Homeowner guide
Humidity and indoor air quality
Humidity affects comfort, health and your home itself. Kentucky gives you both extremes: sticky summers and dry winters.
The target
The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally between 30% and 50%. An inexpensive hygrometer from a hardware store will tell you where you are.
Summer: cool but clammy?
Your air conditioner removes moisture as it cools. A system that's too big for the house cools quickly and shuts off before it has dried the air, so the house feels cool but damp. Running the fan on On can also put moisture from the coil back into the air. Try Auto first. If the house stays above 60%, a whole-home dehumidifier or a properly sized system may be the fix.
Winter: dry air
Heating dries the air, which can mean static shocks, dry skin and gaps in wood floors. A whole-home humidifier can help, but keep it below the level where windows fog or frost.
Cleaner air
- Start with the right filter. See Air filters: how often and why.
- UV lights mounted at the indoor coil help keep mold and bacteria from growing on it.
- Keep the drain pan and line clean so standing water doesn't turn musty.