Tips on Buying a Home Dehumidifier

  

HVAC Takes A Look At Buying Dehumidifiers

Moist indoor air in the home environment is not particularly comfortable for anybody in the house. Besides being unbearable at times, high humidity levels can set up conditions where different types of mold and mildew can thrive that in turn can be harmful to both health and home. On top of that, humidness also creates a flourishing atmosphere for dust mites. Whole house dehumidifiers are a simple and effectual means of overcoming the problem of household humidity.

Humidity is a measure of the quantity of moisture that air will hold and means much the same as the term relative humidity. The latter is the quantity of moisture in the air expressed as a percentage of how much moisture the air can hold at a specific temperature. For instance, if the relative humidity is said to be eighty percent, the air is eighty percent saturated. The ideal level of relative humidity for an indoor environment is between thirty and fifty percent in warmer weather and thirty to forty percent when it is colder. A home dehumidifier is able to maintain the optimal relative humidity inside, which helps to reduce musty aromas in addition to protecting furnishings from harm by excessive dampness.

A dehumidifier draws dampness from the air by the use of fans that draw moist air into the device. That air is then pulled over refrigeration elements that are a collection of cool and warm coils. This process causes  condensation to form with the resultant drops of water dripping into a water collection container.

Once the moisture has been removed by this condensation process, the remaining air, which is now less humid, is blown back into the room. A home dehumidifier will elevate the temperature of the surrounding air slightly, as opposed to window or portable air conditioners , which cool the air and also dehumidify it at the same time. Many of the more recent house dehumidifier models are designed to vent this warm air either through the rear of the unit, or through ductwork. This is done so that this warmed air is not moved into a living area where it is undesirable, particularly during warm weather.

A home dehumidifier functions best at indoor temperatures that are above 65° F. At temperatures below this point, it can cause these air control machines to work less effectively with some models actually icing up. When these appliances are not functioning efficiently you do not receive the benefit of dehumidified air and the unit will wind up costing more money to run as well. If you need to dehumidify a room or house at those lower temperatures regularly, you should seek a model that is specifically certified by Energy Star to work at temperatures as low as 42° F and are fitted with an auto defrost function to keep ice from forming.

The model of dehumidifier that you finally choose for your house should be based on the overall humidity levels in the area, on the condition of the space that needs to be dehumidified, and by the square footage of the area. All air dehumidifiers are labeled to indicate the capacity for holding the water extracted from the atmosphere. The most popular sizes range from thirty pint up to fifty pint with several able to hold even more than that. Before making a final purchasing decision, it is advisable to read reviews on the different models that are available, as well as their energy ratings.

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