Selecting the Right Dehumidifier Helps Keep a Home Dry
The rainy season has arrived, and with it comes a dreaded houseguest: humidity. Not only does high humidity ruin hair days and make everything a sticky mess, but it also poses several problems for a home and its occupants. Humid homes contribute to sleeplessness, breathing problems, and aggravated allergies, among other ill effects. But, having a quality dehumidifier can help negate the humidity in a home. Discover the benefits of a dehumidifier and guidance on choosing the right one for the home.
Understanding the Dehumidifier
What Is the Role of a Dehumidifier?Humidifiers add moisture to a room, and their cousin, the dehumidifier, removes moisture.
How Do Dehumidifiers Work?
The dehumidification process starts when the dehumidifier pulls warm, moist air through its vents. The warm air is drawn over chilled refrigerated coils that force the air to contract, resulting in condensation as water is moved from the air. As the contracted air leaves the dehumidifier to circulate through the room, condensation is left behind in the machine.
How Do Dehumidifiers Prevent Mold?
Thanks to the drying power of a dehumidifier, a home’s air becomes inhospitable to mold spores. Mold needs a certain amount of water in the air to flourish. Less humidity means less chance for mold to develop into a colony.
Popular Types of Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers come in plenty of shapes, sizes, and levels of portability, but there are three main types of dehumidifiers:
Refrigerant
Refrigerant dehumidifiers operate similarly to A/C. The dehumidifier fan pulls warm, moist air in and runs it over a chilled metal plate to produce condensation. The dehumidifying process continues until the relative humidity in the room has reached desired levels or until the tank collecting the condensation is full.
Refrigerant dehumidifiers work best in warmer climates, and their performance declines in colder temperatures.
Desiccant
Desiccant dehumidifiers operate using absorption as their method of moisture removal. They typically use silica to absorb moisture from air drawn into the dehumidifier. These dehumidifiers tend to be lighter than other models, portable, and capable of working in colder conditions.
Whole-House
Whole-house dehumidifier models operate more efficiently and use less energy than portable models, but they are the most expensive model on the market. They typically require a retrofitting of the home’s existing HVAC system, and the unit itself tends to be costly. However, they are the best system to use for an entire house with humidity issues, plus they help reduce allergens and cool a home when in use.
How to Decide on a Dehumidifier?
There are several factors to consider when selecting the best dehumidifier for a given situation:
Location of the Problem
Evaluate if the entire home is too humid or if a single or a few rooms are the sources of the problem. Often, homes with basements notice excess humidity in the basement but may not have an issue on the upper floors. Suppose only a few rooms have humidity issues. In that case, a portable desiccant unit or refrigerant model may be best, but if the whole house has humidity issues, the best solution is usually a whole-house model.
Budget
Whole-house dehumidifiers can cost thousands of dollars to install, but they are worth the cost if homeowners can afford it. If an economic model works best for a home, choose a desiccant or refrigerant model after weighing the other deciding factors.
Location of the House
A home located in Montanna will require a different dehumidifier than a home in North Carolina. Remember that desiccant model dehumidifiers work in colder environments, while refrigerant models are best suited to warmer climates.
Lastly, reach out to a local HVAC company for additional advice on dehumidifiers. They’ll have the local expertise to know what options are best for homes in their community to fit a range of budgets and needs.
About The Plumbing & Air Service Co.
When homeowners choose to work with The Plumbing & Air Service Co., they can rest easy knowing that they’ve chosen the best of the best. They’re locally owned and operated, meaning that they know their way around Greensboro and the HVAC problems that the community faces. Give them a call today to learn more about the best dehumidifier options for Greensboro homeowners!
