How to Test for Humidity in Your Corpus Christi Home

Knowing how to test for humidity in your Coastal Bend home takes the guesswork out of maintaining healthy levels for both you and your home. Ideal levels range from 40 to 55 percent. Levels above or below those can set the stage for physical discomfort and rapid infectious disease transmission when air is too dry, as well as problems with your home, its contents and structure.

A home that’s too humid, winter and summer, can also indicate serious issues associated with the heating and cooling system. A gas furnace that increases humidity rapidly may indicate a problem with venting or combustion, both of which can be life threatening. When the A/C isn’t removing adequate humidity, it needs professional attention.

Using Observation

• Any condensation in the winter on the inside of your windows indicates the humidity level may be too high.
• The appearance of mold or mildew almost always indicates the level is too high. If a musty odor is present, chances are either mold or mildew is growing somewhere, and knowing how to test for humidity can give you a head start on controlling its growth.
• Static electricity is a sure sign of air that’s too dry.
• Chapped lips, hands and fly-away hair occur when air is too dry.

Using Hygrometers

A hygrometer measures the amount of humidity in the air and it’s the easiest way to monitor humidity in your home. Inexpensive digital hygrometers measure the humidity quickly and are accurate.

For more information about how to test for humidity and your HVAC equipment, contact CCAC, providing top-notch HVAC services for South Texas homeowners since 1979.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about humidity and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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