Sometimes, during the peak of summer, people will say that it’s not so much the heat that bothers them, it’s the humidity. And they have a point! Humidity can make heat much more uncomfortable. It also has other unpleasant effects and can cause a wide variety of problems. High humidity can harm your health and your home, and a dehumidifier might be just the ticket for avoiding these issues. We’ll explain.
Humidity and Your Comfort
The reason you feel hotter when the air is humid is because your body cools itself by encouraging the air to carry away a bit of your body heat with every drop of moisture—perspiration, that is—which the air evaporates off your body. But if the air is already saturated with too much humidity, it won’t be able to absorb moisture from you! You’ll stay sweaty, and your body heat will stay trapped in your body.
Humidity and Your Health
Humid air makes for an ideal ecosystem for things to grow. That’s one reason why there’s so much biodiversity in tropical rainforests. But in your home, the things that might be growing include pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and mold. Keeping humidity lower will decrease the opportunities for these things to breed, so they won’t be able to cause harm to your health.
Humidity and Your Home
Moisture can cause so many different symptoms within your home. Wood swells, making it harder to open and close windows and doors. Paint bubbles up. Wallpaper peels from walls. Varnish peels from furniture. Corrosion is much faster in metal when the air is more humid. Electronics can even be negatively affected.
Humidity and Your HVAC System
If you’re feeling hotter at the same temperature because of high humidity, you’ll set your thermostat lower. You’ll run your air conditioner more of the time. This will use more energy, driving up your utility bills.
It will also cause more strain and wear and tear to your air conditioner, especially the all-important compressor, without which your AC is just an incredibly expensive fan. The more you run your air conditioner, the more frequently it will need repairs, and the sooner it will need to be replaced.
Whole-House Dehumidifiers
Portable dehumidifiers can draw a bit of moisture out of the air. They’re great for small, enclosed spaces. If you need to lower the humidity in a dorm room, or a studio apartment, a portable dehumidifier is perfect. But for an entire house, you need a whole-house dehumidifier to have any real impact on overall humidity levels.
This system is installed as part of your HVAC system. It connects to your ductwork, drawing moisture out of every bit of air that passes through. It gives you unparalleled control over the exact amount of humidity in your home’s air and can eliminate those high-humidity problems, from damaged walls and furniture to illness caused by mold and bacteria.
If you’re considering dehumidifiers in Monroe, GA, we’d love to talk with you.
Reach out to Wall Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. with any inquiries or to make an appointment.