Ways to Raise & Lower Humidity Levels in Your Home

/ Heating and Cooling / By

Did you know that humidity levels in your home are one of the most important factors in keeping a comfortable environment for you and your family, as well as clean indoor air quality? 

Not only are low or high humidity levels uncomfortable but having humidity levels in your indoor air that are too low or too high can cause a number of unwanted issues for you, your family, and even your home. 

Average Humidity Levels 

You should be looking for a humidity level of about 30-50%. If the level of humidity is lower than 30% or higher than 50%, you may experience some of the following issues:

Low Levels of Humidity

  • Can cause your door frames and molding to shrink and wood to warp
  • Wood floors may become creakier and begin to separate
  • Causes dry skin, itchy eyes, and irritated nasal and throat passages

High Levels of Humidity

  • Condensation on your walls, floors, and other surfaces
  • Growth of mold, dust mites, and other harmful bacterias
  • Can cause breathing issues for people with asthma or allergies

How To Determine Humidity Levels

To accurately determine the humidity levels in your home, you can utilize a hygrometer – a device designed to measure the moisture levels within your house. This tool can be purchased at your local hardware store. If you’ve found that the humidity levels in your living space is not between 30% and 50%, we encourage you to take action using one of the tips and tricks below.

How To Lower The Humidity Levels

  1. Run Your Heater or Air Conditioner: Running your heater or air conditioner will help to keep the air circulating inside of your house. Because of the process that is used to make cold or hot air, it will also help dry out the air.
  2. Utilize Your Kitchen Exhaust Fans: Have you ever boiled water and noticed condensation on your windows? Using your kitchen exhaust fan while cooking ensures that any moisture released during the cooking process is being pushed out, outside of the house.
  3. Move Your House Plants: House plants release a lot of moisture into the air and if you have plants inside, they could be causing high levels of humidity without you knowing it. By moving your plants to a well ventilated area or outside, your humidity levels may drastically decrease.
  4. Dry Your Clothes Outside: Although dryers are highly efficient and convenient for doing laundry, hanging your clothes outside to dry can aid in decreasing the indoor humidity. 

How To Raise The Humidity Levels

  1. Multiple indoor plants in corner of a roomPurchase Houseplants: The presence of houseplants in your home can contribute to increasing the humidity levels by releasing moisture into the air, which depends on the number of plants you have.
  2. Install a Humidifier: Humidifiers are machines that help to increase the air’s humidity levels by releasing water vapors or steam. If you are experiencing dry skin or an irritated nasal/throat passage, placing a humidifier in your room could help lessen or eliminate those symptoms.
  3. Hang Dry Your clothes inside: Hanging your clothes inside of the house to allow them to dry could help to release a small amount of moisture into the air.
  4. Boil Water: It’s no secret that when you boil water, water vapors linger in your air- sometimes making cooking less enjoyable, especially on a hot summer day. If you are experiencing dry and itchy skin, boil a pot of water to help increase the humidity levels in your home.

If you have tried some of the tips and tricks that were recommended to help raise or lower the moisture levels in your house and you are still experiencing uncomfortable humidity levels, give us a call to schedule an appointment. The heating and cooling experts at Miller’s Services will help find a solution to make your indoor humidity levels more comfortable through testing your indoor air quality. 

Scroll to Top