Brace yourselves – summer is here! In Indianapolis, that means hot and humid days are upon us. Thankfully, you can count on a dehumidifier to make the weather more bearable.
There are two kinds of dehumidifiers on the market: portable/room and whole house. A portable dehumidifier works like window A/C units in that moist air blown by a fan travels across cold refrigerant-filled coils, cooling the air in the process and condensing the moisture into droplets. It works best for dehumidifying one room or small area, and can be moved from room to room on casters.
A whole-house dehumidifier is connected directly to your home’s forced-air HVAC system. It removes moisture from the air before it gets distributed through ductwork to all the rooms in your home. They’re useful for situations where humidity is more than an isolated problem in just one or two rooms, or a finished basement. Connected to your home’s plumbing, the water drains away, unlike a portable model that must be manually drained, unless a hose has been connected to it. A trusted HVAC professional will have to install your whole-house dehumidifier.
But in case it does get too humid, it’s a good idea to help the dehumidifier do its job. Here are some things you can try:
- Optimize ambient conditions: A dehumidifier works best in an enclosed area, so close all windows, doors and other openings. Also, use a dehumidifier within its specified range of temperatures.
- Ensure proper placement: There should be adequate air flow around a dehumidifier for it to work effectively, so leave enough space between walls and other possible obstacles. Refer to the manual for clearance requirements.
- Assess your needs: Relative humidity levels between 40-50 percent are ideal for allergic home occupants and asthmatics. But for most households, a level of 60 percent is comfortable and energy efficient at the same time.
- Fix other problems: Help the dehumidifier do its job because there’s a limit to what it can do. If your home is always too humid, there may be causes other than the weather. Add exhaust fans, install a sump pump, regrade the soil around your house, or patch foundation walls as needed.
If you need help in choosing the right dehumidifier for your home, don’t hesitate to contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. We provide superior services to the greater Indianapolis area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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