High indoor humidity can make your house feel muggy, sticky, and extremely uncomfortable. If it gets out of control, it can even lead to problems like mold and structural damage.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to solve indoor humidity problems. But first, you have to figure out what’s causing it.
In this guide, we explain the most common causes of high indoor humidity and how to fix them. Let’s dive in.
Common Causes of High Indoor Humidity
1. You Have Poor Ventilation
If you don’t have enough ventilation in your house, moisture from everyday activities like showering and cooking can get trapped inside. This can lead to a lot of moisture in the air, especially in your bathrooms and kitchen.
2. Your AC Isn’t Dehumidifying Properly
Your air conditioner doesn’t just keep your house cool—it also pulls moisture out of the air. If your air conditioner isn’t doing its job properly, you’ll end up with high humidity levels in your house.
This can happen for a few reasons:
Your AC is too big for your house. This causes it to cool the air too quickly, before it can dehumidify properly.
Your AC is too small for your house and not powerful enough to dehumidify it completely.
Your AC is dirty and needs maintenance.
Your AC is old and needs to be replaced.
3. Outdoor Air Is Getting Into Your House
Poor air sealing around windows and doors can let humid outdoor air leak in. In the summer, this can dramatically raise the indoor humidity level, especially if your HVAC system isn’t equipped to handle it.
How to Reduce the Humidity in Your House
Once you know where the humidity in your house is coming from, you can take steps to address it. At CARJON, we’ve been helping Rhode Island homeowners solve problems like excess humidity since 1989. Our team can take a look and recommend the best solution for your home. Some of the most common fixes include:
1. Improving Ventilation
Good ventilation is the key to maintaining a healthy indoor humidity level. We’ll evaluate your current ventilation system and make recommendations for improvements, like updating your bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans or installing a whole-home ventilation system.
2. Replacing Your Air Conditioner
Sometimes, you can fix a high humidity problem with AC maintenance or repairs. But if your system is the wrong size for your house or if it’s just too old, you might need a replacement.
We typically recommend replacing your air conditioner with a heat pump or ductless mini split heat pump. Variable speed heat pumps can dehumidify better than a traditional air conditioner. Plus, you get a more robust system that can heat and cool your home when you install a heat pump vs an air conditioner.
Right now, you can save on heat pump installation with incentives like Clean Heat Rhode Island, which offers rebates to help income-qualified homeowners install heat pumps!
3. Sealing Windows & Doors
It’s a good idea to air seal around windows and doors and other leaky areas in your house. You can have this done professionally, but it’s also a fairly easy DIY project you can handle with caulk and weatherstripping.
4. Installing a Whole-House Dehumidifier
In some cases, when you’ve exhausted all potential internal sources of humidity, you may need to install a whole-house dehumidifier. These systems are integrated into your central HVAC system and remove excess humidity from the air throughout your entire house.
Why High Humidity Is a Problem
Too much humidity in your house can cause serious problems, including:
Mold & Mildew: Excess moisture creates ideal conditions for mold growth.
Comfort Issues: Humid air feels warmer and heavier, making your house feel sticky and uncomfortable.
Health & Indoor Air Quality Problems: High humidity encourages mold, which can worsen asthma and allergies. It can also cause eczema flare-ups, worsen respiratory problems, and make it harder to sleep.
Water Damage - Humidity can lead to rot, warped wood, peeling paint, and other damage.
Stop Fighting Humidity—Solve It with CARJON!
A house that constantly feels damp and uncomfortable isn’t something you have to just live with. There are proven solutions to high indoor humidity that can lead to a healthier, more comfortable home.
At CARJON, we offer permanent solutions for high indoor humidity. Our team would be happy to diagnose the cause of your humidity problem and recommend the best solution, whether that’s an AC tune-up, ventilation improvements, or a new heat pump.
