Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes. That adds plenty of beauty to the state, but it also adds something else: humidity! When the winter chill is gone, our air is filled with high levels of moisture, which leads to making warm conditions much less tolerable.
You can’t do much about the humidity outside your home, but you can improve it inside. The air conditioning system will remove some of the moisture from the air, but it isn’t specifically designed to do this job, and in most cases you’ll need to have a dedicated whole-house dehumidifier placed into the HVAC system.
Benefits of a Whole-House Dehumidifier
- Better comfort: The reason that higher humidity makes hot temperatures feel even hotter is because the moisture in the air restricts how fast the human body can release heat through perspiration. This traps more heat in the body, which makes the temperature feel warmer. You’ll enjoy greater comfort with the humidity properly balanced (under 50% relative humidity).
- Energy savings: The difference in comfort thanks to a dehumidifier should allow you to raise the temperature on the thermostat 8°F, and the AC will need to run less often. This will lead to savings on your utility bills.
- Reduced water damage: Too much humidity is bad for many types of surfaces in your home, particularly wood, which often suffers from wood rot and warping.
- Prevent mold and mildew: High moisture encourages the growth of mold and mildew, as well as bacteria. This can create an actually unhealthy environment, especially if mold gets into the HVAC system. Proper dehumidification cuts off this problem at the source.
You must call on HVAC specialists for this service, since the whole-house dehumidifier must be matched with the rest of your indoor comfort systems so that it doesn’t end up making your house too dry—which will cause as many problems as too much moisture.
Freedom Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. installs and services whole-house dehumidifiers for Minneapolis, MN and the surrounding areas.