What Should the Humidity Be in My House?

Finding the right humidity level for your home is crucial for both comfort and health. However, indoor humidity levels are often overlooked when it comes to creating a comfortable home.
As your trusted HVAC company in South Jersey, the IAQ technicians at South Jersey Energy Services Plus have years of experience helping homeowners improve indoor air quality in South Jersey, including achieving ideal indoor humidity.
What Is Humidity and What Should the Humidity Be in Your Home?
Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends home humidity levels between 30-50%. Too much humidity can make your home feel muggy and encourage dangerous mold growth. Extremely low humidity levels can cause dry skin and breathing problems. That’s why it’s so important to find the ideal humidity in your home.
Problems Caused by High Humidity in Your Home
High humidity levels in your home can cause problems that affect your comfort as well as your health and the structural integrity of your house. When the air in your home is too wet—generally speaking, moisture level above 60% is considered high humidity—it makes a hot summer day feel hotter, sticky and uncomfortable. It also causes mold and mildew growth, which can cause health issues.
Issues caused by excessive indoor humidity:
- Air feels muggy and wet
- Mold and mildew growth
- Warped wood floors and furniture
- Rusting metal
- Breathing and allergy problems
Problems Caused by Low Humidity in Your Home
Given how many problems too much humidity causes, you might think very low humidity levels would be better. Unfortunately, an extremely low humidity level in a house also can cause problems for your health and your home furnishings. A top issue on the list is breathing issues caused by lack of moisture in the air. This can be worse in the cold winter months when your indoor air tends to be drier anyway.
Issues caused by very low indoor humidity:
- Dry, itchy skin and scalp, as well as chapped lips and dry eyes
- Sore/scratchy throat, worsening of allergy and asthma symptoms
- Frequent nosebleeds
- Increased static electricity and annoying shocks
- Damage to wood furniture, floors and musical instruments
Ways to Reach Ideal Indoor Humidity Levels
At South Jersey Energy Services Plus, we are well-versed in maintaining ideal home humidity all year. We’ll keep you comfortable during the hot, muggy summers and help you find the best humidity level for your home in winter.
Two of the most effective ways are with whole-house dehumidifiers, which reduce moisture in the air, and whole-house humidifiers, which increase moisture in your home’s air. Both work in conjunction with your HVAC system in your home to control water in the air so you always have a comfortable humidity level in your home.
The South Jersey Energy Services Plus indoor air quality specialists are ready to help you achieve the perfect humidity level in your home. Schedule your FREE IAQ consultation by calling 888-246-2610 today!