5 Home Dehumidifier Benefits

The air in your Broken Arrow home can get awfully sticky in times of high rainfall, particularly in the summertime when it's warm. Whenever the humidity climbs above 50-55 percent you may find yourself wishing there was a way to keep it under control.

It's always a good idea to check your home for moisture leaks in the roof and in the plumbing, and to make sure your air filter is regularly changed so that the HVAC system does a good job of removing moisture from the air. But what if your home remains too humid? A dehumidifier can be the answer.

Read on to find out more about dehumidifier benefits.

1. Prevents mold, mildew and fungus.

Whenever relative humidity is more than 50 percent, you have a greater chance of developing mold, mildew and fungus in your home. These organisms reproduce by means of spores and can spread rapidly, destroying drywall, wood and fabrics. Mold, mildew and fungus are also the source of unpleasant odors.

2. Makes home's occupants feel more comfortable.

Warmer air holds more moisture than cool air, so that in the summer, a home's occupants may feel uncomfortable as the relative humidity climbs. A dehumidifier can dry the air out sufficiently that the occupants feel cooler.

3. Saves money on air conditioning utility bills.

The dryer the air, the cooler a home's occupants will feel, and the less likely they will be to turn down the air conditioner thermostat to a cooler temperature. By using a dehumidifier, you keep the humidity levels down and the home's occupants are more content at higher temperatures. Also, the wetter the air, the harder the A/C has to work to dehumidify the return air. A dehumidifier helps the A/C do its job, so that you use less energy.

4. Reduces the presence of dust mites.

Dust mites flourish in humid settings. By reducing humidity, you can make conditions less hospitable for these microscopic creatures, which are the source of allergic reactions.

To start reaping dehumidifier benefits in your home, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

Benefits of a Portable A/C

Although it’s hard to match the convenience and comfort of a central air conditioner, sometimes it makes sense to use a portable A/C in junction with it or independently. Over the last few years, portable air conditioners have become more energy efficient and versatile and they may be just what you need in certain situations.

Supplemental Cooling

If you need supplemental cooling in one particular room or area of your home because it’s consistently hotter than the rest, a portable air conditioner might be the best solution. You can use the A/C as a supplemental cooling unit only when you plan to use the areas that are overly warm.You might have a home office or a hobby room that isn’t consistently used. When the air conditioner isn’t in use, you can disconnect the venting hose and tuck the unit into a closet or roll it into a corner.You may also use the cooling unit to make a guest or family member more comfortable. What’s comfortable for one person may not be for another and rather than cooling the whole house down to accommodate their preferred sleeping temperatures, it makes sense to use a portable unit to cool just their bedroom instead.

Dehumidification

One of the newest features a portable A/C may have is a dehumidify-only switch. Being able to remove the humidity without having to cool the room. Humidity increases the "feels like” temperature and by lowering it, you will feel cooler. You can also use this feature in the winter to dry out a damp, clammy basement.

Appearances

Unlike window or wall air conditioners, portable units have small venting requirements that aren’t necessarily visible from the street. When the unit isn’t in use, simply remove the vent and store the A/C. Wall and window A/C units, on the other hand, have an unsightly appearance both indoors and out.

A portable A/C might help you solve some of your cooling and humidity challenges. For more information, contact Air Assurance, providing trusted HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

A Whole-Home Approach: How HVAC Systems Affect One Another

Just like organs in the body, the HVAC systems in your home work together to do their jobs. To keep you comfortable year round in the Broken Arrow area's challenging continental climate, all your systems need to be in top form at all times.Know Your Systems' RolesHVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning While each of your HVAC systems has its own distinct role, those roles are interconnected.Heating -- A fuel-burning furnace heats air over a flame while a heat pump in heating mode uses refrigerant to absorb warmth from the outdoor air and move that warmth indoors. Both then move warm air into your duct system.Air conditioner -- Your air conditioner or heat pump in cooling mode use refrigerant to absorb heat from inside your home and move that heat outdoors. The resulting cooled air is moved into your ducts.Ventilation -- Your ventilation system consists primarily of your fan, air ducts, and the ducts' supply air registers and return air vents. The same fan and duct system is responsible for distributing both hot air from your furnace and cool air from your air conditioner throughout your home.Why the Connections MatterAny issue with your motor or duct system affects both your heating and cooling systems. For instance, skipping your springtime A/C tuneup could allow problems to develop with your ventilation system. Come winter, those problems will either cost you during your fall furnace tuneup or prevent your furnace from working efficiently.An improperly installed air conditioner can cause cold air to leak into your furnace in winter, increasing your heating load and raising your energy bills.If either your furnace or air conditioner is oversized for your home, you'll end up with uncomfortable temperature swings, excess component wear, poor dehumidification in summer, and needlessly high energy bills.If you expect all your HVAC systems to run reliably, you can't afford to favor one system and skimp on another.For help with the maintenance, repair or upgrade of your heating, cooling or ventilation system, contact us at Air Assurance anywhere in the Broken Arrow area.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Ioannis Pantzi/Shutterstock”

Controlling Humidity in Your Tulsa Home Increases Summer Comfort

No one wants to live in a humid home. And in summer, controlling humidity in your home can be a challenge.

