Your air conditioner’s main job is to lower the temperature; a byproduct of this process of cooling air is to condense, capture and drain away moisture inside your home. By doubling as a dehumidifier, your air conditioner can make the air even more comfortable, but its dehumidification capabilities are not always enough. When it comes to an A/C and moisture, how do you know it’s handling the job efficiently?
Warmer, humid air will always make you feel more uncomfortable than dry air at the same temperature because humidity slows down the evaporation of perspiration off your body and as a result, keeps you warmer. While an air conditioner can do an acceptable job of removing low to moderate amounts of humidity from indoor air, if you live in a climate that experiences days with very high humidity, then you might want to consider purchasing a dehumidifier.
A dehumidifier has condensing coils just like an air conditioner, but its purpose is dedicated solely to dehumidification rather than changing temperature — although the fact is, a certain amount of heat is released into the indoor air at the point where the dehumidification process is taking place. Used in conjunction with your A/C, a dehumidifier will bring moisture levels down to normal very quickly.
You have two choices when you buy a dehumidifier: portable and or whole house.
Portable dehumidifiers are:
- Small and moveable
- Usually made of plastic
- Typically used for the dehumidification of one room
- Outfitted with onboard water collection bins
- Relatively inexpensive
On the other hand, whole house dehumidifiers are:
- Large and usually heavy
- Usually made of metal and high density plastics
- Typically used for the dehumidification of an entire house
- Without onboard water collection bins, but can be ducted or vented
- A significant financial investment
- Installed to work with your HVAC system
To find out more about your A/C and moisture, call the experts at Aladdin Heating and Cooling. We have been serving southeast Michigan and the Detroit Metro area for decades and know what it takes to help your home maintain balanced humidity throughout the year.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Detroit, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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