How Whole-Home Dehumidifiers Improve Summer Comfort in the Pacific Northwest

Although the summer climate in the Pacific Northwest is generally mild, many regions still experience periods of high humidity. If you want to improve summer comfort, there are many whole-home dehumidifier benefits that can help make spending time indoors more pleasant. The experienced team at Kliemann Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning has some insight into why humidity can be an issue in the PNW, what a whole-home dehumidifier is, how it works, and what installing one can do for you.

Why Humidity Can Be a Problem in the Pacific Northwest

Homeowners in the Pacific Northwest can experience several summer humidity problems that affect comfort and air quality. From Kent to Puyallup, Washington often experiences extended periods of rain, leading to high humidity. Here’s why too much humidity can become a problem for your PNW home:

• Too much humidity traps condensation, encouraging structural wood rot and creating an ideal breeding ground for mold and mildew.
• Indoor condensation can build on walls and windows, leaving materials vulnerable to swelling or warping over time.
• Older PNW homes typically rely on windows as the primary source of ventilation, but homeowners often keep them shut to maintain comfortable temperatures when HVAC equipment is running, leading to excess humidity that can affect indoor air quality.
• Crawl spaces in our area are vulnerable to moisture that rises toward wooden floorboards and ceiling joists, compromising the property’s structure.

What Is a Whole-Home Dehumidifier?

A whole-house dehumidifier is a piece of equipment that works with your home’s HVAC system to remove moisture from the air. It automatically removes excess moisture from your home’s indoor air supply and distributes dry, comfortable air to every room. With a whole-house dehumidifier installation, you can maintain ideal indoor humidity levels between 40% and 60% for a more comfortable space.

How Whole-Home Dehumidifiers Work

How does a whole-home dehumidifier work? This indoor humidity control device works alongside your HVAC system to extract excess moisture from the air and redistribute dry, comfortable air using the following process:

• Step one: The air intake system pulls humid air from your home through the central return duct or a dedicated return vent.
• Step two: When the humid air passes over your HVAC system’s cold evaporator coils, it condenses the water vapor into small droplets.
• Step three: Any water extracted from the air flows into a condensate pump or a floor drain.
• Step four: The dry, conditioned air gets recirculated through your home’s supply vents.

Benefits of Installing a Whole-Home Dehumidifier

There are many benefits of installing a whole-home dehumidifier in your PNW home, including:

• Improves health: When you reduce humidity in the home, it helps to prevent mold and mildew, dust mites, and other airborne contaminants for healthier indoor air and fewer allergies and other upper respiratory symptoms.
• Increases comfort: Drier air holds less heat, helping your AC run more efficiently and making your home feel much cooler and more comfortable, all without lowering your thermostat.
• Saves energy: When your home feels more comfortable in the summer, your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard or run as much, which may lead to lower energy bills.
• Protects your property: Installing a whole-house dehumidifier prevents wood from warping and protects floors, furniture, and drywall from excess moisture damage.

Whole-Home Dehumidifier vs. Portable Units

If you want to improve indoor air quality and protect your home, it’s important to know the difference between a whole-home dehumidifier and a portable unit. Remember these key differences to help you determine which option is best for you.

Whole-Home Dehumidifiers

A whole-home dehumidifier treats the entire house automatically and requires almost no maintenance. Although they may draw more power than a portable unit, they also remove a significantly higher amount of moisture from the air. A whole-home dehumidifier costs significantly more upfront, but it tends to last 10 to 15 years.

Portable Units

Portable dehumidifiers work best for single rooms or for treated isolated areas like an excessively moist, humid basement. They do require more maintenance, as you must manually empty the water collection tank daily or weekly. Portable units are generally less energy-efficient and typically last only three to five years before needing replacement.

Signs Your Home May Need a Whole-Home Dehumidifier

It’s important to recognize the signs that you may need a whole-home dehumidifier for allergies and improved indoor comfort, including:

• Your AC is cooling your home just fine, but the air still feels muggy and clammy when it runs.
• You see droplets, fogging, or sweating on interior glass surfaces, a sign that moist air is hitting colder surfaces.
• Floors creak, wallpaper has started peeling, doors stick, or you notice buckling window frames, all signs of too much humidity inside your home.
• You detect a persistent damp or stale odor, especially in areas like your bathroom or the basement.
• You see visible dark spots or fuzzy areas on drywall, ceilings, or under carpets, which may indicate mold and mildew.
• You experience an increase in allergy-related symptoms like coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes, a common sign that your home has too much moisture in the air.

Pairing a Dehumidifier with Other IAQ Solutions

When it comes to installing a dehumidifier vs. having just an air conditioner, you can pair your whole-home dehumidifier and AC system with other indoor air quality solutions to maximize comfort even further:

• Duct sealing: Professional HVAC duct sealing repairs leaks and gaps in ductwork, often caused by excess humidity, for a much more comfortable, energy-efficient space.
• Air filtration: An indoor air filtration system captures small particles and debris, protecting your HVAC equipment and keeping the air inside your home clean and safe.
• Aeroseal: This cutting-edge, science-backed duct sealing product stops leaks from the inside, sealing tiny gaps and cracks for up to 30 years of reliable leak protection.
• Duct cleaning: Our professional duct cleaning service thoroughly removes debris, dust, and contaminants from your air ducts using specialized equipment, including high-powered vacuums and scrubbing brushes, to improve comfort and indoor air quality.

Why Pacific Northwest Homeowners Choose Kliemann Bros

Pacific Northwest homeowners choose Kliemann Bros for their HVAC and air quality needs because, since 1998, we’ve built our reputation based on doing whatever it takes to make our customers happy. Our highly trained, licensed, and experienced team of HVAC technicians stays up to date with the latest industry techniques and equipment to stay one step ahead of everyone else. As a Trane Comfort Specialist, we can help you select the best home comfort options to provide the highest level of reliable, high-quality HVAC services that last.

Contact Kliemann Brothers Today!

If you live in the Pacific Northwest and struggle with indoor humidity, trust Kliemann Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning to improve your home’s comfort and indoor air quality. If you’d like to schedule an indoor air quality assessment or a dehumidifier installation, contact us today!