Ever wonder how to control the temperature in one room without adjusting the thermostat? Its easy to do. Go to your furnace. Look for the handle on the air duct to that room (see photo). This is called a damper. When the handle is parallel to the air duct, the damper is open, and air is moving full-force into that area. Move the handle 45 degrees, and it partially closes the air duct, limiting the amount of hot air to a particular room. If you can’t find a damper, one can easily be installed by an HVAC technician.
As for controlling moisture, many furnaces are equipped with a humidifier (see photo). This device actually puts moisture into the air during the winter months. The typical setting is for 35% moisture, which keeps the air from drying out your wood floors/cabinets. Also kinder to your skin. If the problem is too much moisture, there are a variety of dehumidifiers (see photo) that can remove excess moisture in the air during the humid summer months. They too typically reduce the moisture content to 35%. They can be installed as a stand-alone unit in the basement or as a whole-house solution installed in the air ducts.
Hope this info helps keep you and your loved ones a little more comfortable!
-Robert Ladd
Legacy Home Inspections
913.484.4157
www.lhi-kc.com
