Running a central air conditioning unit to maintain a comfortable temperature level inside your home when you won’t be there is costly, yet turning the air conditioning off completely in humid areas creates mold and mildew problems inside the home. The solution is a humidistat, which runs the air conditioner to control the humidity level inside the house independently of temperature.
How It Works
Make sure the air conditioner is set to the “cool” and “auto fan” settings, then set the temperature on the thermostat to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the humidity level on the humidistat to 58 percent. Although mold and mildew do not form at humidity levels below about 68 percent, Craig Muccio of the Florida Power & Light Company recommends a setting of 58 as humidistat gauges can be off by as much as 10 percent.
Settings
Make sure the air conditioner is set to the “cool” and “auto fan” settings, then set the temperature on the thermostat to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the humidity level on the humidistat to 58 percent. Although mold and mildew do not form at humidity levels below about 68 percent, Craig Muccio of the Florida Power & Light Company recommends a setting of 58 as humidistat gauges can be off by as much as 10 percent.