The humidity in the air during Massachusetts summers can make it feel as though you’re wading through tepid waters. While this can feel oppressive while outdoors, having that hot and sticky feeling indoors can be even more unpleasant. Fortunately, owning a dehumidifier can make your home much more habitable. Not only will it make the atmosphere more comfortable, but it can also prevent home-damaging scenarios and adverse health effects involving humidity. Let’s review more reasons why you should be using a dehumidifier during summer.
The Benefits of Running a Dehumidifier During Summer
Indoor humidity is caused by water evaporating in your home and rising into the air, and the purpose of dehumidifiers is to remove this water from the air. It’s important to remove the moisture from the air as it can have varying negative impacts on your environment and health. A dehumidifier will help:
Improve Health
Inhaling damp, recycled indoor air can cause respiratory problems, including coughing and asthma symptoms. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, maintaining your home’s humidity between 30 and 50 percent will prevent the growth of allergens, such as dust mites. Maintaining this level of humidity will also reduce the level of airborne toxins arising from paints, varnishes, wood finishes, and set-in tobacco smoke.
Prevent Home Damage
Excessive humidity can promote mold growth which, over time, can cause decay and corrode building materials and release spores that pose health risks to residents. Prolonged moisture can also damage electronics, compromise insulation, and warp books. Humidity can also attract pests like termites, and most damage caused by pests isn’t covered by homeowners insurance.
Save You Money
Dry air feels cooler, so a dehumidifier will help you save money on your cooling costs, as it allows you to run your air conditioning at a higher temperature. To prevent you from spending more on electricity, dehumidifiers must pass certain standard testing by the U.S. Department of Energy. These tests are designed to only approve dehumidifiers whose benefit of removing moisture outweighs the power consumption.
What to Look for in a Dehumidifier
While dehumidifiers must pass an energy standard, there are a few other features that you should look at when choosing the right humidifier. Some of the features to pay attention to include:
- Capacity: Check to see how many pints of water it can remove from the air within 24 hours. Check out the EnergyStar Dehumidifier Table to determine the capacity your need for a house of your size.
- Water Collection Methods: Most portable dehumidifiers have a bucket that collects the water for emptying. However, you can purchase one with an attachable hose, so it doesn’t need to be emptied.
- Frost Sensors: Some dehumidifiers have a frost sensor to prevent frost from accumulating on the condensing coils should the temperature drop below 65 degrees.
- Energy Efficiency: You ideally want to buy an EnergyStar-rated machine, as it will have more efficient refrigeration coils, fans, and compressors and will use 30 percent less electricity than a conventional model.
If you live in a climate with a lot of humidity, you might consider getting a whole-house system. While it’s much more costly than a portable unit, the long-term benefits can be measured in stable comfort, lower operating costs, and fewer cooling requirements.
Determining why you should be using a dehumidifier during summer can help you prevent issues such as mold and pest damage that may not be covered by your homeowners insurance. While it may cost you upfront, the savings you’ll achieve in damage prevention and utilities will pay off in the long term. At TJ Woods Insurance, we can keep you protected from all the covered perils that may damage your home by pairing you with top-rate homeowners insurance. If you want help protecting your home from unpreventable setbacks, contact us today.
