Dehumidification: What It Does and When It’s Needed in Your Home

Ever wonder why it feels so hot and stuffy in your home? It’s probably due to excess humidity. When there’s excess moisture in your home’s indoor air, it often feels much hotter than it actually is inside. Ordinary activities such as cooking, bathing, and even something as simple as breathing and perspiration add moisture to the air. Mechanical dehumidification is often the key to removing this excess moisture.

What is a dehumidifier and how does it work?

The average air conditioner not only removes heat from the air that comes into contact with its evaporator coils, it also removes a small amount of moisture. On the other hand, a dehumidifier focuses solely on removing moisture from the air. There are two main types of dehumidifier available:

Portable dehumidifiers are designed to remove excess moisture from single rooms or small areas of your home. Built from lightweight materials, these units are designed to be moved from area to area.

Whole-house dehumidifiers focus on reducing and managing humidity levels throughout the home. They’re usually connected to your home’s HVAC system, though they should be able to operate even when the A/C isn’t running. They’re typically connected to a household drain or plumbing, so the removed moisture can flow safely away.

These devices also come in various capacities. The larger the unit and the more air it’s able to move across its condenser coils in cubic feet per minute (CFM), the faster it’s able to control relative humidity levels.

When does my home need dehumidification?

The relative humidity of your home’s air should be kept between 30 and 50 percent. Whenever the humidity in your home exceeds this level, you may see moisture or condensation form on windows, pipes and walls. Excess moisture also fosters mold and mildew growth while making it harder for air conditioners to effectively deliver cooling comfort to your home. Whenever you see condensation, feel excess moisture, or find mold and mildew, it’s time for dehumidification.

To learn more about the need for dehumidification, turn to the professionals at Sobieski Services. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).

Image Credit: mag3737