Ask The Energy Expert - "Humidity Issues, Continued"
I’ve received more emails dealing with the topic of humidity in your homes than anything I’ve written about to date. After the last article I received many emails with “home” remedies to the moisture problem, so I decided to do one more article on this topic for now.
Some of the home remedies sent in by readers will be grouped together and discussed. One writer heard from a friend that crumpled newspapers will remove the moisture and odor. Another wrote in and said leaving kitty litter out in open pans did the trick for them. Yet others have used things such as open containers of baking soda and charcoal in open containers throughout the home.
I’ve got good news and bad news for you. The good news is these home remedies may remove the odor (the symptom of moisture issues) but the bad news is they don’t remove the real problem (excessive humidity and moisture). It is very much the same as taking a cold medicine to remove the symptoms of a cold though no cure is available as yet for the common cold.
High humidity and excess moisture can still do hidden and damaging things within the home, even though you have reduced or eliminated one of its most telling features. For those who are not convinced, I would suggest you get a device that measures relative humidity in your place and check the reading when you return. Humidity in the 60-80% range is beyond the optimal which I believe is closer to 50%. Dust mites, molds and allergens still thrive in humidity levels of 60-80% but are not likely to exist when the humidity is 50% or slightly less. Dust mites, pictured here, are microscopic bugs that live largely on human and animal dander. They need heat and humidity to live. They do not bite people but their presence and feces may cause allergic reactions in humans. Unfortunately, simply removing your odors without reducing your humidity will not take care of these bugs. Every time I see a picture of these, I am motivated to take care of the humidity in my home!
There is one other large issue in Florida concerning humidity. That is the several months each year the temperature is such we don’t need cooling or heat. Many open windows and enjoy the beautiful temperatures. Though it feels comfortable during those seasons our humidity level is still too high and quickly will rise to 60% or higher. This humidity issue will be an ongoing battle for all of us who live in a hot humid climate. There is no “one size fits all” strategy. Finding a competent HVAC contractor who is up on these matters can be as challenging as dealing with the problem itself. Talk to building science people who aren’t trying to sell anything to discover solutions best for you. Then take those solutions to contractors to implement. You may want to check with the Florida Solar Energy Center for building science information. Learn about building science using the library or Internet. For your energy related questions or comments email sranck@fpuc.com.
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