Dehumidifier Vs. Air Conditioner: Which Option Should You Choose?
A high level of humidity in your home is a cause for concern. This is because it comes hand-in-hand with health risks and damages around your home. Therefore, it is essential that you come up with the most viable solutions to your humidity problems. This way, high humidity is avoided before it wreaks havoc to your home.
The first thing you should consider is a dehumidifier. This equipment eliminates moisture in the air in an effective manner. Two of its most common forms are a portable dehumidifier and an air conditioner. It is vital to determine which one will work best for your specific needs and situation. Therefore, you will need to assess how effective each of the two will perform when it comes to removing humidity. Both have their advantages, and knowing them will help determine which one is the most viable solution for your home. This way, your humidity issues aren’t the only thing that will be addressed. You will also improve your overall comfort and indoor air quality.
This article will help you understand the differences between a portable dehumidifier vs. an air conditioner. This is to help you determine which device is best to dehumidify your home.
What Is Indoor Air Quality?
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, determines that high humidity is one of the most significant contributing factors to poor indoor air quality. Excess moisture in the air encourages mold, bacteria, and mildew to grow. Not only that, but high humidity also causes health problems like allergies, trouble breathing, and other respiratory issues.
Common Signs You Have High Humidity In Your Home
A few of the common symptoms that you have high humidity in your home include:
- Mold growing on your walls, ceiling, and other absorbent surfaces
- The wood inside and outside your home start to rot
- A musty odor around your home
- The air feels damp, and your skin is clammy
- Allergies are triggered
- Increased asthma or respiratory problems
High Humidity & Comfort
It is essential to note that when high humidity impacts your indoor air, it not only concerns your family’s health. It also affects your home. Furthermore, it can cause discomfort as the air around your house will feel hotter than it is. The excess moisture in the air can also result in the paint peeling off your walls and warped floors. There will also be bad smells permeating in the air, and water stains can be found on your ceilings and walls. High humidity usually means that you have to deal with costly damage repairs.
What Is A Dehumidifier?
A dehumidifier removes the excess moisture from your home’s indoor air. The device will draw in the humid air and force it over cold coils. This will condense the moisture out of the air. The drier air will then pass over warm coils before it is released to your home. The liquid is then drained and collected in a drain pan. The pan needs to be emptied from time-to-time. If you are utilizing a whole-house dehumidifier alongside your HVAC unit or just an AC, the moisture is drained outside automatically.
The cooling process of your air conditioning system includes removing the humidity from the air even if you do not have a whole-house dehumidifier installed. The summer air tends to bring damp and humid air, which is hotter than dry air. The cooling process means this hot air passes over the AC’s evaporator coils. In turn, the moisture is removed because it is condensed into liquid.
Portable & Whole-House Dehumidifiers
A dehumidifier can either be portable or a whole-house unit. Both are designed to eliminate the high humidity in your home. However, there are some vital differences. A portable dehumidifier works just like how the name suggests. The device can be moved from one area to another in your house. In the meantime, a whole-house dehumidifier works alongside your HVAC system. It removes the excess humidity in your entire home, ensuring the home comfort is maintained.
Your air conditioning system can operate better when it cools dry air than moist or humid air. A high level of moisture in the air can mean that you will have to spend more on your cooling costs. Your AC is also more likely to experience breakdowns. This is due to your A/C having to work harder to ensure that the home comfort level is kept at an optimum level. A whole-house dehumidifier operates in tandem with your AC to make sure that the humidity is low throughout your entire home. Your home and HVAC system are protected this way.
Portable Dehumidifier Vs. Air Conditioner: Which Works Best?
A portable dehumidifier and an air conditioner have pros and cons when it comes to removing excess humidity in your home. Choosing which one best fits your home means understanding the needs of your home. A portable dehumidifier is less expensive compared to getting a whole-house unit installed in your house. When you only need to remove the humidity in one room, then you can opt to buy a portable dehumidifier. For instance, you might have a bathroom that isn’t equipped with an exhaust fan or a window.
Unfortunately, a portable dehumidifier is limited to only one room. You should go for a whole-house dehumidifier when you want to remove the humidity throughout your home effectively. It works well with your HVAC system, so this type of dehumidifier is the best option in most cases. It will help increase your home’s air quality as well as minimize the damages.
Getting rid of the excess humidity in one room at a time is not going to have the same benefits that a whole-house unit can give. It can only lead to AC strain, increased cooling costs, and higher chances that your home or health will be severely affected. When you want to improve your home’s indoor air quality as well as mitigate mold and mildew growth, a whole-house dehumidifier can assist you. It requires less upkeep, as well. This is because you do not need to monitor the drip pan every day, unlike in a portable unit. A whole-house dehumidifier is definitely the choice when you want to lessen your humidity problems while also using it with your air conditioner.
Call Lawes Company To Learn More Indoor Air Quality Solutions
Lawes Company provides excellent heating and cooling services in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, New Jersey. Our NATE certified and licensed technicians are equipped with the experience and knowledge needed to ensure that your HVAC system is in tiptop shape. Our affordable services include boiler installations, furnace replacements, AC tune-ups, mini-split repairs, and more.
Each of the techs from Lawes Company can help you with all your cooling and heating needs. Our maintenance services will ensure that you have a higher level of home comfort, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency. It will help reduce your energy costs as well. Our experts can help you find the most viable solutions for all your home comfort needs. Your satisfaction is our priority. This is why we back all our work with a guarantee. Give Lawes Company a call today to book an appointment. We offer no-obligation, in-home consultations.
Contact us now at (732) 741-6300 to find out more!