Home Comfort Depends on Controlling Three Primary Factors

Three main factors combine (or not) in your home to determine the comfort level of you and other occupants. If those factors can be managed correctly, you’ll have a comfortable home. If not, you need to get to work to correct the situation.

While other things can affect comfort, the three main factors are

1. temperature control,
2. humidity and
3. indoor air quality.

Energy efficiency also plays a role in each of those factors. Let’s look at each one.

Temperature control

One can’t talk about controlling the temperature in a home without talking about thermostats. But within that category are a broad range of devices, from the simplest, old-school manual dial thermostat to modern WiFi models that incorporate adaptive technology – they can, incredibly, “learn” your habits and preferences and adjust the temperature and humidity accordingly.

While the vast majority of thermostats cannot directly control humidity or air quality, controlling the temperature can affect both factors. Temperature is also affected by the temperature outside and how well sealed and insulated hour home is, among many other factors.

Humidity control in the household

A well-maintained central air conditioner that’s operating as designed will go a long way toward removing moisture from indoor air while circulating cool air in your home. I

n areas of the country that get muggy in the summer (Cincinnati is definitely included in this category), an AC’s ability to dry indoor air is an essential function. Without that, your cooling system really isn’t providing the sort of comfort you expect and deserve.

At times, alas, even a properly functioning air conditioner will have trouble removing moisture from indoor air, for example on extremely hot and muggy days. To complement their AC, many homeowners invest in a whole-house dehumidifier, connected directly to their forced-air HVAC system. (Whole-house humidifiers also help on those dry winter days when your lips get chapped, your skin dries out, and you can’t touch anything without getting a small electric shock.)

Air quality, the final key factor

A heating and cooling system well-maintained by you in partnership with your favorite Cincinnati HVAC professional can have a positive effect on indoor air quality. An efficient air filter that’s inspected and changed regularly, for example, will remove most of the contaminants from the air.

• However, filtration within the forced-air system can only do so much, and ironically, using a very high-efficiency air filter actually can detract from comfort and heating or cooling efficiency.
• The highest-efficiency filters contain so much filtration media that they can impede system airflow.
• In some cases, this can result in an overworked system that may malfunction and require an AC or furnace repair call to your trusted Cincinnati HVAC contractor.

If you’re concerned about air quality in your Cincinnati home, consider a whole-house air-cleaning system that combines various technologies to remove nearly all of the airborne contaminants.

Decent home ventilation is also essential, of course.

Consult with any of Cincinnati’s top HVAC companies about how temperature, humidity control and indoor air quality work together to provide reliable comfort in your home.