When Your Air Conditioner Won't Work

The Dangers Of High Household Humidity

21 May 2015 by Clara Fernandez

High humidity within your home can increase your energy bills, damage your furniture and the interior of your home, and pose a significant health risk for those with respiratory diseases. Identifying if your home has become too humid and then taking steps to reduce that humidity can allow you to reduce the adverse effects of high interior humidity.

Warning Signs

• Condensation: If you notice moisture building up on mirrors and windows within your home, there is a high concentration of water in the air. Additionally, any buildup of water stains around your windows or on your walls is a sure sign that the humidity in your home is too high.
• Mold and Smells: Any discoloration and spots on the walls and floor of your home are due to mold growth, which can also emit an unpleasant smell. Both represent a health hazard, and should be taken care of immediately.
• Worsened Symptoms: Diseases like asthma can be made much worse because of high humidity. It's possible for people to exhibit asthmatic or allergic symptoms when exposed to high degrees of humidity as well, even if they do not actually have asthma or allergies.

Why Dehumidify?

• Save Energy: High humidity in your home means that the air retains heat better, which means that your air HVAC system will have to work much harder to cool down your home. This represents greater power usage, which in turn results in higher energy bills, costing you more in the long run.
• Interior Damage: Extended exposure to moisture in the air can damage wallpaper and paint within your home, and make furniture a breeding ground for mold. Repairing such damage can be expensive in the long run, and can be easily avoided by dehumidifying your home.
• Comfort: High humidity is simply uncomfortable to live in. By dehumidifying your home, you'll be able to stay indoors and stay comfortable in the summer months.

Dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers work by sucking air over a cold metal coil, which causes the water in the air to rapidly condensate, removing it from the air. Dehumidifiers can either be portable or centrally installed. Centrally installed units work on the same principle as your air conditioning units, and can be turned on and off with a thermostat. Portable models are much cheaper, but can only service a single room at a time. The work by plugging into a common wall outlet, and have buckets in them that you have to periodically empty so that they can continue to work.

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