Whole-Home Dehumidification: When Air Conditioning Just Isn’t Enough

Ever have that sticky, humid feeling in your Kansas City home? Chances are that it’s excess humidity causing that feeling. Air carries moisture, and when the relative amount of moisture crests over 60 percent, it causes that sticky, suffocating feeling that makes your home so uncomfortable. Excess humidity also spawns mold and mildew growth, making an already uncomfortable situation even worse. Fortunately, whole-home dehumidification can solve many of these issues and keep your home comfortable year-round.

Air conditioners vs. dehumidifiers

It’s easy for homeowners to assume that their air conditioner doubles as a dehumidifier, even if that’s not the case. As an air conditioner’s evaporator coil absorbs heat from indoor air, it also pulls moisture from the surrounding air as a result of cooling. This only happens when the A/C system is up and running, when the entire home is being cooled.

Air conditioners control temperature, with the removal of excess humidity a side benefit. On the other hand, a dehumidifier is designed specifically to remove large amounts of excess moisture from the air. It doesn’t make the air cooler like an A/C system, but by lowering the relative humidity, the air feels cooler and your A/C won’t have to work as hard.

Benefits of dehumidification

Whole-home dehumidification makes perfect sense when your home’s relative humidity is above the 60 percent threshold. A whole-house dehumidifier works in tandem with your home’s HVAC system to balance humidity levels. By pulling humid air from every room of your home, your dehumidifier discourages mildew and allergen growth while making it easier to breathe. With relative humidity under control, you can run your A/C less often and experience energy cost savings over the long run.

To learn more about the benefits of whole-home dehumidification, contact the professionals at Overland Park Heating & Cooling. Since 1983, we have proudly provided residents of the Greater Kansas City area with quality HVAC service and repair.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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