Dehumidifiers: The Solution For Damp Homes

Humidity outside, particularly in the summer, is a fact of life in the Orlando area. However, humidity in your home is not something you have to live with. Installing and using a dehumidifier is one way to tackle the problem of a damp home.

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. At levels above 55 percent, humans begin to lose the ability to cool themselves through sweating, as the high level of moisture in the air decreases water evaporation on your skin. While this may leave you feeling uncomfortable, it’s important to know what negative effects the excess moisture may be having on your home, and how to control it. Read on to see why a dehumidifier is the perfect solution.

Humidity is necessary for our well being, but too much or too little can cause problems. A hygrometer is an easy, inexpensive way to measure the relative humidity within your home, and you can pick one up at most home-improvement centers or hardware stores. The ideal rate of measure should fall between 35 and 55 percent. If your home’s humidity is too low, below 35 percent, it can lead to health issues and damage to electronic equipment, furniture, and other household items. Once numbers begin to creep over the 55 percent mark, damage increases, and can include the proliferation of mold, musty smells, allergic reactions, and wet spots on ceilings or walls. Excess moisture may be caused by poor ventilation, excess steam from cooking or showering, or outdoor daily humidity readings topping 80 percent.

If the readings within your home are above normal, or you notice signs of excess humidity, a dehumidifier is the answer to your problem. Your dehumidifier options include:

• A heat pump, which moves hot air from one place to another, removing excess moisture in the process, making it an ideal year-round solution to heating, cooling and humidity control.
• A whole home dehumidifier, which works in conjunction with your existing HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system, and which keeps indoor humidity at ideal levels.

For more information regarding dehumidifiers, call the experts at Rinaldi’s Air Conditioning. Since 1969, we have been proudly serving residential and commercial customers in Orlando and the surrounding areas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas 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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