Whole-House Dehumidifier Installation in Maplewood
Relative humidity (RH) measures airborne water vapor relative to temperature. As the temperature rises, the air can hold more moisture. You never want to let RH get above 60%, as this is when you’re prone to mold. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends 50% or less. That’s ideal for indoor air quality and eliminates the risk of dust mites and mold.
To achieve the EPA recommendation, we suggest a whole-home dehumidifier in Maplewood. Portable units can be effective, but only within a certain distance from the unit. Whole-house systems provide your target RH throughout an entire residence. You’ll enjoy the comfort and health benefits wherever you are in the home. Portable units don’t protect well against mold and dust mites. They also don’t benefit your home’s cooling system.
There are two main approaches to dehumidification: desiccation and refrigeration. Desiccation involves using a material that can absorb moisture from the air. This is a popular approach for portable units, but some whole-house systems also use it. With portable units, you often have to replace the desiccant every few years, whereas with whole-house systems, the desiccant will generally last between 8 and 15 years.
HVAC experts generally recommend refrigeration-based systems for larger homes and warmer climates. These work similarly to ACs, but the design optimizes them for moisture extraction rather than cooling. The refrigerant will last the life of the system.
Our team will add drainage to both desiccation and refrigeration systems. The dehumidification system can have dedicated drainage, or we can plumb into the condensate drainage for the AC or heat pump. This is convenient because the extracted water drains out of the home automatically. You often have to empty portable units daily.
A dehumidifier provides many potential health benefits:
- Better comfort
- Greater energy
- More restful sleep
- Less respiratory irritation
- Reduced allergy and asthma symptoms
