Is Your Home Stuffy in the Summer? Here’s How to Fix It.
While summer is nearing its end, cooling season isn’t quite over just yet. Many homeowners are still struggling to stay comfortable with the high humidity levels we’ve been seeing in Marin, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties recently. While your humid home is certainly an inconvenience, it can also cause problems for your indoor air quality as well.
The EPA recommends that indoor humidity levels stay within a 30-50% range to keep your home protected from mold growth and damage. Luckily, the team at Hassler can provide several solutions to reducing your indoor humidity level, improving your air quality, and keeping you comfortable so you can enjoy the last days of summer.
Start With a Home Energy Audit
When you’re experiencing comfort issues in your home, it’s important to understand exactly what’s causing them—and an Full energy assessment from Hassler can do just that! Also referred to as an energy audit, these diagnostic tests can help pinpoint why your home is so humid and stuffy, whether it’s a malfunctioning air conditioner, an under-insulated attic, a moist crawlspace, or inadequate ventilation.
Using specialized tools like an infrared camera and blower door test we’ll analyze your home’s insulation and discover any significant air leaks that are allowing moisture to infiltrate your living spaces.
A home energy audit can be a valuable tool in identifying and addressing high humidity issues in a home. Excessive humidity can lead to various problems, including discomfort, mold growth, and increased energy costs. Here are some examples of how a home energy audit can help solve the problem of high humidity in a home:
Identification of Moisture Sources: During a home energy audit, a professional auditor will thoroughly inspect your home to identify potential sources of moisture. This can include leaky pipes, roof leaks, improper ventilation, or water infiltration through the foundation. Identifying and addressing these sources can help reduce indoor humidity.
Assessment of Insulation and Air Sealing: Poor insulation and inadequate air sealing can contribute to humidity problems. An energy auditor will evaluate your home's insulation levels and check for air leaks that may allow warm, moist outdoor air to infiltrate your home. Addressing insulation and air sealing issues can help maintain consistent indoor humidity levels.
HVAC System Evaluation: The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system plays a crucial role in controlling indoor humidity. An energy audit will assess the performance of your HVAC system, including the sizing and efficiency of your air conditioner and dehumidification capabilities. If your system is improperly sized or inefficient, it can lead to humidity problems.
Ventilation Assessment: Proper ventilation is essential for maintaining healthy indoor air quality and controlling humidity. An energy auditor will check the functionality of exhaust fans in areas like the kitchen and bathroom and assess the effectiveness of your home's overall ventilation strategy. Improving ventilation can help remove excess moisture from the air.
Recommendations for Improvements: Based on the findings of the energy audit, you will receive recommendations for improvements. These may include sealing air leaks, upgrading insulation, repairing leaks, installing a dehumidification system, or upgrading your HVAC equipment to better control humidity.
Summer Indoor Air Quality Solutions
Poor indoor air quality can come from a variety of sources, like the excess moisture in the air, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and combustion appliances. Each pollutant that is affecting the air your breathe will have a different solution and based on your home energy assessment, we’ll likely recommend one of the following services:
Air Purification System
At Hassler, we install IQAir air purification systems that have the capability to remove a wide variety of pollutants in your home. These world-class air purifiers come in either standalone systems for single rooms or whole-home solutions that connect directly to your home’s HVAC system. The features of IQAir air purification systems include:
Filters ultrafine particles down to 0.003 microns—including viruses & bacteria
Versatility for any home
Better than MERV 16 rating—the highest rating possible!
Quiet operation
Smart home integration
And more!
Insulation Upgrades & Air Sealing
Insulation and air sealing play a crucial role in your home’s performance by creating an airtight barrier between the living spaces of your home and the outdoors. When unwanted airflow occurs in your home not only will your air quality suffer, you’ll end up with high energy bills and uneven temperatures.
The benefits of both insulation and air sealing are enhanced when the services are combined, bringing many benefits in your home, like:
Longer lifespan for your HVAC equipment
Better indoor air quality
Lower heating & cooling bills
A more comfortable home
Air Conditioning & Heat Pump Services
When your air conditioner is working properly, it’ll dehumidify your home. If it’s not functioning correctly, we provide diagnostic services to find the right solution based on the age of your AC and other factors.
AC / Heat Pump Maintenance - Annual maintenance is the key to keeping your AC or Heat Pump system working efficiently and Hassler offers peace of mind with our VIP Club Memberships! These comprehensive maintenance plans offer priority scheduling, discounts on repairs, and more!
AC / Heat Pump Repair - We offer heat pump and air conditioning repair on most makes and models of ACs and heat pumps and our team is knowledgeable in order to find solutions to just about any problem with your cooling system.
AC / Heat Pump Replacement - Sometimes a replacement cooling system is the most cost-effective solution to your Cooling problems and the Hassler team can help find the right system for your home. From traditional air conditioners to high-efficiency heat pumps—we’ve got you covered.
Experience the Hassler Difference With Your Home’s Performance
Regardless of what your home needs in order to improve your indoor air quality and decrease humidity levels, Hassler is your one-stop-shop in the East Bay! Our team views your whole home as an interconnected system, which allows us to see how each appliance and component works together to contribute to its efficiency and health and find long-lasting solutions. The Hassler team even stays informed on the latest rebates, tax credits, and other incentives to make your home performance upgrades even more affordable.