When the thermostat says one thing but your body thinks another, more than likely the indoor humidity level is responsible. Besides affecting health and comfort levels, humidity or the lack thereof raises energy costs when you compensate by raising or lowering the temperature.
Low Humidity in Winter
Low humidity makes indoor air feel cooler. The moisture on skin evaporates faster when there is less water vapor, which makes you feel cooler. Instead of turning up the thermostat to increase the air temperature, try to increase the humidity by:
- Using the kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans less often. The steam from cooking and bathing will help replenish the humidity. You can also simmer water on the stove, use indoor plants to add moisture to the air, or use portable humidifiers or vaporizers.
- Installing a whole house humidifier that attaches to your furnace. These systems use water-absorbing media and fans to add water vapor to the air that blows through the ductwork. Once the humidity reaches a comfortable level, you can turn the temperature down a few degrees, which over the course of the winter, saves your energy dollars.
High Humidity in the Summer
High humidity makes indoor air feel warmer. The moisture on your skin evaporates more slowly and your body won’t cool as quickly. Too much indoor humidity increases energy costs in two ways. First, the “feels like” temperature is higher and its human nature to turn the thermostat down. Second, it takes a lot of energy to remove the water vapor from the air through condensation.
Before installing a new cooling system, be sure the HVAC contractor uses Manual J to size it precisely for your home. An A/C that’s too large leaves humidity behind. You can also lower cooling costs and the humidity levels by having an HVAC technician clean the evaporator coil for the A/C during its annual tuneup to boost dehumidification.
Managing indoor humidity throughout the year increases your health and comfort as well as lowering energy costs. For more information, contact Ace Hardware Home Services, providing trusted HVAC services for Dayton-area homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
