5 Benefits to Adding A Dehumidifier This Summer
Everyone loves getting out and enjoying the summer sun, but with the warmer temperatures also comes the humidity. Excessive moisture makes the air feel sticky and unpleasant. Installing a dehumidifier lowers your home’s overall humidity levels, making it harder for mold, dust mites, and mildew to stick around in your home, and can also help reduce your energy cost. Here are our top 5 Benefits to Adding A Dehumidifier This Summer:
1. Helps with allergies
Many allergens and allergy triggers, such as dust mites, mold, and mildew, favor humid environments. Rooms where water is used or that contain poor air circulation, like bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements, may be especially prone to harboring allergy causing substances, which can spread throughout a house. A dehumidifier can help decrease the moisture that supports allergen growth, improving air quality and helping to prevent some types of bacteria and virus growth as well.
2. Reduces pest related problems
Allergens aren't the only unwelcome things that like humidity. Many pests, such as spiders and roaches, gravitate to moist environments. If you've noticed some creepy crawly guests sharing your space, a dehumidifier may help discourage their visits. Pay attention to the rooms where you spot the most pest activity, and if they are rooms where water is present or humidity is high, you may have found the root of the problem.
3. Controls moisture levels
High levels of moisture in a home can cause structural problems over time. Condensation can build up, causing mildew and mold to form, as well as warping and deterioration. Even furniture can be damaged from long-term humidity and high moisture.
4. Improves comfort
Homes with proper humidity levels are generally more comfortable, which can be especially noticeable in tropical or muggy climates. The indoor air quality is usually improved, and the air stays cooler when a dehumidifier is in use.
5. Reduces energy costs
Another benefit of a dehumidifier is that may help control energy costs by helping your air conditioner work more efficiently. Because a dehumidifier works to remove moisture from the air, it means your air conditioner likely doesn't have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable temperature, saving energy use as well as wear and tear on your cooling equipment. ENERGY STAR certified dehumidifiers offer even more savings because they use 15 percent less energy to run.
Bonus Tips: How to Buy A Dehumidifier
Size it Right
“Size” doesn’t reference the dimensions of the dehumidifier, but rather its capacity—how many pints of water it’s capable of removing from the air during a 24-hour period. For a home with lower levels of humidity, Energy Star recommends using a 10- to 16-pint size for 500 square feet and up to a 26- to 44-pint size for 2,500 square feet, depending on the level of dampness.
Home in on Features
Most portable dehumidifiers have a removable water bucket and a warning light to alert you when it’s full, as well as a fitting for a hose connection (so you don’t have to empty the water tank). You may also want to look for a frost sensor to keep frost from forming on the condensing coils if the temperature drops below 65 degrees.
Go Green
Look for an Energy Star-certified model, which will have more efficient refrigeration coils, compressors, and fans than a conventional model and will use nearly 30 percent less energy.
Consider a Whole-House System
Portable units cost less up front, but the capacity of moisture removal is much lower, and the operating cost tends to be higher, says Bill Ramsey, a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) professor in Georgia. A custom whole-house unit will need to be sized and installed by a contractor, but in the long term, he says, the lower operating costs and stable comfort can be worth the investment.
