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*Kilowatt Heating, Air Conditioning and Electrical no longer services whole-home humidifiers. For a full list of our indoor air quality services, please visit our website.
The temperatures in Southern California haven’t reached summer levels yet, although we’ve experienced a sprinkling of days above 85°F (hotter if you live farther inland). This is a time when we encourage all of our customers to prep their home cooling systems for the mid-year heat waves. It’s something we’ve brought up in recent posts, and whether you need to schedule regular air conditioning maintenance or you know it’s time to have a new AC system installed, now is the ideal time to act.
Today we want to focus on a factor, aside from the heat, that affects indoor comfort: humidity levels. The Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley areas swing between different humidity levels through spring and summer, and extremes on both ends aren’t enjoyable. But we offer solutions: installing a whole-house dehumidifier and/or humidifier.
The Trouble with High Humidity
High humidity is a familiar problem. There’s a reason people joke about how a scorching hot day isn’t so bad because “it’s a dry heat!” Although 100°F outdoors is hot no matter what, humidity does make the heat feel worse. The trouble comes from the effect of additional moisture in the air on the skin’s ability to release heat through perspiration. The extra heat trapped in the body makes a person feel even warmer—which is why the air feels warmer. When relative humidity levels rise about 60%, it starts making hot weather extra unpleasant. The difference in perceived warmth can be as much as 10°F higher, making an 85°F day feel like 95°F.
The Trouble with Low Humidity
The good news with dry conditions is they make hot temperatures easier to bear. Heat rapidly escapes from the body, helping to keep people cool. This causes trouble in cold temperatures, but it’s enjoyable on a scorcher of a day.
But extreme low humidity (under 30% relative humidity) causes other problems: dry skin; itchy and irritated eyes, nose, and throat; the easy transference of illness; and damage to furnishings. (Turns out it’s not good to have moisture escaping from wooden or painted surfaces!) Even during a hot summer, you don’t want your home’s humidity levels falling below 30%. The ideal target range for health and comfort is between 30% and 50%.
Whole-House Humidity Solutions from Professionals
A portable humidifier isn’t an effective way to combat low humidity in a home, since it lacks fine control over humidity levels and only works in one room at a time. These portable units are best reserved for using in an infant’s room. There are portable dehumidifiers, but we strongly discourage their use because they can create fire hazards. To make balancing humidity in your home simple and effective, you want to have HVAC technicians install the right combination of whole-house humidifier and dehumidifier into the ventilation system. You may only need one type, not both. Your technicians will help you find the best option.
When you need indoor air quality services in North Hollywood, CA, you can trust to us. We have more than 25 years of service helping homes with comfort in the Southern California heat.
Kilowatt Heating, Air Conditioning and Electrical serves Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, Call our EPA certified technicians 24/7 for exceptional customer service!
Twitter Link
Tags: Air Conditioning Maintenance, Dehumidifiers, Humidifiers, North Hollywood
Monday, April 17th, 2017 at 11:00 am | Categories: Indoor Air Quality
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April 2017 Employee of the Month – Alfonso Ramos
May 2017 Employee of the Month
Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers for Spring
*Kilowatt Heating, Air Conditioning and Electrical no longer services whole-home humidifiers. For a full list of our indoor air quality services, please visit our website.
The temperatures in Southern California haven’t reached summer levels yet, although we’ve experienced a sprinkling of days above 85°F (hotter if you live farther inland). This is a time when we encourage all of our customers to prep their home cooling systems for the mid-year heat waves. It’s something we’ve brought up in recent posts, and whether you need to schedule regular air conditioning maintenance or you know it’s time to have a new AC system installed, now is the ideal time to act.
Today we want to focus on a factor, aside from the heat, that affects indoor comfort: humidity levels. The Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley areas swing between different humidity levels through spring and summer, and extremes on both ends aren’t enjoyable. But we offer solutions: installing a whole-house dehumidifier and/or humidifier.
The Trouble with High Humidity
High humidity is a familiar problem. There’s a reason people joke about how a scorching hot day isn’t so bad because “it’s a dry heat!” Although 100°F outdoors is hot no matter what, humidity does make the heat feel worse. The trouble comes from the effect of additional moisture in the air on the skin’s ability to release heat through perspiration. The extra heat trapped in the body makes a person feel even warmer—which is why the air feels warmer. When relative humidity levels rise about 60%, it starts making hot weather extra unpleasant. The difference in perceived warmth can be as much as 10°F higher, making an 85°F day feel like 95°F.
The Trouble with Low Humidity
The good news with dry conditions is they make hot temperatures easier to bear. Heat rapidly escapes from the body, helping to keep people cool. This causes trouble in cold temperatures, but it’s enjoyable on a scorcher of a day.
But extreme low humidity (under 30% relative humidity) causes other problems: dry skin; itchy and irritated eyes, nose, and throat; the easy transference of illness; and damage to furnishings. (Turns out it’s not good to have moisture escaping from wooden or painted surfaces!) Even during a hot summer, you don’t want your home’s humidity levels falling below 30%. The ideal target range for health and comfort is between 30% and 50%.
Whole-House Humidity Solutions from Professionals
A portable humidifier isn’t an effective way to combat low humidity in a home, since it lacks fine control over humidity levels and only works in one room at a time. These portable units are best reserved for using in an infant’s room. There are portable dehumidifiers, but we strongly discourage their use because they can create fire hazards. To make balancing humidity in your home simple and effective, you want to have HVAC technicians install the right combination of whole-house humidifier and dehumidifier into the ventilation system. You may only need one type, not both. Your technicians will help you find the best option.
When you need indoor air quality services in North Hollywood, CA, you can trust to us. We have more than 25 years of service helping homes with comfort in the Southern California heat.
Kilowatt Heating, Air Conditioning and Electrical serves Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, Call our EPA certified technicians 24/7 for exceptional customer service!
Twitter Link
Tags: Air Conditioning Maintenance, Dehumidifiers, Humidifiers, North Hollywood
Monday, April 17th, 2017 at 11:00 am | Categories: Indoor Air Quality
|
April 2017 Employee of the Month – Alfonso Ramos
May 2017 Employee of the Month
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4925 Sepulveda Blvd,
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