By Anne Fonda
Humidity is the level of moisture in the air. In most of the country, the outdoor humidity varies with the seasons. It rises in the summer and drops in the winter. In areas like Florida, and the Gulf Coast of Texas (we see you, Houston), it may feel humid year-round due to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico.
High humidity levels can make it feel hotter outside or in your house. Low humidity levels can make it feel colder. While you can’t do anything about outdoor humidity levels, you can control the humidity in your house.
Keep reading to learn more about humidity, what a good humidity level is, and how to achieve recommended indoor humidity levels.
We’ve all heard someone say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity,” in the summer. That’s because the higher the humidity, the hotter it feels.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, Heating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) says indoor humidity above 60% is considered high indoor humidity. You can start feeling uncomfortable at 55% humidity. High humidity in your house can leave you feeling clammy, but it can also damage your home and impact your health.
Signs you have high humidity in your home can include:
If you’re wondering how to reduce humidity in your house, there are multiple ways. If your basement is the only area that has high humidity, you may have water infiltration, and you will need to deal with that issue first.
But if your whole house feels humid, you need a whole-house solution. That can include a whole-house dehumidifier, but you may also be able to solve the problem with a more efficient variable-speed air conditioner or heat pump.
Single-stage air conditioners or heat pumps sometimes have a hard time removing the humidity from your home. If your system is older, consider AC replacement with a multi-speed or variable-speed system. This will improve your comfort as well as your indoor air quality (IAQ).
In addition, learn how to prevent mold in your HVAC system.
On the opposite end of the humidity scale, anything below 30% is considered low indoor humidity. Low humidity can leave you feeling uncomfortable and can damage some of your belongings.
Signs of low indoor humidity can include:
You can increase household humidity levels in several ways. Short-term room solutions include:
However, if you have low humidity all winter long due to cold weather or you live in an arid climate, your best bet for whole-house comfort is a whole-house humidifier.
Ideal indoor humidity is subjective. You want a comfortable humidity level that makes you feel good all year long. That being said, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the recommended indoor humidity level for comfort is between 30% and 50%.
This is the ideal humidity for a baby as well as your other family members. The ideal basement humidity is as far below 60% as you can get it. Again, basements in older homes may have water intrusion, so you need to deal with that first if you want to permanently lower the humidity.
The ideal humidity in a home in winter is between 30-45%. Cold winter air is naturally dryer, but by boosting indoor humidity, you can reduce the likelihood of dry skin and hair, dry throats, static electricity, and more. In addition, by boosting the humidity, you make the house feel warmer. This can allow you to turn the thermostat down a few degrees to save money on your heating bills.
The best humidity for your home in the summer is between 40-50%. For most parts of the country, the humidity increases in the summer. By lowering the humidity, you make your home feel cooler. This can allow you to turn the thermostat up a few degrees to save energy and save money on your cooling bills.
High or low humidity can make it hard to sleep. Learn about the ideal temperature and best humidity level for sleeping.
Controlling the humidity in your home is key to optimizing comfort and improving indoor air quality. If you have high or low humidity issues, your local Trane dealer can help. The solution might be upgrading to a more efficient heating and cooling system, adding a whole-house humidifier or dehumidifier, increasing ventilation, or a combination of these. They can assess your home and your HVAC system and provide you with tailored recommendations for humidity control.
Anne Fonda, Content Writer
A Content Writer with Trane Technologies, Anne Fonda researches topics and writes for Trane® and associated residential HVAC brands. She works in collaboration with Trane Technologies subject matter experts, offering easy-to-understand, informative content on complex topics. Her goal is to help consumers make informed decisions on the products and services they need.
She has written for HVAC and other service provider websites for over 16 years. Before transitioning to web content writing, Anne had a 14-year stint as an award-winning journalist. She graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.
When she’s not working, Anne enjoys playing word games, reading, gardening, spending time with family, and visiting gardens and museums.
Expert review by Sean Goddard, Product Manager, Coils & Indoor Air Quality
A humidifier is an HVAC system that adds moisture to the air in your home, with the end goal of changing indoor humidity levels. Humidifiers can be stand alone, or added into an existing HVAC system, like a heat pump.
A dehumidifier removes excess humidity from the air in your home. It can boost the effectiveness of an older air conditioner, and reduce humidity levels year-round.
Learn about indoor air quality – what it is and how to improve it for your family’s health and the health of your HVAC system.
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