughing, wheezing, and allergic reactions.
You can easily keep track of your indoor moisture with a small, inexpensive tool called a hygrometer, which measures relative humidity in any room.
Step Number One: Fix Your Air Ducts!
Before you invest in any system to add or remove moisture, you need to make sure your home’s ductwork is properly sealed and insulated.
No equipment in the world can keep your home comfortable if your ducts are leaking your conditioned air into the attic—or worse, sucking humid monsoon air directly inside through cracks.
What Is Dehumidification?
Your air conditioner naturally pulls some moisture out of the air while it runs, but during heavy monsoon rains, it usually can’t keep up on its own. The best way to beat that heavy, swampy feeling is to install a whole-house dehumidifier.
This system attaches directly to your existing HVAC equipment. It pulls excess moisture out of the air before it circulates through your rooms.
It works a lot like your AC: a cooling coil condenses the sticky moisture into water, drains it safely away, and sends crisp, dry, comfortable air back into your home.
Signs you have too much humidity
- The air feels heavy, moist, or sticky
- A musty, damp smell in the air
- Condensation or fog building up on your windows
- Damp walls or hidden mold growth in the attic or crawlspace
What Is Humidification?
While summers in the Southwest are notoriously sticky, the winter months can bring the exact opposite problem. When cold weather hits, the outdoor air dries out, and running your furnace only exacerbates the issue indoors.
If your air is bone-dry, a whole-house humidifier can save the day by safely adding moisture back into your heating system until it reaches a comfortable level. Just remember, installation is everything. That’s why it pays to find a nearby Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer from our Carrier Cooling Center directory.
A poorly installed system can create a massive headache, leading to hidden mold growth or water leaks that ruin your ceilings, drywall, and insulation. That is why having a professional design and install your system is so important.
Signs you don’t have enough humidity
- Worsened static electricity, dry skin, and chapped lips
- Wood floors, cabinets, or furniture starting to dry out and crack
- The house feels chilly even when you turn the thermostat up
- Sickness and viruses spreading more easily from person to person
Call Your Air Quality Experts
Whether you need to add moisture or dry things out, there are plenty of options and price points to fit your budget. At the Carrier Cooling Center, you can find a nearby Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer who will walk you through the entire process, keeping it simple and stress-free.
Your Carrier Dealer will look at all the unique features of your house to design the perfect system, keeping you completely comfortable through every single season. Find a nearby Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, or Texas to leave your humidity headaches behind!