Many homeowners in Nashville consider a dehumidifier a must to make it through the hot and humid summer days. Both a portable dehumidifier and whole house system will help your home feel cooler and more comfortable when there is extra humidity from the air.
You can increase how well your dehumidifier works by adjusting the way you use it, giving you more efficient cooling with lower energy costs.
Getting an Optimal Performance with a Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier works by running air through the system where a refrigeration coil removes moisture in the air. The dry air is filtered out, back into your home while the moisture is collected.
This is beneficial to your home’s temperature because it increases the evaporation potential. Moisture evaporating from the air has a cooling effect, but when humidity is high as it often is in Nashville, there is no capacity for evaporation. Instead, the air holds in heat and causes the air to feel sticky, so you need various solutions to help you manage humidity.
To help remove the feeling of hot air and mugginess inside your home:
- Set Your Dehumidifier Correctly – The optimal in home humidity is between 30% and 50%. This provides enough moisture to keep you comfortable and hydrated while still offering enough evaporative capacity. Since humidity is higher in Nashville, most homeowners will maintain humidity in the 40% to 50% range to avoid a costly energy bill.
- Set Your Thermostat Correctly – As humidity is pulled out of the air, your environment will naturally feel cooler. This means you do not need to set the thermostat as low as you would if you did not have a whole house dehumidifier. Often setting your thermostat at 78 degrees while running your dehumidifier will make the temperature feel closer to 70 degrees.
- Check Water the Collection System – Check how many pints of water the dehumidifier collects over a period of time. On a portable dehumidifier, you will have to empty the tank each day. Depending on how much water a whole house dehumidifier collects and how frequently you have to empty the tank, you may be able to determine that you need a smaller or larger capacity dehumidifier for more efficient cooling.
- Change Out the Filter – The filter in your dehumidifier captures dust, mold, and pet dander. If the filter becomes clogged, your unit will have to work harder to achieve the right humidification and likely increase in your energy bill.
Another important step for your dehumidifier and all of your HVAC equipment is to schedule regular maintenance from a professional HVAC company in Nashville. At Lewis Comfort Control, we can provide annual dehumidification maintenance and tuneups that keep your system working and address any problems. For maintenance to your home’s heating, cooling, and dehumidification before this summer, contact Lewis Comfort Control.