Westlake, OH routinely deals with high temperatures in the summer, which is why we put so much emphasis on making sure your air conditioner stays running. But there’s more to Ohio summers than just high temperatures. Humidity enters into the equation too, and while an air conditioner can indirectly address the problem, it’s not set up to do so. A whole-house dehumidifier, on the other hand, could be just what the doctor ordered. Here’s a quick breakdown of how it works and why we recommend installing one.
The Problem of High Humidity
High humidity levels are a problem because they affect how your body handles heat. When relative humidity climbs above 50%, there’s too much moisture in the air for the sweat to evaporate off of your skin. That’s the main way our bodies have of cooling off. So in addition to leaving you feeling sweaty and gross, high humidity means that the air feels hotter than it actually is, and your air conditioner needs to work harder just to make things comfortable again.
Dehumidifiers are the Solution
A dehumidifier doesn’t work in a manner much different than an air conditioner. By lowering the temperature of the air, it causes the ambient moisture to solidify into droplets, thus removing the excess humidity from the atmosphere. But because it’s dedicated to this job, it’s much more efficient in that regard, leaving your air conditioner free to lower the temperature much more effectively and lowering both the strain and the amount of energy consumed. As a result, your air conditioning bills are lower than they might be and you run less of a risk of a breakdown, on top of making the air more comfortable and pleasant in your home.
Westland Heating & Air Conditioning can install and repair a dehumidifier for you.
