Not too many years ago, I moved much further south.
I was anxious to get away from the sub zero temps and the massive snow accumulation.
I’d had enough of bundling up in my wool coat, lacing up heavy boots and spending an endless amount of time shoveling and scraping. I hated being trapped inside the house for more than half of each year, totally reliant on the furnace. My heating bills were ridiculous, and the furnace was blasting at maximum capacity for nearly more than seven continuous months, the indoor environment would become overly dry. The insufficient humidity led to issues with chapped lips, frizzy hair, headaches and difficulty sleeping. Because dry air feels much cooler than respectfully moisturized air, it’s always tempting to turn up the thermostat. This makes the concern even worse and increases the cost of monthly energy bills. After putting up with long, serious winters for over forty years, I was ready for a change. I looked forward to sunlight and moderate weather. I wasn’t quite prepared for the challenge of high humidity. It wasn’t long before I realized that moving to the deep south simple created the opposite troubles. I was now trapped in the house because of brutally high heat. Despite the air conditioner running at maximum capacity, there were condensation beads running down the windows and the air felt sticky, and overly high humidity levels created the perfect breeding ground for mold, mildew, bacteria and dust mites. It causes fatigue and health issues and encourages lower thermostat settings. I finally called a local Heating, Ventilation, and A/C contractor to look into the weird styles of whole-house dehumidifiers. I wanted to be more comfortable in my modern home, be proactive about air quality and avoid needless expense.