Finding a balance is important in various aspects of your life, as too much of anything can often be problematic. This is certainly true when it comes to humidity. An excessive amount of moisture in your home’s air can contribute to a wide assortment of issues, including certain health conditions and damage to property. Adding an HVAC dehumidifier can provide a simple and effective solution for managing high indoor humidity. The experts at Precision Heating & Air discuss some of the primary benefits of a dehumidifier.
What to Know About Dehumidifiers
A dehumidifier, just as the name suggests, removes humidity from the air which greatly improves your home’s indoor air quality. Excess moisture can contribute to a host of problems from health issues to property damage. Experts recommend humidity levels indoors to be between 30% and 50%; 45% is ideal as it pertains to health and comfort. A device called a hygrometer can measure the humidity inside your home. These are inexpensive and easy to find at home improvement and hardware stores or online.
Humidity is usually much higher in warmer summer months than in the colder wintertime. Investing in a hygrometer and using it to check the humidity levels in every area of your home is a good idea. You’ll definitely want to pay special attention to dark areas with little airflow, as well as rooms that regularly encounter dampness. If you’re getting readings above 50% with consistent measurement, a dehumidifier is probably something that would be worthwhile to look into.
A professional heating and cooling company can advise you on the right type of device for your particular needs. You may only require the use of a room humidifier in the most problematic areas, but a whole-house dehumidifier can be well worth the investment if you have a humidity problem throughout much of your home.
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1. Eliminate Odors
Have you noticed a musty smell coming from certain areas around the house? High levels of moisture in the air can stimulate the growth of mold and mildew. This is particularly true in dark, warm areas like basements, attics and crawl spaces. Adding a dehumidifier to these areas can lower the humidity so you can keep future growth at bay.
2. Improve Health
Overgrowth of fungi like mold and mildew sends their spores into your home’s air. Breathing in these organisms can be especially harmful if you or a household member have allergies or respiratory conditions. Dust mites also thrive in humid environments, which can also worsen allergy symptoms. A significant reduction in humidity provided by a dehumidifier can cut down on dust mites and fungal infestations, keeping them from returning so that everyone can breathe easier. Plus, warm and muggy air is more difficult to breathe in general, so decreasing humidity can ease respiratory discomfort and dry nasal passages. It’s important to keep in mind that your pets can also suffer discomfort and health problems due to these same issues.
3. Repel Pests
Dehumidifier use is also effective in getting rid of pests like earwigs, centipedes, roaches, silverfish, spiders and termites. These creepy crawlies love a wet environment. Drying things up will inhibit their desire to occupy your space, and they’ll look elsewhere for a more hospitable place to dwell. Cutting down on such pests can be beneficial for your health and reduce expensive property damage.
4. Reduce Property Damage
Speaking of damage to property, a humid environment can cause more problems than many people are even aware of. Too much humidity often causes paint to peel and wallpaper to bubble. Removing excess moisture has the potential to lengthen the time between having to repaint or paper your walls, saving you time, money and effort.
Mold can be toxic to health as well as damaging to wood, drywall and other building materials throughout your home. The cost to have mold professionally removed is exorbitant, not to mention having to repair structural damage. Did you know that humidity feeds rust as well? You may notice rust buildup on door hinges, handles or other household fixtures.
5. Protect Valuables
Not only does too much humidity cause damage to the structures in your home, it can also be destructive to your personal possessions. Porous items like books, artwork, clothing and other textiles are prone to moisture damage. A garage is an area that can take an especially hard hit when it comes to rust damage. You risk harm to tools, bikes or cars if there’s too much dampness in that space.
Even your electronics can be wiped out if the humidity is too high. Moisture is then able to penetrate the insides of items like computers, televisions and game systems. The cost to replace these things could run into the thousands of dollars.
You can avoid all of these issues by taking steps to control the humidity throughout your home. Be particularly vigilant in dark, closed-in spaces with little air flow. Deterioration is likely to occur more quickly and exponentially in such areas. Typically, such destruction cannot be repaired. A whole-house or strategically placed room humidifier can prevent the loss of your loved and sometimes irreplaceable possessions.
6. Lessen Condensation
Condensation buildup is one of the main causes of damage in high-humidity areas. You’ll want to take particular care when evaluating spaces where water use is an everyday occurrence. Bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens are where much damage from condensation occurs.
7. Lower Energy Costs
It may seem counterproductive to think that adding a device like a dehumidifier will lower your utility bills, but it truly can. Too much humidity in the home causes your air conditioner to work extra hard in order to remove the excess moisture. Because a dehumidifier’s main purpose is for moisture removal, it doesn’t require as much energy to get the job done.
Therefore, you’ll probably notice a significant decrease in your utility bills by adding a dehumidifier in particularly problematic spaces throughout the house or even installing a whole-house humidifier if necessary. This is not to mention the wear and tear you’ll be saving on your air conditioning unit. This also adds to the cost-effectiveness of dehumidifiers.
8. Increase Comfort
Finally, adding a dehumidifier to your home can truly increase the overall living comfort within. You, your family or other household members can absolutely benefit by reducing the moisture in the air. You won’t feel as sticky while trying to enjoy relaxing and entertaining in your space. This can be an especially welcoming relief for sleeping. You’ll be cooler, and your general air quality can be improved simply through the use of a dehumidifier in arid spaces or throughout the entire house.
These are some of the most important benefits of a dehumidifier. Contact Precision Heating & Air in Metro Atlanta, GA for your dehumidifier needs. We can provide you with whole-house, basement and crawlspace dehumidifiers. We also do dehumidifier installation and repair. In addition, Precision Heating & Air can assist you with heating, cooling, and water heater support.
