Proper heating and cooling of your home is more important than you may think. Your HVAC unit’s key job is to keep your family comfortable throughout the various temperatures, but the unit is also an essential part of creating and maintaining healthy air quality. Unfortunately, issues can affect your heating and cooling system’s ability to maintain healthy indoor air. Therefore, a whole-house dehumidifier may be necessary.
This guide and your contractor’s assistance will help you understand the dangers of high humidity and if a whole-house dehumidifier will benefit you, your home, and your health.
Humidity
Humidity is moisture. Avoiding it at all costs is not possible because some moisture is needed, but you should maintain a healthy humidity level in your home.
Experts believe 35 to 50 percent is a healthy humidity range. This amount of moisture will keep you, your family, and your home comfortable. The range is also ideal for preventing microbial growth inside the house.
High humidity is an issue in many homes today, but most owners do not even realize they have a moisture problem. Here are a few visible signs of high humidity in your home:
- Condensation on windows and other glass
- Warped switch and outlet covers
- Peeling, bubbling wall and trim paint
- Decaying, rotting, warping wood
- Foul, musty odors
- Visible water stains on ceilings and walls
If you are noticing one or more of the above signs, have your humidity levels tested by a professional.
On your own, you can measure the humidity in the air using a hygrometer. In addition, many thermostats are capable of measuring and displaying humidity percentages.
Remember that high humidity doesn’t only affect your home. In most cases, this moisture can affect your physical and emotional health.
Higher levels of humidity can cause breathing issues and allergy symptoms. If mold begins to grow, respiratory issues and allergy symptoms will increase.
High humidity has also been linked to skin and eye irritations, fatigue, and even depression.
Air Conditioner Versus Whole-Home Dehumidifier
An air conditioner and dehumidifier work in a similar way, but the end results are different. Both operate to circulate refrigerant back and forth between gas and liquid states, pulling heat and moisture out of the air.
The air conditioner pulls heat and moisture out, pushing it over evaporator cools to create cooler air for the home. A dehumidifier pulls moisture out, expelling it out of the home without creating any cooler air.
Basically, the air conditioner’s main job is to cool and pull some moisture out. A whole-home dehumidifier’s main job is to pull and expel moisture out of the home.
A portable dehumidifier is a common choice for many homeowners because portable units are less expensive and easy to use and install. Unfortunately, they are not ideal for large spaces or homes that experience higher levels of humidity.
One of the main benefits of installing a whole-home dehumidifier is that it can dehumidify the entire house. In most cases, models are capable of removing moisture from homes that are 3,000 square feet in size.
Whole-home dehumidifiers can be added on to your existing air conditioning equipment and tied into the same drain line. Considering you will have to dump buckets of water from a portable model, a whole-home dehumidifier that drains moisture along with your air conditioner is a more efficient option.
Heating and cooling your home in the most efficient and effective manner is important for your family’s comfort and your health. Fortunately, help is available if you are struggling to maintain healthy humidity levels. To diagnose a humidity issue or to install a whole-home dehumidifier, contact Custom Comfort today.