Humidity Control

A couple hours after I got out of the shower made it official - it's fall. I always know when it is officially fall for me when I first notice a dry spot of skin on my arm, particularly after a shower. Of course, you can always check your local weather or the temperature/humidity gauge in your home, but I prefer my officially unofficial method. Regardless of how you come to this conclusion, the results of this will be the same - dry skin, a sore throat in the mornings, more dust in the air, and chapped lips. Severity of these things will vary, but there is a relatively simple solution to this wintertime problem.

All of the problems listed above are a symptom of less moisture in the air. While this can be a great thing in terms of reducing dust mites and mold in your home, air that is too dry, just as air that is too moist, can have a negative impact. In the Southeast, as well as other parts of the U.S., fall can be a very dry time of year. Low humidity, little to no rain, and cooler fall temperatures can all work to make your home a little less than comfortable, but the simple solution is to put moisture back into the air in your home with a home humidifier.

Humidifiers use ordinary tap water and put much needed moisture back into the air in your home. An indoor relative humidity level between 40 and 50% can mean you lose less of your body's natural moisture. A steady relative humidity level can also reduce dust. As humidity levels drop, dust particles do not stick together or clump. Instead of tiny cluster of dust particles that are more likely to settle out on the floor (where you can vacuum them up), the remain separate, lighter and more likely to float through the air that you breath. Air that is very dry can actually leach away moisture from wood trim and furniture, moisture that keeps these things from cracking and splitting.

By putting moisture back into the air you can relieve many of these symptoms. If you already own a humidifier, now is the time to pull it out of the closet or garage and do a few minutes of maintenance. Typical humidifier upkeep can include changing demineralization cartridges or mineral pads, removing scale from internal components with a homemade solution or premade cleaning or descaling powder like EZ Cal, replacing any ionic or silver sticks (that prevent microbe growth), and simply wiping the humidifier down and testing to make sure it is working properly.

By maintaining the proper humidity level throughout the fall and winter months, you can do much to avoid dry and cracked sinuses, dry skin and other problems, common during this part of the year.

Author: KevvyG

Throughout the South and Southeast, Hurricane Isaac is having a two-fold effect. In some areas, the heavy rains are providing much needed relief from drought conditions. Though in other areas, the rains are so intense that they are causing severe flooding of homes and businesses. When storms like Isaac hit, there is little you can do to prevent severe flooding from causing damage, and often you are simply left cleaning up after the fact. Take precautions when cleaning up after a flood and avoid the hidden dangers that floodwaters can often hold.

• Mold - Mold spores are ever-present, and unless you live or work in a highly specialized area where the filtration is exceptional, there are mold spores around you every day. Air purifiers can lessen the mold spores in the air but because they so ubiquitous, they are difficult to completely eliminate. Severe flooding can cut power and put homes under several inches to several feet of water. The warmth of summer and introduction of this excess moisture makes flooded homes ripe for mold growth.
• Cholera - Though instances of Cholera are rare in the United States, severe flooding can cause major problems as water treatment plants and other infrastructure that handle waste waters can back up and contaminate flood waters. Hurricane Isaac has raised worries of a flare up in cases of Cholera in Haiti.
• West Nile - Standing water is the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and with mosquitoes come a host of problems. In recent years, cases of West Nile, spread through mosquito bites, have risen throughout the South. This year in particular has seen a spike in West Nile cases and fatalities. Receding flood waters can leave pools of water where mosquitoes lay eggs and further the spread of diseases like West Nile. While spraying efforts can dampen the effect, wearing loose fitting clothing and using repellents can do much to alleviate this hazard.

Other mosquito-borne illnesses (like malaria) as well as other bacteria and viruses can also use flood waters as a breeding ground and means of dissemination.

Though weather caused flooding is not often preventable, there is much you can do to limit the damage and health problems that can arise from flood waters. Using proper protection during clean up, like gloves, HEPA masks, and rubber boots can limit exposure to harmful viruses, while heavy duty air purifiers and water damage dehumidifiers can inhibit mold growth and filter out airborne contaminants.

