Why Your Whole House Needs a Dehumidifier

There’s a misconception that air conditioning systems can properly dehumidify the air in your home. In fact, most residents of southwest Florida can attest to coming home after a couple of weeks (or several months) to find that, even though they had left the air conditioner running, their home smells musty.

Air conditioning systems are designed to control temperature, not humidity. If it’s cool enough outside that you don’t need to run your A/C, but it’s damp enough that your home is uncomfortable, you might consider a whole-house dehumidifier.

Whole-home dehumidifiers pull air from every room in your house through the return ducts. It removes the moisture, and then sends dry air back throughout your home. It works in conjunction with your air conditioner to efficiently balance humidity levels, but can also work independently on days when you don’t need the air conditioner.

Consumers may think it’s more economical to simply run to the “big box” retailer and purchase a portable dehumidifier. What they don’t realize is the expense involved. To properly improve the humidity levels in your home and reduce the risk of mold growth, you would need to purchase a portable dehumidifier for every room. In this situation, you would consume more electricity than necessary. A more efficient solution is to have a single, whole-home central dehumidifier installed as part of your home’s central heating and cooling system.

“Dehumidifiers help by removing excess moisture and reducing the damage that mildew and mold can have on the sustainability of your home and the health of your family,” he continued. “In addition, an energy-efficient whole home dehumidifier can help qualify your home for the Green-Built Certification Program of the National Association of Home Builders.”