Reducing Humidity In the Home

Your central air conditioner works hard to keep your home cool during the hot and humid summer days. However, much of the heat and humidity could actually be coming from inside your home. Here are the main heat sources in the home that can make your AC work harder.

1. Lighting – If you’re using incandescent light bulbs as much as 90% of the energy sent to the bulb is converted to heat. Consider upgrading to more energy efficient CFL or LED, which run much cooler while using far less electricity.

2. Cooking – Kitchens are a major source of heat and humidity inside the home. When the weather is hot, cook outside on a grill or use a microwave instead of an oven or range.

3. Laundry – Clothes dryers generate a lot of heat and humidity. Consider hanging clothes outside on a laundry line. Or, have an exhaust fan installed in the laundry room to vent the hot air outside.

4. Dishwashers – During hot weather washing dishes in the sink will reduce heat and humidity. If you run the dishwasher turn off the heat dry and let the dishes air dry instead.

5. Ventilation – Bathrooms and kitchens create a significant amount of humidity in the home. If existing ventilation fans are not effective at removing the humid, stale air, consider installing new ventilation to circulate the air.