Earlier this week we blogged about the effects of high humidity in your house, which might have left you wondering what you can do to control your home’s humidity levels. That’s where a whole-house dehumidifier comes in.
So what exactly is a whole-house dehumidifier and how does it work?
What is a whole-house dehumidifier?
A whole-house dehumidifier is a device that reduces the humidity of the conditioned air in your home. Unlike portable dehumidifiers, which can only control the humidity of a single room, whole-house dehumidifiers are attached to your existing heating and cooling system and can reduce the humidity of the conditioned air in your entire home.
How does a whole-house dehumidifier work?
When a whole-house dehumidifier is installed, an additional duct is attached to your existing ductwork that pulls a portion of your home’s return air into your dehumidifier. While there, the warm air passes over cold metal coils, which pulls moisture out of the air in the form of condensation. That condensation is lead through a pipe and drained out of your home.
The newly dried air is then reheated to fully pull all of the moisture out. Once finished, the air leaves the dehumidifier through another duct that’s attached to your existing ductwork, where it rejoins the rest of the air that runs through your air conditioner. The overall effect of this process is a lower humidity in all of the conditioned air that’s distributed throughout your home.
Whole house dehumidifier vs. air conditioner
The process of a whole-house dehumidifier might sound similar to that of an air conditioner because it is. Air conditioners reduce humidity levels on their own. However, air conditioners turn on and off too often to consistently control your home’s humidity levels. This is especially true when the temperature isn’t too high but the humidity is because the air conditioner doesn’t run very often but the humidity levels remain high.
If you have any questions about a whole house dehumidifier, or if you’d like one installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Louis heating and cooling company.
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