Why Do You Need a Whole-Home Dehumidifier?
High humidity in your home can cause a range of issues from health concerns to mildew, mold, and cracked paint. Many people use dehumidifiers to reduce humidity and moisture levels, but what about whole-home or whole-house dehumidifiers? Is a whole-home dehumidifier worth the cost?
A whole-home dehumidifier connects to your HVAC system and lowers humidity—not just in one room but throughout your home. It pulls humid air from the return ducts, absorbs moisture, and then blows it back out.
Here are some benefits of whole-house dehumidifiers:
- Reduced Humidity and Lower Bills
Your air conditioning system also lowers humidity. However, if you put a dehumidifier “in front” of the air conditioning system, it doesn’t have to work as hard. This can result in energy savings of as much as 20% (as a specialized dehumidifier works better for less energy).
It also reduces strain on your HVAC system, extending its life and reducing repair and maintenance costs.
Basically, the two systems work together to provide energy-efficient cooling and remove excess moisture. Also, as humidity makes you feel hotter, you may be able to set your air conditioning system to a higher temperature and still be comfortable. You can adjust the system until it’s right for you and your family.
- Improved Indoor Air Quality
Lower humidity means a less hospitable environment to mold and mildew, improving indoor air quality. Dust mites, the most common cause of indoor allergies, also like moist air. Keeping relative humidity below 50% reduces the number of dust mites in your home. A dehumidifier is particularly important if somebody in your home has asthma, as it can reduce the number and severity of attacks.
High humidity also impacts something else important: sleep. High humidity increases wakefulness and reduces the amount of time you spend in deep and REM sleep, which are vital for your health.
- Environmentally Friendly
Air conditioning is a major part of your carbon footprint, particularly in hot, humid areas like the southeast. A dehumidifier dramatically increases the efficiency of your HVAC system. This reduces the amount of carbon you produce and contributes to sustainability.
Make sure to change your dehumidifier’s filters as recommended. Otherwise, dust may get into the system, lowering its efficiency. Most systems need the filters cleaned every month…you can run a vacuum over them or wash them. Also, right-size your whole-home dehumidifier. You need one that is big enough to cover the conditioned space in your home…and no bigger. But dehumidifiers don’t use a lot of power, especially compared to HVAC systems, and typically the power use is more than offset by the savings.
- Year-Round Comfort
Dehumidifiers are particularly valuable in hot, humid areas or near the coast, where indoor humidity can be high. A whole-house dehumidifier means that you don’t have any rooms that are excluded. All finished areas of your home will be drier and feel cooler.
Humidity levels in your home will be kept consistent all year round, meaning you won’t experience the “summer sweats” that make you turn the A/C to a lower temperature, desperately reach for cold drinks, and so on. If the air feels heavy during the summer, this is a good sign that you need a dehumidifier.
A whole-home dehumidifier needs to be professionally installed and ideally professionally maintained once a year, which you can have done alongside the rest of your HVAC system. It provides more consistent coverage of your home and can even increase your home’s value when it comes time to sell. Contact Aztil AC to find out more and get an inspection to determine the right whole-home dehumidifier for you.
