Austin, TX is a very humid city. In fact, our humidity is probably a greater problem during the summer than the high temperatures. Your air conditioning system can deal with the humidity to a certain extent, but to really address the problem, you should install a dehumidifier in your home: lowering the humidity to acceptable levels and resolving a number of problems in the process. What kind of problems, specifically? Here are 4 that you should be aware of.
- General Discomfort. When the relative humidity levels rise above 50%, your whole home feels warmer. You sweat more, your skin feels clammy, and the air often has a stagnant, moldy feel to it. All of which makes for a decidedly uncomfortable home.
- Damage to Furnishings. High humidity affects furnishings drastically, especially wood furniture and wooden floors. They can warp under the additional moisture, and in extreme cases, the high humidity will bubble paint and damage wallpaper as well. Relative humidity levels between 30% and 50% are optimal for your home and its furnishings.
- Increased Sickness. High humidity helps breed germs and bacteria, which can increase the amount of sickness in your home. This is of special concern to households with newborn babies, elderly residents, and/or people afflicted with asthma or similar conditions.
- Increased Strain to Air Conditioning. High humidity forces your air conditioning system to work harder to make your home feel comfortable. Not only does that result in higher energy bills, but it could create problems requiring a repair technician down the line, as well as decreasing the overall life of the unit and forcing you to install a new one before you should.
If you’re facing these kinds of problems, or even if you want to give your air conditioning system a little help during our hot and humid summers, then give the experts at Intelligent Air Services a call today.