Protect Your Health and Home With a Reliable Whole House Dehumidifier

Humidity season has arrived! And the best way to combat and control it is with a reliable whole house dehumidifier. 

There’s no doubt you’ve felt the sticky, muggy feeling of humidity creeping in already. It isn’t even the official start of summer yet and we’ve already kickstarted the season with thunderstorms, high precipitation and intense heat in Ontario. 

Are you dreading that unpleasant dampness that can seep in and threaten your health and home all summer long? Most homeowners are! 

Thankfully, there’s a way to help mitigate, monitor and manage your humidity levels at home. 

The solution? A whole house dehumidifier. 

Dehumidifiers offer whole-home humidity control - providing drier, healthier, more comfortable air! 

Are you ready to start protecting your family’s health, home and budget this summer? Keep reading to discover the value of a dehumidifier installation!

But First, What Is Humidity? 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of how high humidity affects your health and home, we first have to understand,

a) What humidity is, 

b) How to measure humidity, and

c) Why humidity should matter to us. 

Let’s break it down!

What is humidity?

According to National Geographic, “Humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air.” The more vapour, or moisture, the higher the humidity. 

During the winter, humidity is very low - potentially causing dry skin, sore throats and nosebleeds. Why? When the air is cold, it struggles to retain moisture.

During the summer, humidity is much higher - sometimes too high. Why? Because warm air can retain much more water vapour than cold air can.

How is humidity measured?

Relative humidity measures how much water vapour is in the air at a specific temperature compared to how much water vapour that air can actually hold. 

At 100% relative humidity, the moisture content in the air is at capacity. Fog can occur when relative humidity is at, or near, 100%. You may also see extreme rain when relative humidity is this high. 

According to Health Canada, homeowners should keep their humidity levels at 50% in the summer and 30% in the winter. 

Do you know the relative humidity of your home? 

Why should humidity matter to us?

A healthy and comfortable home begins with humidity control.

Our bodies actually NEED a good balance of humidity to function well. With too little, the body struggles to retain heat. With too much, the body can’t cool down! Humidity helps our bodies maintain a healthy temperature - season to season, indoors and outdoors!

This leads us to our next topic - how high humidity can negatively impact your health. 

How Does High Humidity Affect Your Health?

As mentioned above, too much humidity makes it difficult for our bodies to cool down. But that’s only one of many health symptoms associated with high humidity. 

Health Risks Of High Humidity:

• Fatigue 
• Heat Exhaustion 
• Dehydration 
• Heat Stroke (headaches, vomiting etc.)
• Muscle Cramping 

According to Health Canada, “dampness is one of the most common causes of poor indoor air in homes, classrooms and public spaces”. Why? Because moisture encourages the growth of mould and dust mites - bacteria that can cause significant health concerns - especially to those who are sensitive to these pathogens. 

Health Risks Associated With The Growth of Mould, Mildew and Dust Mites:

• Asthma and allergy symptoms
• Coughing
• Phlegm
• Wheezing 
• Shortness of breath 
• Irritation in the throat, nose and eyes.

Have you or a member of your family begun showing any of the above symptoms? If so, you must identify and solve the issue as quickly as possible. 

How Does High Humidity Affect Your Home?

Your health isn’t the only thing at risk when your humidity is too high. High humidity also exposes your home, furniture and belongings to mould and mildew growth. This growth could appear in your ceiling, walls, window panes, carpeting, fabrics, furniture, flooring etc. 

If you’re not sure whether you have high humidity, examine your home for the following tell-tale signs.

Signs of High Humidity In Your Home:

• Water stains on walls/ceilings. 

• Rotted and warped wood furniture/flooring. 

• A damp basement.

• Water damage. 

• Excess condensation on your windows.

• Musty odours. 

• Mould spots. 

Mould can begin growing in a damp area within only 48 hours. This means you have very little time to catch it before it becomes a much bigger issue - potentially costing you thousands of dollars in home repairs. 

What Is a Dehumidifier? How Does It Work?

The Weather Network, predicts a summer of storms and high humidity in Canada. In fact, they expect Ontario to experience an especially warm and humid season ahead.

What does this weather forecast mean for homeowners in Gravenhurst, Ontario? 

We need to start preparing our homes with reliable humidity control right away. And thankfully, we have a system built just for that - a whole house dehumidifier!

Whole house dehumidifiers are the best solution for total humidity control. And they install directly into your existing HVAC system too!

How does a dehumidifier work?

A dehumidifier draws in air, removes excess moisture and returns it to the living space again - dryer and healthier! And it all happens using the existing ductwork already hooked up to your cooling system. 

Homeowners can also control this process manually using a thermostat with built-in humidity sensors. This allows you to choose how warm and dry you’d like your home to be. 

Benefits of Installing a Dehumidifier:

• Prevents the growth of mould and mildew.
• Removes musty odours.
• Improves home comfort.
• Improves indoor air quality. 
• Reduces skin irritation. 
• Protects your home, furniture and belongings. 
• Helps maintain your family’s health and wellness.
• Improves sleep. 
• Mitigates allergy and asthma symptoms. 
• Removes dust mites.
• And more! 

A dehumidifier can also potentially reduce your energy bills! How? By improving the efficiency of your air conditioner. The more humid your air is, the more difficult it is for the AC unit to operate - costing you more in energy consumption. By reducing the moisture in your indoor air, you’re making it easier for your AC unit to function, which can save you money on your next energy bill!

Contact our Gravenhurst Indoor Air Quality Experts today! 

Are you ready to start protecting the health and wellbeing of your home and family? Install a whole house dehumidifier today! 

Contact our Gravenhurst indoor air quality specialists to learn more about our whole house dehumidifier solutions. 

Reach us at +1 705-687-3402 or info@gravenhurstplumbing.com. You can also fill in this form for a FREE QUOTE on one of our HealthyAire® Dehumidifiers!