Controlling the level of humidity in your home is good for your home and good for your health. Proper humidity levels are more comfortable and can reduce the amount of time you need to run your heating and air conditioning systems. In addition, high humidity levels facilitate the growth of mold, mildew and dust mites which are among the primary home allergens. The mold and mildew that accompany high levels of humidity can aggravate allergies and cause problems for asthma sufferers. Mold and mildew can also damage your possessions and, in severe cases, even cause damage to your home.
You can control mold and mildew and make your home more comfortable by controlling the moisture level in your home using a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers can either be small, portable units designed to dehumidify a room or a whole house dehumidifier that works in conjunction with your HVAC system.
For dehumidification of a limited area of your home such as a basement, a portable dehumidifier can be an economical choice. However, in most situations whole house dehumidifiers offer a number of advantages over portable units.
For starters, a whole house dehumidifier does not take up any space in your living areas since they are attached to your furnace. In addition, they require little maintenance other than regular cleaning. Unlike portable units, they are designed to drain like your central air conditioner. A portable dehumidifier needs to be emptied frequently.
Portable dehumidifiers are controlled manually, but a whole house dehumidifier operates automatically. Once it’s set, a whole house humidifier monitors the humidity level and controls it appropriately throughout your home, resulting in even, comfortable year round heating and cooling of all of your living spaces while eliminating that musty smell and controlling mold and mildew.
