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Every building has to be resilient enough to deal with environmental factors. Your home is no different. Depending on your location, some seasons may introduce more issues than others. Due to Pennsylvania’s humid continental climate, high humidity can affect indoor air quality in Malvern, PA—especially going into summer.
But what issues can it create and, more importantly, what solutions are available to you?
Humidity and indoor air quality
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor in the air. Relative humidity (RH) is the percentage of moisture currently in the air, based on how much the air can hold in total. Outdoors, 100% RH is usually a sign of dew, fog, or rain.
Health experts recommend keeping indoor relative humidity between 30–50% for ideal conditions. Excessive indoor humidity can reduce air quality and present the following issues.
- Mold and mildew
Mold and mildew prefer growing in wet and damp conditions. They rely on moisture to spread across surfaces like ceilings, tiles, and walls, which is more likely when there’s a lot of indoor humidity. If left too long, mold releases irritants into the air that can aggravate allergies and asthma.
- Floor, ceiling, and furnishing
As fungi, mold, and mildew feed on organic materials to grow, they can damage textiles like carpets, curtains, and soft furnishings as a result. Depending on how extensive a case is, mildew can creep onto bedding, soft toys, and clothing. While many home remedies exist, prevention is always the first line of protection.
- Walls
Humidity can damage walls as moisture from warm air condenses on cooler surfaces. Dampness can cause surface leeching on new paint and lead to curling on the wallpaper, aging the walls prematurely.
- Excessive heat
Lastly, high humidity makes your home feel warmer, emphasizing the summer heat when all you want to do is stay shaded and cool. Humid air stores heat better than dry air, forcing your air conditioning system to work harder to lower the temperature. If you live in a humid summer area, this might be why your thermostat readings don’t always match how warm you feel.
Whole-house dehumidifier: the perfect solution
A dehumidifier is the best way to control indoor humidity because it treats the main cause of the issues above. Its refrigerated coils condense water vapor as humid air moves through the unit, filtering out moisture before releasing cooler, drier air.
Whole-house dehumidifiers are particularly effective at creating ideal conditions (allowing for 45% relative humidity). They’re more powerful than their portable counterparts, working with your air conditioning system to regulate temperature efficiently.
Thanks to its range, a whole-house dehumidifier maintains good air quality throughout a house, protecting the structure and ventilating out of sight areas too.
Get the best HVAC professionals for your dehumidifier installation…
Looking for an HVAC service to help you get better indoor air quality in Malvern, PA? Michall Daimion Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. has been the Main Line’s Premier Service Provider since 1976. Contact us today to speak to a service expert about our solutions!