Can You Dehumidify Too Much? - Novak Heating (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you dehumidify too much? ›

On the flip side, when the air is too dry, it can lead to skin irritations, dry sinuses, and noses, and even respiratory problems. Luckily, this issue is quite manageable with the right tools.

Dry, low-humidity air also causes physical damage to the home. Wood contains a certain amount of water, in ideal conditions, and when it loses too much moisture in dry air it experiences shrinkage. This can result in serious damage to flooring and furniture, or shifting window panes.

High humidity can alter air quality

With so much water vapor in the air during times of high humidity, airborne pollution particles can't disperse into the atmosphere as easily as they normally would. Humidity holds these particles close to the ground, increasing and sustaining the levels of air pollution around us.

We recommend that a dehumidifier be located in an area that does not go above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Should a Dehumidifier Run Constantly? No, your dehumidifier should not have to run constantly to regulate the air humidity. An optimal humidity level to shoot for is between 30 and 50 percent. Your dehumidifier should reach this in 8 to 12 hours.

Set the Right Humidity

To get your manually-controlled dehumidifier up and running, set its humidity level. You want it set at 30 – 50%. If there's too much moisture, you'll get dampness and mould. If there's too little moisture, your home will be too dry and attract bacteria.

You notice a lot of condensation

If your home has a moisture problem, one common sign is condensation—especially indoors on windows and walls. Condensation happens when warm, moist air meets a cooler surface, causing the moisture in the air to condense into water droplets.

You can find often that your white Westinghouse dehumidifier doesn't seem to be working properly, just as with any other appliance. Common issues include frost on the coils, a leaking tank, noisy operations, little or no water collected, no air flowing out of the unit, a terrible smell, and a broken humidistat.

The most common signs of structural damage due to high humidity include chipping paint or wood rot on window frames, wet walls resulting from condensation build-up, cracking floors, and plaster walls due to expansion and contraction caused by fluctuating temperatures between day and night as well as summer and winter ...

How much humidity is too much in winter? ›

In the winter months, the humidity level should be a little less to avoid condensation—around 30-40%. Since cold air doesn't hold as much moisture as warm air, it's important to find ways to improve the comfort level inside.

Be sure crawlspaces are well-ventilated. Use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens to remove moisture to the outside (not into the attic). Vent your clothes dryer to the outside. Turn off certain appliances (such as humidifiers or kerosene heaters) if you notice moisture on windows and other surfaces.

Dehumidifiers do not work well when the air temperature is lower than 40 degrees F. They rely on having a surface that is colder than the air to attract humidity. If the air temperature is below 40F the unit cannot get cold enough to attract moisture at the same rate that it does when the air temperature is warmer.

Running a dehumidifier in the summer months is one way to improve indoor air quality and help lower the occurrence of allergy symptoms and asthma attacks. By removing excess moisture from the home's air supply, whole house dehumidifiers help reduce allergens such as mildew and mold growth in the home environment.

Rooms with severe humidity issues require dehumidifiers to run more often and at higher speeds. This means more compressor usage and a higher chance of warm air being added to the room.

A dehumidifier can help reduce allergens and ease breathing but could worsen conditions like pneumonia if the air is too dry. It can also cause skin and hair problems, as well as worsen a dry cough or stuffy nose. A dehumidifier is an appliance that takes moisture out of the air in your home.

Experts generally agree that the ideal indoor humidity levels for comfort and for avoiding health effects are between 35 and 60 percent. When you're spending time in a home or workplace with humidity levels in excess of 60 percent, it's increasingly likely that you will experience certain health issues.

The ideal amount of humidity is around 30-50%. If your house's humidity is consistently higher than 50% or lower than 30%, you could be putting your home — and your health — at risk. If you have too much humidity in your home, you could face harmful mold and mildew growth, and even structural damage.

Eyes become dry and irritated, skin gets flaky and itchy and the low humidity inflames and dries out the mucous membrane lining the respiratory tract. As a result, the risk of cold, flu and other infections is substantially increased.