Controlling Humidity in Your Tulsa Home Increases Summer Comfort

How humidity makes you feel warmer“It's not the heat, its the humidity,” is a common expression. And it is true. A higher level of humidity in your home will make you and your family feel hotter on a warm day. But why?

Humans release heat from their bodies in a many ways, but the most common is by sweating. It is the evaporation of the skin's sweat that cools your body. A humid environment reduces this evaporation and makes you feel warmer. People feel most comfortable in homes with a relative humidity level of around 45 percent.

Controlling humidity in your home

Maintaining an ideal level of humidity in your home can be difficult. While air conditioners can reduce the humidity in your home's air by cooling the air (cool air holds less moisture than warm air), A/Cs are not the ideal way of reducing humidity. A/Cs are designed for hot weather operation and humidity is a hot and cool weather problem. To feel a difference year-round, you need to install a dehumidifier.

There are two types of dehumidifiers: a whole house dehumidifier and a portable unit. The portable unit can be placed in any room as needed. While this may sound like a good idea, remember that dehumidifiers are noisy. Depending on where you place your unit, you may find the noise to be distracting. In addition, as many portable dehumidifiers are not attached to drain pipe, the unit's water reservoir needs to be emptied often. Whole house dehumidifiers are built into the HVAC system of the home. They have the benefit of dehumidifying your entire house and require less maintenance.

Homeowners thinking about installing a dehumidifier, should speak with HVAC experts to assist them in their decisions. The HVAC specialists at Air Assurance are more than happy to assist you with any of your heating and cooling needs. Air Assurance has been proudly serving the Tulsa-area community since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Indoor Air Quality Need Improvement for Spring? These Upgrades Can Help

Indoor Air Quality Need Improvement for Spring? These Upgrades Can Help

With the arrival of spring, many residents of Broken Arrow dread the simultaneous arrival of spring allergies. But you don’t have to remain a victim to outdoor allergens. These indoor air quality upgrades can help you make your home a safe haven where you can find refuge from allergy triggers.Use ventilation

A mechanical ventilation system boosts air circulation in the home. Through a vent that supplies fresh air, and a vent that exhausts old, stale air, a ventilation system employs fans to boost the rate of air exchange, driving pollutants out of the home. This type of system is especially useful in tight homes that have little natural ventilation to drive pollutants out.

Try dehumidification

If allergy symptoms are triggered by molds or bacteria, allergens that thrive in humid conditions, installing a dehumidification may help to control relative humidity, and prevent conditions in the home that encourage the replication of microorganisms. For humidity control in the entire home, consider a whole-house dehumidifier.

Use filtration

You can also use your air conditioner’s air filter to your advantage to improve indoor air quality. Choose a high-quality filter with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating in the 8 to 11 range. These filters trap a higher percentage of smaller particles, without negatively affecting airflow. Change the filter regularly over the season, at least once a month, or even more often.

Employ an air cleaner

Give indoor air quality a boost with an air cleaner that targets the specific allergens that trigger allergy symptoms. Choose from whole-house ultraviolet light systems, electronic air cleaners, air purifiers or high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) systems that target pollutants in the entire home. An air quality professional can help you identify the systems that best suit your needs, and conduct air-quality testing to determine which pollutants are present.

Air Assurance Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing has served homeowners in greater Broken Arrow for more than 30 years. If you’d like indoor air quality testing, or assistance selecting an air cleaner or ventilation system, get in touch with our indoor air quality experts, or visit our website.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Humidity Control With Dehumidification Systems Gives Oklahomans Comfort

While the summer is winding down, humidity levels remain high. As your air conditioner struggles to keep up with the heat and humidity, you may notice your energy costs rising and your household comfort suffering. What’s worse, as excess moisture begins to accumulate in your household, you may experience the growth of mold or even water damage to the structure of your home.Instead of putting your family’s respiratory health at risk, consider the benefits of dehumidification. Whether you choose a portable unit or a whole-house dehumidification system, you can alleviate the burden that excess moisture puts on your home, family and HVAC system.Keeping humidity levels between 35 and 50 percent is easy with a whole-house system. While room dehumidifiers can be successful within their indicated capacity, whole-house systems often provide as much as four times the efficiency. Plus, you have control over the humidity of your entire household, making it easier to keep consistent levels of comfort throughout the home. Other benefits of whole-house systems include:

• No wasted space – Integrated into your HVAC system, a whole-house dehumidifier doesn’t impose on your floor space.

• Quiet operation – Where room dehumidifiers are hard to miss due to the noise they produce, whole-house units offer quiet, distraction-free operation.

Whatever option you choose, be sure to consult with a professional regarding the proper sizing of your dehumidification unit. As with any HVAC component, dehumidifiers must be matched to the unique needs of your home. Larger rooms need larger capacity dehumidifiers. You can also look at the units EF, or energy factor, to determine the level of efficiency it will provide for the level of energy it will consume. More efficient systems carry a higher EF rating.It’s also important to look at temperature specifications when comparing dehumidification units. Some units are better suited to operation during lower temperatures, while others may be apt to freeze when the temperature drops below 65 degrees. Look for models that feature anti-frost sensors to prevent potential freeze-ups.If you’re having humidity issues in your home, don’t suffer quietly. Contact the experts at Air Assurancetoday.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!