How Can Indoor Humidity Impact Your Health?

Humidity levels are an important factor when it comes to indoor air quality in your Lorain-area home. You may be aware that too much moisture in your indoor air can cause damage to your home and furnishings – but did you know that it can also be a problem for your home’s occupants? Not only can poorly balanced indoor humidity levels make your home less comfortable, they can impact your health as well.

Too much moisture in your indoor air makes your home feel hot and steamy during the summer and cold and clammy in winter. While that makes things uncomfortable for you, it creates the perfect conditions for dust mites that live in your home to reproduce and thrive. Mold and mildew also thrive in moist conditions, and bacteria reproduces rapidly. All of these organisms can trigger allergy symptoms, as well as increasing breathing difficulties for occupants that suffer with asthma or other respiratory conditions.

High moisture levels have also been shown to increase the amount of chemical pollutants in indoor air – particularly formaldehyde. This chemical is present in many building materials, such as plywood, particle board and other wood products, as well as some types of insulation. It can also be found in some household items, such as carpets and even paper. Excessive moisture increases the amount of formaldehyde that leaches out of these items into your indoor air. Low-level exposure to this chemical can give rise to adverse health effects that include irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, respiratory disorders and allergies.

Keeping indoor humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent is ideal. You can measure moisture levels in your home with a hydrometer, a simple device available at your local hardware store. If humidity is higher than 60 percent, installing a dehumidifier in your home would be wise — preferably a whole-house dehumidifier that works with your HVAC system.

For more information on controlling humidity in your home, please contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. Our family-owned and operated business proudly serves customers in and around the Lorain area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor humidity and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.

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