Finding the best humidity level in your house can be a delicate balancing act. When the humidity levels are too high, the air will feel uncomfortably wet and stuffy. You will begin sweating more, but the air is so humid that your sweat does not evaporate quickly. The high humidity environment will force your body to work harder to cool off, which leads to excessive sweating.

There are negative consequences with prolonged periods of high humidity. You may experience allergy flare-ups, respiratory problems, and sleep interruptions. In addition, you may notice the gradual growth of mould and mildew within your surroundings. Once these fungi begin to grow, they will only continue until your humidity problem is properly addressed.

A hygrometer can read the humidity levels and measure the amount of moisture in the air. The ideal indoor humidity level should be around 30% to 50%. If the rating exceeds this range, you need to find effective ways on how to reduce the humidity in your house.

Below are seven ideas on how to lower humidity and bring it down to an acceptable level:

1. Use a dehumidifier to lower humidity in the house.

A dehumidifier is an absolute necessity on how to reduce high humidity in the house. The dehumidifier will help to remove excess moisture as the air passes through the device. Once the air reaches you, it will feel cooler and drier as a result.

In addition, the dehumidifier can help to reduce some of the common allergens in the air, such as dust mites, mould spores, and mildew. The powerful device can also make your home smell better by reducing any musty or rotting odours. With the dehumidifier running quietly in the background, you will end up with healthier indoor air quality throughout your house.

2. Fix any leaking pipes around the house.

Leaking pipes lead to excess moisture and condensation, which are common culprits for the high humidity around the house. Check your pipes, faucets, and plumbing fixtures for any possible leaks. You should also check your gutters, which are one of the likeliest sources of indoor water leaks.

If you identify a leak, wrap the exposed pipe with insulation. Your goal is to minimize moisture and prevent condensation from infiltrating your home through these openings. While the smaller leaks could be difficult to detect at first, some of the possible signs include stained drywall, wet spots, and inconsistent water bills.

3. Use your air conditioner to reduce humidity.

Your air conditioning system can be used to lower high humidity levels in the house. An air conditioner works by introducing cool air and removing warm air simultaneously. During the process of absorbing heat, the air conditioner also removes some of the moisture from the air. This makes the air less humid as a result.

In order to maximize its effectiveness, make sure your air conditioner is functioning properly and maintained regularly. The air filter should also be frequently cleaned. Using the air conditioner to regulate your humidity levels is recommended in summer, but you will need alternative solutions during the cold winter months.

4. Open the windows to lower humidity levels.

If you need a quick and temporary way to lower the humidity in your house, an open window could prove to be useful. The act of opening a window isn’t going to eliminate humidity altogether, but it will help to improve the air flow. The increased circulation will be effective in evaporating more moisture, so you should notice less humidity in the air.

5. Limit the amount of plants in your house.

When you have many indoor plants in your home, high humidity is more likely to occur. As lovely as plants are, they do release a lot of moisture into the air. In order to control the humidity levels, you can either move the plants outside or limit the amount of plants within your indoor spaces. If you keep the plants inside, place them in a room with proper ventilation.

6. Use your ventilation fans in the kitchen and washroom.

Many modern homes are built with ventilation fans in the washrooms and exhaust fans in the kitchens. Use these fans wisely to reduce the excess humidity in your house. These fans are designed to extract damp air from the area. If you leave the fans powered on for a while, this will help to reduce the humidity levels in your home.

7. Dehumidify a room with charcoal briquettes.

Using charcoal briquettes is an interesting way to lower the humidity levels. Take a few clean charcoal briquettes, put them in a basket, and place these strategically around the high humidity sections of your home. Since charcoal can absorb a lot of moisture, the briquettes will be effective in reducing humidity over time. They can be replaced every few months for maximum impact.

Does your thermostat drop below its set temperature frequently? This can be a frustrating problem when your home’s temperature and your thermostat’s settings do not seem to match. No matter how much you adjust the thermostat, the temperature always falls short of the optimal level, resulting in a colder house than anticipated.

A functioning thermostat will regulate the right amounts of warmth and coolness in our homes. Quite understandably, we expect the thermostat to regulate at a consistent temperature that corresponds with our predetermined settings. If the thermostat drops below the set temperature, this brings into question whether the HVAC system works or not.

There could be numerous reasons why your thermostat drops below the set temperature. Some problems are simple to fix, while others will require more professional HVAC expertise to decipher. Below are eight common explanations about why the thermostat drops below a set temperature:

Reason #1: Your thermostat is improperly calibrated.

As with any piece of technology, the thermostat may become faulty from time to time. This affects its ability to assess the temperature accurately. Due to these technical glitches, the thermostat could indicate a lower (or higher) number than the actual temperature.

To fix this problem, follow the instruction manual to ensure the thermostat is properly calibrated. The calibration process may vary between different thermostat models, but it should be simple and straightforward to perform. Every thermostat will require calibration, regardless of whether you have a manual model or a digital version.

Reason #2: Your thermostat is broken and needs to be replaced.

Sometimes, a thermostat is so completely broken that no amount of calibration will fix it. You will know your thermostat is malfunctioning if it causes your heater to turn on and off at inappropriate times. This is one of the most common warning signs that your thermostat could be broken. Other warning signs may include a non-responsive thermostat that won’t turn on or power off properly.

If you have a broken thermostat, the HVAC professional may be able to fix your device depending on the problem. Otherwise, you will have to replace the broken thermostat with a new version instead.

Reason #3: The outdoor unit is broken and not running properly.

If the thermostat is working properly, then the problem may lie within your HVAC system. A broken outdoor unit could lead to less efficiency in your heating and cooling systems. Since the unit doesn’t operate at its full potential, you may get weaker power and lower temperatures as a result.

The prospective problems with HVAC units tend to be diverse and complex, ranging from a defective valve to a faulty run capacitor. Unless you have the technical expertise, you will need professional technicians to troubleshoot the HVAC system. Depending on the diagnosis, further repairs or a full system replacement may be necessary.

Reason #4: The temperature is too cold outside.

Winter can be an intensely cold season with plummeting temperatures. If the outdoor temperatures drop too much, your heat pump may experience a loss of efficiency under these extreme weather conditions.

Most heat pumps are built with a supplemental heating system that kicks in to give it extra power during the cold. However, the outdoor temperature could drop to a point where your heat pump is simply not powerful enough. In other words, the warmth that it generates cannot sustain against the coldness of winter.

Reason #5: The outdoor unit is frozen and covered in ice.

Along with the cold temperatures, snow and ice are quite prevalent during the winter season. During a snowstorm, the coil of your heat pump might be covered in a layer of ice. If these coils are completely blocked by ice, the heat transfer between the refrigerant and the outside air cannot occur. As soon as these coils are cleared, you can expect your desired temperature to come roaring in again.

Reason #6: Your furnace isn’t the right size.

When a furnace is inappropriately sized, this could cause heating issues inside a home. A furnace that is too small may not have the power to reach high temperatures. Conversely, a furnace that is too large may warm the air so quickly that it overheats faster than the thermostat expects.

Reason #7: Your home isn’t adequately insulated.

Warm temperature has a way of escaping from poorly insulated homes. The easiest way to check your home insulation is to feel the interior ceilings, walls, and floors. If they are warm and dry during winter, this is a good signal. If they are damp or cold, you haven’t applied enough insulation.

Reason #8: There are leaking ducts in your home.

Your HVAC system is significantly impacted by the leaking ducts in your attics, crawlspaces, and basements. When there is a leak, the heated air will escape through these openings and never arrive at their intended destination. The leaky ducts will create cold spots, heat losses, and uneven temperatures throughout your home.