The effects of high humidity in the summer can spell trouble for your HVAC system as well as the air quality in your home. Not only can humidity increase buildup and strain on air conditioner parts, but it can also promote the growth of mold and bacteria, which contribute heavily to indoor air pollution. In St. Louis and the surrounding areas, the heating & air conditioning experts at Galmiche & Sons can help you prepare your air conditioner for the humid summer months, and make sure you don’t have buildup preventing your system from working correctly.
Other Effects of High Humidity
It is not just your HVAC system though! High humidity can impact all sorts of things, and these are just a few of the surprising ways it might affect you this summer:
- Body Temperature: One of the well-known effects of high humidity is that it makes it harder for sweat to evaporate, which means your internal temperature rises more quickly. As a result, the effects of high humidity can increase fatigue, dehydration, and other issues. Make sure to stay hydrated and cool in the humid summer months.
- Cooking & Baking: Dry ingredients used in baking, like flour and baking soda, soak up moisture, which means the effects of high humidity can impact your baking! You might need to use less water in a recipe if the effects of high humidity are turning your creations into a mushy mess.
- Musical Instruments: Most musical instruments are carefully crafted to create the right tones when played. The problem is, they often have wood components, which swell in the effects of high humidity, throwing off the sound. Store instruments in dryer parts of your home, and consider using a dehumidifier.
- Hardwood Floors: Again, wood is heavily affected by humidity, and it can cause expansion and warping in your floors. Similarly, doors might expand such that they need to be re-hung, and molding can warp too.
- Electronics: We all know to keep moisture away from sensitive electronics. This is why spilling a glass of water on your laptop can spell doom for the machine. But did you know that if humidity is high enough, it can cause condensation inside your electronics, creating all kinds of problems. Additionally, the condensation attracts dust, another problem for sensitive electronics.
- Mold and Bacteria: Humidity promotes the growth of mold and bacteria, and can also help these nasty things spread more easily around your home. Small particles stick well to water droplets, so one of the effects of high humidity in the home is more airborne mold and dust particles.
Controlling the Effects of High Humidity
When it comes to dealing with high humidity in summer, your air conditioner can help. It will pull some of the moisture out of the air as part of the normal cooling process, but there are limits to this. Rather than opening windows, use the AC to ventilate and cool your home — that way you are not bringing humidity into your home that your HVAC system will have to deal with later. You should also make sure you have the right size AC in your home. A unit that is too big will shut down early, having cooled the house before it removes all the humidity. Beyond that, installing additional systems such as dehumidifiers and UV lights can help improve indoor air quality and humidity levels.
Learn More About Combatting the Effects of High Humidity
If you have issues with the effects of high humidity and want to make sure your air conditioner is dealing with it effectively, get in touch with the heating & air conditioning experts at Galmiche & Sons in St. Louis today, and we can come to take a look!
