Summer humidity causes discomfort, but the problem does not stop there. If you’re tired of indoor mugginess, it might be time to consider installing a whole-home dehumidifier. Here are reasons why this might be a positive step for your home and your summer comfort.
High Humidity and Discomfort
When the air is warm, heavy, and damp, it can feel impossible to get relief from the heat. This happens because perspiration takes longer to evaporate, and so your body heat is trapped. If you are like many people, you will take extra measures, such as setting the thermostat lower and turning on some fans. This can help temporarily, but it means your energy bills will be higher and it often won’t reduce humidity sufficiently to avoid other issues, such as mold and mildew.
Prevent Mold and Mildew
Like many types of fungus, mold and mildew enjoy humidity. If your home experiences high humidity for even a day or so, you can begin to see mildew growth or smell the telltale musty odor. When high humidity becomes the norm, your home could develop a serious mold problem. This can cause staining and rotting of porous materials and contribute to allergies and other health problems. A whole-home dehumidifier decreases the dampness that causes mold and mildew to thrive.
Reduce Allergies
When humidity causes mold growth, mold spores are the most obvious allergen that comes to mind. However, dust mites are another common allergen that flourishes when relative humidity rises above 50 percent. A dehumidifier allows you to balance indoor humidity so that it remains between 30 and 50 percent.
Save Energy
Although installing a whole-home dehumidifier requires an initial investment, you should weigh this cost against issues that damp air causes. In addition to reducing allergies and protecting your decor and belongings from mold and mildew, dehumidifying the air makes you feel cooler. This reduces energy costs because you can adjust your thermostat so your air conditioner doesn’t work so hard.
For more information about a whole-home dehumidifier for your Lorain home, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about whole-home dehumidifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area