Tackling Winter Humidity HVAC System Issues

Does the winter season bother you? Most New Albany, MS homeowners are caught in a nightmare especially when dealing with their HVAC humidity issues. Without knowing the basic principles that influence humidity, it can be hard to solve the problem. No worries! Our specialists at Riddle Heating and Air, Inc. are here to discuss some fundamental humidity principle, common issues, and probable solutions. Fundamentals of Humidity Humidity or Relative Humidity (RH) is the level of moisture in the air measured in percentage. Today, most contractors use modern test instruments (dry and wet bulb temperatures) to estimate or compute the humidity. Some use a digital psychrometer to get the readings. Ideally, your indoor humidity should range from 40 to 60%. Once the readings exceed this range, you can be at risk of several IAQ and structural issues. One way to prevent these issues is to have a deep understanding of the rules of moisture such as the following:

• Moisture travels from wet to dry and warm to cold
• Warm air holds more moisture than cool air
• Most often, moisture moves with air from high pressure to low pressure

Is Your Home Too Dry? Without proper humidity level indoors, your home can become more susceptible to winter moisture issues thus, affecting your health and overall well-being. Commonly, experts recommend installing a humidifier. Yet, even with humidifiers inside the house, the air may still be too dry to endure. Major Cause of Decline in Humidity What causes your indoor humidity to drop? One reason is air leakage. If your home is excessively dry in the cold season, it might have air leaks that remain unnoticed. Since there is a large amount of air moving from outdoors, even a high-performance humidifier will not solve this problem. Cool, outdoor air holds less moisture. When it enters the house, your indoor relative humidity may decline and result in uncomfortable conditions. If this happens, you need to check some of the common pathways for outdoor air including the following:

• Flues and chimneys
• Leaky ductwork
• Open wall cavities
• Duct chases
• Attic access sections

Effective Solutions for Humidity Issues In solving humidity issues, a humidifier is not always the silver bullet. You have to start by identifying where the moisture is moving and the pathways it travels through. This can be done through a visual inspection. Look for big air pathways and seal or cover them immediately. Address the source of the leaks with professional help. Do you experience humidity problems in your home or commercial space? Contact our experts at Riddle Heating and Air, Inc. for help. We will get the job done right.