Maintaining the right humidity level in your home is a piece of cake. Well, sort of. Not enough moisture, and your efforts literally crumble. Too much, and you've got a soppy, gloppy mess on your hands.How dry I amIndustry experts pretty much agree that optimum indoor humidity levels should be between 40 and 60 percent, with 45-50 being the real "sweet spot" for comfort. When moisture levels dip below that and indoor air gets dry, so can your nose, throat, and skin. (Not to mention that the same dryness has you sneezing and wheezing doesn't do your drywall and wood any favors either.) Fortunately, a good humidifier, properly maintained, can make a big difference if your home suffers from dryness.The humidity's the thingOf course, while it's not impossible for homes in good old humid Southern Louisiana to have low indoor moisture levels (especially if they're older and not very energy-efficient), the more common problem in these parts is too much moisture, especially in basements, bathrooms, kitchens and laundry areas. And, of course, where there's moisture, there's often mold (which is not only disgusting, but can lead to all kinds of allergy and other respiratory problems), as well as decay and those who love it (namely roaches and termites).What to do about a too-humid homeMake sure you have a properly sized HVAC system. While your air conditioner can remove some humidity along with heat, it takes much longer to lower humidity than to lower temperatures. In fact, if your AC is oversized for your home, it will cool the air to a comfortable level, then shut off before it has time to remove humidity.Avoid setting your thermostat to "fan on." If the fan blows constantly - even when the cooling system isn't running - much of the moisture that the system removed from the air will get blown right back in before it can dry up.Run the exhaust fans when you're cooking, showering, or doing laundry. These activities that can up the moisture levels in your home drastically.Keep windows and doors closed when it's especially humid outside.Invest in a quality HVAC system. Trane's state-of-the-art XV20 and XV18 TruComfort systems both offer top-notch humidity control and use ComfortLink II communicating technology to achieve optimum comfort and efficiency. Since the temperature is constantly being adjusted as needed, the cooling and dehumidification processes work more seamlessly without all those stops and starts that can interfere with removing moisture from the air.Call Pullen Air Conditioning today. Our professional team will help you find the perfectly sized unit for your home. They'll explain how Trane's energy-efficient TruComfort models create the optimum humidity levels to keep your home ever-comfortable, while also increasing energy efficiency and savings.And you thought that you couldn't have your cake and eat it too...
