Setting the Right Humidity Level in Your Home
What is the Ideal Humidity Setting?

Did you know there are optimal humidity levels you can establish for your HVAC system? Setting the right humidity level is essential for your family’s comfort and to protect your furnishings and other items in your home.

According to Carrier, the ideal humidity level is between 30% and 50 or 60%, depending on the season, your personal preference, size of your home, and climate. In North Jersey we have cold winters with dry air and hot, sticky summers, so maintaining the optimal humidity level changes throughout the year.

The importance of proper humidity levels

• Problems due to low humidity:
  • We’re all aware of that dry winter air that creates static electricity or causes dry skin and eyes, chapped lips, irritated nasal passages, and more.
  • That dry air can also cause wood furniture, trim and flooring to crack or damage electronics and musical instruments.
  • Low humidity (under 30%) can also reduce indoor air quality—so it’s important to have the optimal moisture levels in your home (not too low, not too high). This is especially true for people who suffer from asthma or other bronchial conditions, since low humidity can worsen symptoms because of the increased airway irritation.
• Problems due to high humidity: When indoor humidity is excessive (over 50%), this is equally uncomfortable and damaging in different ways.
  • First, the indoor air will feel sticky and it can be hard for the body to cool down, which may lead to dehydration in some people, especially the elderly or physically vulnerable.
  • Too much moisture in the air can become a breeding ground for allergens and pathogens (such as bacteria, mold, mildew, and dust mites). Those can trigger allergies or respiratory issues. Therefore, humidity levels that are too high also can impact your health.
  • Prolonged high humidity can lead to warped wood (floors, doors, furniture), damaged paint and wallcoverings, and damaged insulation.
  • Certain appliances and electronics may be vulnerable to high humidity levels.

The ideal humidity range for North Jersey homes
The recommended humidity range of 30-60% balances the air’s moisture levels—not too dry, not too moist. This lowers the chances of health problems and property damage. However, every house and its structure is different; your HVAC contractor can recommend the best range for your home, which may be more like 30-45% (depending on furnishings, belongings, and structural features).

• Winter levels: As we noted above, the air is usually drier during winter; Carrier recommends keeping the humidity level between 30% and 60% to prevent the problems associated with dryness.
• Summer levels: Since the air is naturally more humid during the summer, a slightly lower humidity range is recommended, between 30-45%, which will prevent issues associated with excess moisture.

How to maintain ideal indoor air humidity
Make sure your home’s insulation is doing its job—part of which is helping retain moisture and temperature in the house, and preventing it from being affected by outdoor air. Proper ventilation, from central air conditioning to using exhaust fans to opening windows when appropriate, will prevent stagnant air from forming and will reduce excessive moisture buildup.

While those are important, installing a whole-home humidifier is the most effective course of action.

Whole-home humidification
Adding a whole-home humidifier or dehumidifier effectively achieves that balance between dry and moist throughout the year; these devices help regulate indoor humidity levels to keep your home more comfortable and reduce the risk of mold or mildew growth. The choice between adding a humidifier or dehumidifier depends on whether you need to add or remove moisture from the air.

Whole-home units exceed the performance of a portable unit in one room because they are installed on the HVAC system and distribute (or remove) humidity evenly throughout the home. In the winter months in our part of New Jersey, humidifiers are the way to go.

At Bloomfield Cooling, Heating & Electric (a Carrier factory authorized dealer), we sell and install a range of reliable, efficient products that will help you maintain optimal humidity levels in your home. We recently shared information about the benefits of a whole-home humidifier as well as the different types we install in this blog article. If for some reason your home has chronically high humidity or you want to automatically reduce the air’s moisture content during the summer, we can discuss installing a whole-home dehumidifier instead. Both products integrate directly with your HVAC system.

Contact our office to discuss humidification options and set up an appointment at 973.237.0505.