In Wellington, our homes serve many unique purposes. We have the standard living rooms and kitchens, of course, but we also have spaces that are distinctly “Wellington”: high-end home offices for remote executives and, for our equestrian community, the all-important tack room.
These two rooms share a common, silent enemy: humidity. Whether it’s a $5,000 custom saddle or a library of important business documents, the items in these rooms are organic, porous, and highly sensitive to moisture. January presents a tricky challenge. Because the weather is cooler, your air conditioner runs less often. Since your AC is your home’s primary dehumidifier, less running time means humidity levels can creep up silently, creating the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. At Richard’s AC, we understand that you are protecting expensive assets. Here is how to keep your tack crisp and your office air clean.
The "Green Fuzz" Nightmare: Why Tack Rooms Are Vulnerable
If you are an equestrian, you know the sinking feeling of walking into the tack room and smelling that tell-tale musty odor. You pick up a bridle or look at the underside of a saddle, and there it is: a fine layer of green or white mold.
Leather is skin. It is porous and naturally absorbs moisture from the air. When the Relative Humidity (RH) climbs above 60%, leather becomes a sponge.
The Cost: Mold doesn’t just wipe off; it eats into the dye and the fibers, weakening the stitching and ruining the finish of expensive tack.
The Challenge: Tack rooms are often converted garages, separate outbuildings, or small enclosed spaces with poor airflow. They are often packed with equipment, preventing air from circulating around the leather.
The Home Office Hazard: Electronics and Paper
For those working from home in Wellington, high humidity is equally destructive, though less visible.
Electronics: High moisture can corrode the internal contacts of computers and servers.
Paper & Books: Important files and books absorb moisture, becoming wavy and eventually developing mildew spots (foxing).
Health: Most importantly, if you are sitting in a small office for 8 hours a day breathing in mold spores from the AC vents, you may experience headaches, fatigue, and respiratory issues that impact your productivity.
The "Winter" Humidity Trap
Why does this happen in January? It’s a matter of run-time.
Summer: It’s hot. The AC runs 12 hours a day. It is constantly pulling moisture out of the air.
Winter/Spring: It might be 72°F outside. The AC only runs for 10 minutes every hour to maintain temperature. That isn’t enough time to dehumidify the air. The temperature is cool, but the air is “heavy” and damp.
Solutions for Wellington Homeowners
You don’t have to let mold win. Here are professional strategies to control the climate in your most critical rooms.
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Buy a simple digital hygrometer (they cost less than $15). Place one in the tack room and one in the office.
The Goal: You want to maintain a Relative Humidity between 45% and 55%. If you consistently see numbers over 60%, you are in the danger zone for mold growth.
Check your thermostat. Ensure the fan is set to “AUTO,” never “ON.”
Why: If you leave the fan “ON,” it blows air constantly. When the compressor turns off (stop cooling), the fan keeps blowing air over the wet coil, putting all that moisture right back into the room. Setting it to “AUTO” ensures the fan stops when the cooling stops, allowing the water to drain away.
For a dedicated tack room or a closed-off office, the central AC might not be enough during the cooler months.
The Fix: Consider installing a whole-home dehumidifier (which works with your AC system) or a high-quality standalone unit. These machines are designed specifically to remove moisture without lowering the temperature, keeping your leather dry even on cool days.
To actively kill mold spores before they settle on your saddle or your desk, consider an in-duct air purifier like the REME HALO. It uses UV light and hydro-peroxides to neutralize mold bacteria in the air and on surfaces. It’s a favorite among our equestrian clients for keeping tack rooms smelling fresh rather than musty.
Protect Your Passion and Your Profession
Whether you are preparing for a competition at WEF or closing a deal from your desk, the environment matters. Don’t let invisible humidity damage your valuable equipment.
Richard’s AC specializes in Indoor Air Quality solutions for Wellington’s unique lifestyle. We proudly serve homeowners in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Lake Worth, and across Palm Beach County.
Keep the mold away from your tack and tech. Contact us today for a humidity control consultation!
