No matter how you heat and cool your Anaheim, CA, home, you can count on your HVAC system for air filtration and humidity support. Although California’s wettest months are December, January, and February, Anaheim can also see a substantial amount of rainfall in both May and June. This warm, moist climate creates the perfect conditions for mold indoors and out. Fortunately, with a well-maintained and high-functioning HVAC system, you can protect your indoor air quality (IAQ), your property, and your health.
Why HVAC Humidity Control Is Important
Outdoor humidity affects your humidity indoors. When the air is muggy and heavy outside of our home, it will eventually become muggy and heavy in your living area. Wet air feels hotter than dry air. This causes residents to run their HVAC systems longer and set their thermostats lower. Lacking adequate humidity control, you’ll likely have:
- Greater HVAC system wear
- Higher home energy bills
- A larger carbon footprint
- Less home comfort
Excess humidity can additionally lead to wet baseboards, windows, windowsills, and drywall, wood rot, warped furnishings, and dank, moldering odors. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mold begins to form whenever indoor humidity reaches or exceeds approximately 60%.
The Effects of High Indoor Humidity and Mold
Unaddressed mold in your home can wreak havoc on the health of everyone in it. It can be especially devastating for those with asthma, allergies, or other chronic respiratory ailments. The common symptoms of mold exposure include:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Frequent ear infections
- Nasal and sinus irritation
- Coughing, sneezing, and wheezing
Prolonged mold exposure can also cause skin rashes and general skin irritation, itchy, watery eyes, anxiety, and depression.
Unchecked mold causes problems within HVAC systems, too. From blocked filters and condensate lines to poor airflow and inefficient performance, mold can affect how your HVAC system performs and how long it lasts.
What Residential HVAC Systems Can Do
All the air that cycles through your HVAC system passes through its filter. This component removes larger airborne particulates like dirt, dust, hair, dander, and pollen. Without a clean and high-functioning air filter, your indoor air would be largely contaminated with materials that feed and sustain mold and other pathogens.
Many forms of HVAC equipment also provide ongoing and direct humidity support. During each heating or cooling cycle, these appliances additionally extract excess moisture and route it out of buildings via their condensate drain lines and drains.
Heat Pumps and Air Conditioners
Heat pumps and air conditioners use refrigerant to transfer heat and extract moisture. Their evaporator and condenser coils collect and condense airborne moisture and then release it along with accumulated heat.
Mini-Split HVAC Systems
Ductless mini-split heat pumps and air conditioners function a lot like central heat pumps and ACs. However, rather than having a single air handler, these systems have separate air handlers in every service area or zone. Mini-split systems collect excess humidity when transferring heat. They also route it out of buildings through their condensate drains.
Many mini-split air handlers have different mode settings for dry air. In dry mode, these appliances don’t transfer heat. Instead, they simply cycle air, extract airborne particulates, and remove excess moisture. Even if your home is already at a comfortable temperature, you can use your HVAC system’s dry mode setting to regulate humidity on rainy spring and summer days.
Condensing Furnaces
During the colder months of the year, many homes with furnaces lack HVAC humidity control. Unlike heat pumps and air conditioners, most furnaces aren’t built to remove excess moisture. These appliances naturally dry indoor areas out during operation by distributing hot, dry air with each heating cycle.
However, in winter, nighttime temperatures can dip as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Anaheim locals with muggy building interiors can experience ongoing humidity support from condensing furnaces. These appliances collect and condense indoor moisture during their heating cycles and move it out and away from buildings.
Fan Mode
If you don’t have a mini-split system with a dry mode setting, you can always use the fan setting on your central HVAC system’s thermostat to create dry conditions indoors. When in fan mode, central HVAC systems cycle air without heating or cooling it. This mode gets indoor air moving, and this extra circulation has a drying effect. The fan mode works well for well-ventilated buildings with mild and infrequent humidity concerns.
What Your HVAC System Can’t Do
Although your HVAC system can play an important role in keeping your indoor humidity below 60% and preventing mold development, it can’t put an end to existing mold infestations. If you already have pervasive mold problems, you need professional mold remediation. Often, this includes identifying and correcting the source of indoor moisture, such as slow and hidden plumbing leaks, slab leaks, or roof leaks.
Limited Humidity Extraction
For humidity extraction, all HVAC systems have limitations. If your indoor humidity is consistently 50% or higher, it could sneak dangerously close to 60% when Anaheim’s rainy season arrives, and outdoor moisture finds its way indoors.
This is a common issue in smaller buildings with many residents and in households that perform several hot, steamy baths and showers each day, use their clothes dryers often, or complete lots of indoor cooking projects. If you have multiple household-specific factors that regularly add humidity to your air, you may need secondary, integrated humidity support.
How to Optimize Your HVAC System’s Humidity Support
When poorly maintained, HVAC systems that are designed to extract excess moisture can add humidity to the air. This may be the case in your home if you regularly forget to check and change your HVAC air filter or neglect annual HVAC equipment maintenance.
During long periods of dormancy, heat pumps and air conditioners can develop sludgy, slimy buildups of algae, bacteria, and biofilm along their condensate drain lines. These buildups inhibit airflow, impede humidity regulation, and create wet, muggy conditions indoors.
What to Do If Your Home Feels Hot and Muggy
If your air conditioner or heat pump is running but your home feels hot and muggy, check and change your HVAC air filter. You should inspect this component at least once each month and replace it every 30 to 90 days.
Schedule Professional HVAC Maintenance
All air conditioners and heaters require annual AC maintenance and heating tune-ups from licensed HVAC companies. However, many Anaheim residents use heat pumps for year-round climate control. With year-round use, heat pumps need professional maintenance twice annually or once every 180 days.
Consider Installing Integrated HVAC Accessories
If your HVAC air filter is clean and you’re caught up on HVAC system maintenance, excess moisture during heat pump or AC operation could mean that you need a whole-house dehumidifier. These integrated HVAC accessories are installed on or in HVAC air ducts and can keep indoor moisture levels below 60% even in densely populated buildings and highly active households.
Add Ventilation
Ventilation is one of the most overlooked components of residential climate control. Although creating an airtight home envelope is a great way to keep your conditioned air from seeping outdoors, overly tight home envelopes trap excess moisture and micro-fine contaminants inside. You can schedule a professional home comfort consultation to find out whether adding additional mechanical ventilation or installing a whole-house dehumidifier is the right choice for your home.
We here at Sano Heating & Air Conditioning help Anaheim locals optimize their home comfort, protect their families, and save cash with cutting-edge HVAC services. We offer heating, cooling, zoning, and indoor air quality services. We also provide HVAC air duct repairs and installation.
To learn more about controlling your home’s humidity during the local rainy season, get in touch with Sano Heating & Air Conditioning today.