If you have weathered summer storms, take care while cleaning up after the fact and don't let one major problem spiral in to several others.

For more information on flood water clean up or the health effects of excess moisture.

Author: Kevin Gilmore

As allergy and environmental control specialists, we have a variety of checklists and steps, from allergy proofing your bedroom to >easy ways to control indoor humidity, that we recommend to reduce allergens in your home and office. As with any advice, it's really only effective if you follow it. A recent study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology underscores these same points as well as how renters and homeowners differ in how far they go in addressing their indoor environmental issues.

For allergy, asthma and MCS sufferers, the key point in allergen avoidance is changing the conditions in your home that create or foster the allergens. In terms of allergies and asthma, removing carpet in favor of smooth flooring, using allergy bedding, HEPA air purifiers and vacuum cleaners, and controlling humidity with a dehumidifier are all important and fairly easy ways to reduce conditions favorable for dust mites and mold. Of things like this, the only one that really is not easy to accomplish for a renter, vs. a homeowner, is removing the carpet. But if removing carpet is really the only large task on here that separates what a renter vs. homeowner can change indoors, why did 91% of homeowners make recommended changes while only 63% of their renting counterparts followed the same advice?

Perhaps people feel less "vested" in a home they rent as opposed to one they own. Certainly washing your bedding in hot water, to kill dust mites, isn't too much to ask? The study is unclear as to WHY people are less apt to make environmental changes, but when connecting this to housing bubble and falling home ownership rates, it is somewhat alarming that this growing population is less likely to affect their indoor environment as much as they could.

Regardless of whether you own a home or rent, there are a variety of ways you can improve allergies and asthma by making a few changes around your home. First, invest in quality allergy bedding. Once you have it, be sure to wash your standard bedding, regularly and in hot water. You can use a laundry additive or special detergent that denatures protein allergens, but if that is too expensive, simply wash your bedding in hot water.

Second, keep the humidity level in check. You can pick up a very inexpensive hygrometer to check the relative humidity in any room in your home. A room dehumidifier is a simple yet effective way to reduce humidity in your home to levels where dust mites and mold cannot grow (45% or less).

Lastly, use some type of air filter. A HEPA air purifier is the best solution, and they range in price to fit nearly any budget. If that's still too expensive, use a quality furnace filter. A high quality air HVAC filter can make a big difference in the air quality in your home.

Though cost is always a concern when making improvements around the home, the best way to approach the situation is to take a slightly different approach. When you take steps and use products to reduce allergens and humidity in your home, you're not only improving your home but more importantly, improving your health!

Author: Kevin Gilmore

I began noticing it a few days ago, but a quick run through the Weather Channel or flipping through a few webpages confirms it. July is here, and for the 4th, he brought friends - heat and humidity. While most of us weather these conditions with varying degrees of sweatiness, high humidity can present a unique set of challenges throughout the summer, and if not properly managed can lead to insects and mold throughout your home.

Relative humidity levels across the country are starting to spike into the 65-78% range, and typically you will notice high humidity in the mornings. This is a perfect example of how temperature can effect relatively humidity. If the moisture is constant but the temperature sinks, that same amount of moisture represents a larger portion of the overall moisture that the air can hold at that particular temperature. (Who said Bill Ney the Science Guy wasn't educational?)

During warm summer months, the moisture levels in your home can increase. As the moisture in the outside air increases, so too does it in your home. Many of us run air conditioning throughout the summer months, and while this does wonders to alleviate higher temps, it can actually cause the relatively humidity in a home to increase. This is why you can sometimes be indoors but still feel "sticky" during the summer.

Air conditioners use refrigerant to cool the air while a fan or blower pushes it throughout your home. As the air passes over refrigerated coils, the temperature is driven down and moisture will precipitate out, which is why you almost always have condensate lines running from any style of refrigerant air conditioner.

