Like much of northern California, Sacramento has relatively high humidity levels throughout the year. High humidity levels inside your home can make indoor living unpleasant and can also cause a number of other problems.

While there are several things you can do to reduce some of the humidity in your home, such as checking for leaks in pipes, it’s not always enough. This is why many people choose to use a whole-house dehumidifier in their homes.

High humidity problems

There are a number of reasons why it’s a good idea not to let your home become too humid.

Comfort: High humidity levels can make your home very uncomfortable for you, your family and your pets.
Mold: High humidity levels can encourage the growth of mold spores, which in turn can threaten the health of those in the home, especially if they already have problems such as asthma or allergies.
Damage: In the long term, high humidity levels can cause stains on your walls and even more serious damage.
Energy waste. High humidity makes your air feel warmer, prompting homeowners to crank up the A/C. This wastes energy and increases utility bills.

Dehumidifier types

There are two types of dehumidifiers: portable units and whole-house dehumidifiers. Both can be effective when used properly.

Portable units: Portable dehumidifiers can be placed in particular parts of the home where you would like to reduce the humidity. They require emptying each day, but can work well in small homes and are less expensive than whole-house units (unless you’re trying to remove humidity from a large home with several portable units).
Whole-house units: Whole-house dehumidifiers are installed by a professional and are connected directly to your HVAC system. They work by extracting humidity from the air passing through your air return ducts. The system does not require daily attention from the homeowner. They’ll remove moisture from every room in your home, and you can control the amount that gets removed.

You certainly want your home to be a place where you and your friends can be at ease. An effective dehumidifier can help make this a reality. If you have any further questions, please contact All Year Heating, Air & Solar. Serving the Greater Sacramento area, our experienced team of professionals will be happy to help you.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).