How does a whole house dehumidifier work? If your indoor air quality is muggy, humid, or hot, you are probably wondering how to fix it, if your air conditioner is not doing its job properly, and doesn’t remove the problem completely. And it might be challenging in humid and hot seasons because it’s all about your comfort and even health.
So, your air conditioners might need some assistance to do their job properly to control indoor air quality, and a whole-house dehumidifier is a perfect solution!
We’re glad that you clicked on this blog because we want to tell you everything about a whole-house dehumidifier and how it works to solve your indoor air problems and set the desired room temperature. Let’s get into it!
What is a whole-house dehumidifier?
Whole-house dehumidifiers are a type of indoor air furniture that extracts moisture from the air. In comparison with a portable dehumidifier that remains in a room, this type of dehumidifier has much more capacity and takes under control all of the indoor air in the whole house.
These whole-house dehumidifiers are installed along the return duct of the HVAC system and work alongside the cooling system and heating systems.
How does a whole-house dehumidifier work?
The air that is returning to the HVAC system for cooling is warm and humid. When the air passes into the whole-house dehumidifier, it is cooled by the dehumidifier’s evaporator coil. At the time that air temperature drops, water vapor inside condenses into liquid form and water droplets fall out of suspension; thus, this procedure lowers the amount of humid air.
Then the condensation is drained out of the dehumidifier and vacates away into a neighboring drain through a committed drain line or vacates away from the house. Then, before circulating back into the house, the freshly dehumidified air passes into the air conditioner.
All whole-house dehumidifiers pursue the same process as the air conditioner, although the difference is that the air conditioner is controlling the temperature and the dehumidifier focuses on humidity control.
What are the benefits of installing a whole-house dehumidifier?
Now, that we have already explained how a whole-house dehumidifier works, let’s see what are the benefits of installing it.
Better indoor air quality
High humidity in the air creates indoor air quality problems and discomfort for you. Pollution, dust mites, and other allergens can boost concentration in humid air, which can result in health problems, such as asthma, for example.
Also, excess humidity in the air can create conditions for mold growth and spread through the whole house, and high humidity can be the motive for damaging the wood flooring and sensitive goods in the house.
Improved cooling system efficiency
We have discussed that the whole-house dehumidifiers work by cooling the air to abolish moisture providing dry air and that this apparatus works the same way as an air conditioner does, just with a diverse purpose.
Bringing down to the appropriate temperature, the air that is passing into the air conditioner requires less analysis because the dehumidifier cools and extracts moisture.
Lowing the moisture in the air allows the air conditioner to spend its energy on more cooling rather than performing double a function, dehumidifying the air, too. Therefore, with less moisture in the air, you feel cooler, so you will not need a lot of air conditioning to feel comfortable, which helps you to maintain energy.
Getting rid of humid air is going to help avert mold, in moist places. The dry air will dispatch the mold, created by moist air that might be fevered in ducts.
With lower humidity, you will have fewer insects, which will leave them with less to feed on. If you are able to get the relative humidity below 50%, bugs will go somewhere else.
Removing excess moisture makes you feel more comfortable. In a two-floor house, the upstairs is commonly too warm. If you get the humidity out of there, that is going to make it feel better.
Additionally, the other benefit is that your air conditioner or heat pump is not going to work properly because it does not have to battle temperature and indoor relative humidity.
I also recommend reading: Do air purifiers help with radon?
The best way to install a whole-house dehumidifier is to add a return duct and send dry air to your supply plenum
This approach of installing whole-house dehumidifiers is one of the most common methods.
Here is how to do it:
Get a new return duct and install it in your home. In a two-floor house, attach this duct. Alike, your HVAC return, it’ll have its framework.
Release dry air into your supply plenum. The dehumidifier trails air through the return ductwork, removes moisture, and pulls the dry air into the same supply plenum, that is linked to your home’s main indoor HVAC system. Therefore, the dry air comes into your house through an ordinary HVAC supply passageway.
Measure static pressure and make some improvements. There is a chance that you will have excess static pressure in the system if the dehumidifier and air conditioner are functioning at the same time. However, some increased static pressure might be good, depending on the size of the duct.
I also recommend reading: How you can get cool air from one room to another?
How energy efficient are whole-house dehumidifiers?
By installing whole-house dehumidifiers, you are improving comfort and indoor air quality. But, after all, for those assets, you will probably pay a little bit more each month.
But it is so worth it if you are suffering from the effects of high RH (Relative Humidity)!
Some people don’t notice a big increase in their bills during the summer because the dehumidifier is able to let them set thermostats to a higher temperature. For instance, if your thermostat is set to 70, but the dehumidifier makes you comfortable at 76, the growth in your monthly utility costs usually will not be notable.
I also recommend reading about how many Amps does a dehumidifier use: dehumidifier power efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Should a whole house dehumidifier run all the time?
The situation varies. There is no need to use a dehumidifier all the time, 24/7. Ordinary houses equip comfort levels from 30% to 50%. But, when you feel the need to use it whenever you feel it, you can go!
How long does it take for a whole-house dehumidifier to work?
How can humidity be controlled? If your dehumidifier is big and well-planned by developers and has an exact humidity issue, the dehumidifier can normally lower indoor humidity to the stated levels within several days.
Is it worth it to install a whole-house dehumidifier?
It’s definitely worth it: comfort controlling, consistency, controlling the home’s entire air volume, etc. Furthermore, it can extract excess moisture from the house.
Will a dehumidifier work for the whole home?
Of course, it will! Whole-home dehumidifiers remove humidity from the house, not just in specific areas like portable dehumidifiers do.
I also recommend reading: Should you use humidifier or dehumidifier for stuffy nose and how?
Conclusion
Installing a whole-home dehumidifier can be life-changing…
You’re accustomed to low moisture levels, even on the hottest days in summer. You might be feeling unusual when you visit some of your friend’s houses, go to a cafe or restaurant, or just sit in a waiting room. You will wonder how people can live in the high humidity because your house really becomes a place of comfort.
If you have got health problems, like asthma, or allergies, you will see that you are not sneezing as much, as you used to. Low RH, makes your house unfavorable for dust mites. And if it is for you, you should go for this air conditioning system!
Read also: How do I prevent pink mold in humidifier?
