Texas residents are no strangers to heat. About 2/3rds of the year is spent with our air conditioners on, and with that heat often comes humidity as well. This excess moisture in the air makes it harder for the human body to release heat through sweat, making humid days feel hotter than the actual temperature outside. As a result, you’ll probably try setting your thermostat lower and lower (or you’ll just accept that this is as good as it is going to get and accept this level of comfort)—but is that helping?

Air Conditioners are Not Dehumidifiers

Your air conditioner does have some dehumidification properties, but that is not its sole purpose. One of the biggest problems with high humidity is that it causes your air conditioner to work harder than it should have to do its job.

As it strains to cool your home and you set the thermostat lower and lower, your air conditioner wears down and wastes energy. This excessive moisture makes it more likely that the indoor coil will freeze, which a dehumidifier helps prevent. Ultimately, without solving the humidification problem, you may not only find yourself facing a premature system replacement but also higher monthly energy bills.

Humidity and Your Health

Humidity is one of the worst indoor air quality problems you can have. High levels of humidity make you feel overheated, since as we mentioned above it is more difficult for your sweat to evaporate. Outdoors it can lead to heat stroke, and indoors it can make you feel pretty miserable!

But humidity makes you more than uncomfortable—its effects can make you sick.

As moisture builds up in your home, mold develops. Even the mildest cases of mold can aggravate the symptoms of those with allergies and asthma. And if the mold is neglected and allowed to grow further, it can make even the healthiest person ill just from breathing in mold spores (not to mention, mold creates property damage!) A whole-house dehumidifier, the benefits of which we’ll get to in a moment, can help prevent this.

The Solution to Your Humidity Problems

For an unbearably humid home (that is, a home with a relative humidity level greater than 50%), a whole-house dehumidifier is the answer. This indoor air quality product is installed directly into your HVAC system, where it uses refrigerant to absorb moisture from the air.

Yes, this is similar to what your air conditioner does, however, your dehumidifier is focused only on removing moisture—not cooling down your home like your air conditioner. The dehumidifier keeps the air at the same temperature to not interfere with your air conditioning efforts.

One more solution to consider when it comes to preventing the harmful effects of mold is the installation of UV lights in your ductwork. UV lights are harmless to people and pets, but deadly to microorganisms that hide in your air ducts and can make you ill.

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