If you’ve watched the weather on the TV news, you may have seen the term “relative humidity” used, and wondered what it is. It’s a term used to describe the amount of ambient moisture in the air, measured as a percentage. If the relative humidity stands at 0%, there’s no moisture in the air at all. If it stands at 100%, you’ve basically got rain. Most of the time, it falls somewhere between those extremes, though in Portland, OR, we trend on the humid side. But that number can have a huge effect on your home comfort levels, and if you allow it to remain unaffected, you could end up paying a steep price. Here’s a quick breakdown on how it works, and what you can do to solve it.
High Humidity
High humidity levels usually rank above 50% relative humidity. At that point, there’s too much ambient moisture in the air to let your sweat dry on your skin, our body’s natural means of keeping cool. You start to feel clammy and gross, and since your body can’t cool down the air feels hotter than normal. High humidity levels also encourage the growth of mold and bacteria in your home. A whole-house dehumidifier, coupled with the natural dehumidification properties of your air conditioner, can solve the problem.
Low Humidity
Low humidity levels occur when the relative humidity drops below 30%. The air starts pulling moisture from the surface of your skin, leaving it and your sinuses feeling dry and irritated. That leaves you more vulnerable to colds and other illnesses, as well as creating static electricity which is unpleasant in the extreme. A properly installed humidifier can add moisture to the air and get the issue resolved.
To install or repair either (or both) of these devices, give the experts at The Clean Air Act a call today!