How to Prevent Mold in Vacation Home or Condo in Florida

For people who own a piece of paradise in the City of Port St Lucie, it is important to know how to prevent mold in your home or condo in Florida.  The following information is compiled to demonstrate how with a few simple steps you could avoid the costly and sometimes devastating effect of mold and mildew in your vacation home in Florida.

How Does Humidistat Work?

Mold can start to take roots inside your home when the Relative Humidity (RH) exceeds about 68 percent. A Humidistat, which directly controls indoor Relative Humidity, is one way to prevent mold.  It is also important to know that the dehumidifiers and some central air conditioners have a built-in humidistat that tells the system to dehumidify the air to the desired point.

Setting your Humidistat or Dehumidifier

Since some humidistat sensors are inaccurate by as many as 10 percentage points, set the controls of your humidistats and dehumidifiers to 58 percent RH to maintain acceptable humidity, 

Other ways to control mold

For homes or condos without humidistat, another way to control mold when you’re away is by programming the A/C to run at 72 degrees for just two hours before sunrise and at 88 degrees the rest of the day.

But what if you don’t have a programmable thermostat? In that case, set the A/C at 77 degrees for condos or apartments and 80 degrees for single family homes and townhouses. (Remember to have the fan switch set to auto.)

If you live seasonally in the city of Port St Lucie, Florida or leave for extended periods of time, the most economical way to prevent mold in a vacant home is by using stand-alone dehumidifiers instead of A/C. Use one for every 1,000 square feet. Visit FPL.com to learn what settings are best when you’re away.  Be sure to have your home checked regularly.

We also recommend repairing any leaks around doors, windows and in your A/C ductwork, which will help minimize the amount of moisture getting into your home. We also offer a duct system testing and repair program.

We’d like to know if this helps, so feel free to leave us a comment below. Remember to refer any of your customer service questions or concerns to FPL.com/contact.