Where the air conditioner can falter a bit is in the moisture removal process. While some moisture precipitates out, the lower temperature in the home means that the remaining water in the air makes up a higher percentage of the relative humidity. This where a dehumidifier, working in conjunction with your air conditioner can help.

Refrigerant style dehumidifiers, work on the same principles as an air conditioner EXCEPT, instead of putting cold air back into the room, the air is warmed before it exits. This warmed air acts like a magnet for moisture and as it recirculates through the dehumidifier, makes the drying process more efficient.

In specific areas of the home, like your basement, ground floor or even crawlspace, the air can feel particularly damp, though cool. In these spaces a dehumidifier can remove excess moisture and actually make the cooling process of the air conditioner more efficient.

Whether you use a room dehumidifier like a Danby or opt for a unit that ties directly into the HVAC like an Aprilaire whole home dehumidifier, both can increase cooling efficiency in the home and better reduce humidity than an air conditioner alone. This is important because not only can mold thrive in conditions of 50% relatively humidity or higher, but insects LOVE moist air. When they're thirsty they cannot simply saunter up to the faucet and pour themselves a refreshing glass of water. Instead, they are constantly absorbing moisture through their skin. So by reducing the humidity in any given space you make that space less hospitable for insects.

So as the 4th of July approaches, don't let heat and humidity invite even more friends to the party (mold and insects). Unwanted guests are simply that, unwanted, and these two in particular can tend to linger well after the festivities end. If excess moisture is a problem in your home or your home feels cool but still sticky, consider a dehumidifier to help remedy the problem.

Author: Kevin Gilmore

* Editor's Note: We apologize, but there seems to have been a glitch with the comments section on our blog. It's fixed now, but we’ve missed out on some really interesting comments from our readers! So keep it up, and you should start seeing your comments appear. Enjoy today’s post!

While it is only March but, Spring is well upon us. The trees and flowers are in bloom; pollen’s in the air, and it seems like it might be a good time to pull the dehumidifier out of winter hibernation to prep for this spring and summer. Maintenance is not extensive, but it is important in keeping your dehumidifier running properly throughout the wettest part of the year.

Depending on where you have been storing the unit, it’s always a good idea to do a visual inspection, and for good reason. One spring I pulled my dehumidifier out of an out-building I had been storing it in, only to find the power cord had been chewed into thirds. You will also want to check the tank, and while many have smaller openings, it never hurts to inspect for… critters or things that might be nesting.

A cloth dampened with warm water or a mild soapy mix will remove most markings, dirt or debris on the exterior, and it never hurts to spray parts of the dehumidifier tank that touch water with Vital Oxide. I have found this to be an indispensible tool when sanitizing or removing mold around the house.

Most modern dehumidifiers come with an air filter. Some, like Aprilaire dehumidifiers are styled similar to your HVAC filter, and work well at trapping large and medium sized particles that can accumulate and damage the motor and fan. Others are simply a mesh type filter meant to really only keep dust bunnies and hair out of the unit. Replace the filter if needed or simply use compressed air to blow the filter out.

For larger dehumidifiers, you may have easy access to the coils or motor. If so, now is the perfect time to again use compressed air to blow out debris, dust or dirt that may be accumulating around the coils or motor. Take care to use a lower pressure air as not to damage the soft copper or aluminum coils.

After you’ve reassembled the dehumidifier, you’re all set to try it out. Before you start the machine, be sure that is has sat in the normal, upright, operating position for 24 hours (particularly if it has been stored on its side or for some reason, upside down.... don't ask).

With all the complete, plug it in, and turn it on. If you have any problems, check the tank. An improperly seated water tank is the most frequent and easily remidied problem. Next, take a look at the troubleshooting section in the user manual. If you don’t have the manual, check the product page on our site, as each will have a copy. If all else fails, contact us or the manufacturer to try and resolve any issues.

A dehumidifier is an important part of many households across the country. So when the humidity goes up and the rain falls down, keep mold growth and dust mite levels in check by maintaining the proper relative humidity with a home dehumidifier.