You need some humidity in your home's air to keep the dry atmosphere from irritating your nose and throat. However, too much humidity comes with risks, such as mold damage from the excess moisture. Here are a few signs you might have high humidity levels in your home and how you— and your HVAC contractor — should address the problem. 

How to Tell If Your Home Is Too Humid

If your home is too humid, the air may feel stuffy or heavy, and it will seem warmer than it really is. You may also notice fog on the insides of your windows. Water can condense on the walls, leading to mold growth, especially in protected areas like the insides of closets and cupboards. If in doubt, you can purchase a hygrometer to check the levels; your relative humidity reading should be between 40% and 50%.

What Causes Excess Humidity?

High humidity in the home can be caused by poor ventilation. This traps water from your breath, your cooking, and your bathroom inside the home. It can also come from outside — either in the form of moisture leaking up from an unsealed or damaged foundation, or from humid outdoor conditions.

How to Fix Excess Humidity

If the moisture in your home is coming from the basement, you can solve it by repairing and sealing your foundation and basement walls. Your HVAC contractor can help with other causes of humidity by installing ventilation systems to circulate moist air from your home. Your air conditioning and heating systems both zap moisture from the air as they run; have your HVAC contractor check that this water is draining correctly to prevent it from getting back into the air. Finally, you can change your habits, such as taking shorter showers, to reduce the moisture you generate.

For help regulating the humidity in your home, call the professional HVAC contractors at Comfort Solutions Heating & Cooling in Foley, AL. Serving Baldwin County for more than 30 years, their licensed technicians service all models and brands of heating and cooling equipment, providing installation, repairs, and maintenance. They also offer 24/7 emergency service, so you can get the assistance you need any time, day or night. To schedule a visit, call (251) 967-4822 or reach out to the team online.