The humidity climbs during the summer in Southeastern Michigan, which makes it feel warmer than it really is. Instead of using your cooling system as a dehumidifier, which could leave you feeling too cold and clammy and driving up energy bills, consider portable or central systems that remove excess water in the air just as efficiently, but without the high energy costs.
When the humidity exceeds 50 percent, the body has a harder time cooling itself because perspiration doesn’t evaporate quickly, leaving you feeling warm even in moderate temperatures. Anything that speeds evaporation will help you feel more comfortable, like fans or removing excess humidity from the air with dehumidifying appliances.
The options include portable appliances or whole-house systems. Both remove water from the air efficiently, but if you’re looking for convenience or have a large home, a central system is likely to work better. Central systems work with your forced-air heating and cooling equipment and pull the air from your home through the ductwork, where it blows over a cold coil. The water condenses and it drains the excessive water into your home’s plumbing system.
They use a humidistat to measure humidity levels and work just like the thermostat for your HVAC equipment. The ideal humidity in the air ranges between 30 and 50 percent, and you can set it for the level comfortable for you. The whole-house system does the work for you, with little maintenance on your part.
When you want spot humidity control, a portable dehumidifier could perform well for you in places like the basement where humidity tends to be higher. These appliances blow air over refrigerated coils and the water either drains into a plastic bucket or through a garden hose and into a drain. Some of these models have humidistats that turn them on and off automatically, based on your settings.
For more information about a dehumidifier and which type is best for your home, contact Aladdin Heating & Cooling. We’ve provided HVAC services for Southeastern Michigan, including Troy and Rochester Hills, for more than 65 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Detroit, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about dehumidifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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