Does your Birmingham area home feel extra muggy and hot this year? High humidity can really make you feel uncomfortable, especially when you can’t seem to escape it – indoors or outside! In these conditions, your air conditioner can use some extra help controlling indoor humidity levels, and a whole house dehumidifier is an excellent solution. In our most recent blog, Douglas Cooling & Heating discusses how whole house dehumidifiers work and explains the advantages of having one installed.
How Does a Whole House Dehumidifier Work?
When your entire home is excessively humid, portable dehumidification units just won’t cut it – these small appliances only have the capacity to remove moisture from air in smaller spaces, like a bedroom. Instead, trade these tiny portable units in for a whole house dehumidifier that is capable of providing moisture control across the house and in every room.
So, how does a whole home dehumidifier work? Whole house dehumidifiers are able to treat the home’s entire air volume and provide dehumidification by working with the central HVAC system. This indoor air quality solution is installed along the return duct leading into your indoor cooling system components. In this position, all air flowing through the home to be cooled will also be dehumidified.
The air returning to the HVAC system for cooling is warm and humid. Once it passes into the whole house dehumidifier, air is cooled by the dehumidifier’s evaporator coil. As air temperature drops, water vapor within condenses into liquid form and the water droplets fall out of suspension – this process reduces the amount of humidity in the air.
Condensation is caught in the dehumidifier’s reservoir and empties away from the home or into a nearby drain through a dedicated drain line. Then, the newly dehumidified air passes into the air conditioner for cooling before circulating back into the home’s living areas. Whole house dehumidifiers follow the same process as an air conditioner, but the difference is that the dehumidifier’s focus is on humidity control while an air conditioner’s main purpose is temperature control.
Benefits of Installing a Whole House Dehumidifier
Now that we’ve explained how a whole house dehumidifier works, let’s discuss the benefits they offer in the home.
Improved Cooling Efficiency
We mentioned that whole house dehumidifiers work by cooling the air to remove moisture, and that this appliance performs in the same way an air conditioner does – just with a different purpose. Because the dehumidifier cools and removes moisture, the air passing into the air conditioner requires less treatment to bring it down to the proper temperature.
Less moisture in the air allows the air conditioner to spend its energy on more cooling rather than pulling double duty dehumidifying the air as well. Plus, your body feels cooler when there is less moisture in the air, so you won’t need as much air conditioning to stay comfortable which also helps you conserve energy.
Better Indoor Air Quality
Too much humidity in the air creates discomfort and indoor air quality problems. Allergens and other pollutants can increase in concentration in humid air, which increases exposure and resulting health symptoms. Excess moisture in the air also helps create the conditions needed for mold to grow and spread throughout the house, and high humidity can cause damage to woodwork and sensitive materials in the home.
When you install a dehumidifier, it will work to remove the air conditions that contribute to poor air quality. Your family will feel more comfortable and stay healthier while your home gains protection against mold growth and the potential damage that can result from exposure to high moisture content.
Contact Douglas Cooling & Heating for Whole House Dehumidifier Installation in Birmingham
Keep your home comfortable and cool when you combine your air conditioning system with a whole house dehumidifier! Douglas Cooling & Heating takes the time to explain how whole house dehumidifiers work so you understand the value of installing this beneficial indoor air quality solution. Contact us today to request an estimate and learn more!
