Dehumidifier Services

Air Concept Solutions helps you maintain your dehumidifier system with:

• Periodic system inspections
• Drain cleaning
• Filter changes

Keep your dehumidifier system in good working order by following regular maintenance practices.

13 Reasons Why You Need a Dehumidifier in Your Home

Quick Overview of Dehumidifiers:
You’ve made the first step to living in a healthier home — recognizing that your living space is having humidity issues. Household dehumidifiers are useful appliances that help maintain preferred, and healthy, humidity levels within your space. They do so by working to cleanse the air of excess moisture and prevent mold, bacteria, and other particulates from growing, all of which could lead to a variety of health issues in the long run.

You know when you need a dehumidifier if:

• Moist or wet stains are present on walls or ceilings inside the home, in basements, and crawlspace areas.
• The room feels unpleasantly stuffy.
• Windows are covered with condensation
• Musty odors exist
• Mold is visible
• Excess moisture
• Allergy issues

Dehumidifiers are effective units that come with many benefits for your space, and most importantly, yourself. They eliminate potentially dangerous variables that can affect your home, family, and even your beloved pets.

Fact on why having a dehumidifier is a good fit:

1. Mold Prevention
   Every homeowner’s worst nightmare is mold: Mold is a fungal species that causes natural materials to break down through a process known as biodegradation. Mold can become dangerous in large quantities, putting household residents’ health at risk. Symptoms of mold allergies can include: eye and throat irritation, skin rashes, sneezing, itchy throat, and/or coughing, not to mention help contribute to asthma attacks. Moist, damp air is the ideal environment for mold to flourish (above 50-65% humidity), and a dehumidifier can remove the surplus moisture while preventing new mold from growing. If you or anybody in your home suffers from frequent asthma attacks or if you see mold growing in various places, then you should strongly consider getting a dehumidifier for your home.
2. Improve Air Quality
   The quality of air in your home is not only measured by the number of toxins that you may or may not be breathing in, but also by the humidity levels of the air itself. While there’s no denying that an air purifier is the most effective way to cleanse the air of potentially harmful substances, a dehumidifier does indeed play an important role in improving your indoor air quality. No matter how many houseplants you have in your home or air purifiers running, it is impossible to keep the quality of air in your home at a healthy level if there is too much humidity.
3. Helps Eliminate Dust Mites
   As we discussed above, dehumidifiers play an intricate role in improving the overall indoor air quality within your home. Not only by removing excessive levels of humidity but also by eliminating dust mites — who may be the culprits for why you’ve been wheezing so much recently. Household dust mites are a common cause of many allergy-related symptoms and asthma, and they thrive in humid, warm climates. Dehumidifiers help keep the overall humidity in your house at an optimal level, therefore helping eliminate the environment in which dust mites survive. While you’ll likely never completely rid your home of these tiny mites, there are plenty of things you can do to keep them at bay. Creating an unfavorable environment for them to live in will go a long way in preventing the possible health-related ailments that they may cause.
4. Protects Your Home
   High humidity levels can destroy your home’s structural integrity. Over time, moisture can affect the wood in your home, including the support beams, causing them to warp, crack, or even split. Mold can start to grow in the wall. Metal fittings may start to rust all because there is too much humidity in your home. A dehumidifier is an easy way to prevent your home from slowly deteriorating, while simultaneously creating a healthier living environment for your family.
5. Helps You Feel Comfortable – Temperature Over Humidity
   When moisture is present in your space, temperatures may feel warmer than they are. By removing moisture from the air, you will feel more comfortable without having to crank up your air conditioner down to a colder setting. You could probably raise the temperature on your thermostat and make your home more energy-efficient, as a result. This is especially true here in the low country where the moisture levels are very high all year round. Most people normally feel humidity more than temperature and by removing the humidity inside your homes you will feel more comfortable.
6. Can Be Used in Any Location
   Whether you have extremely moist basements, crawlspace areas, or a humid living room, there is a dehumidifier designed specifically for that space. Many popular home dehumidifiers can be used within all of these spaces in your home, to help ensure a dry environment. Some dehumidifiers offer a feature called “low-temperature operation” that allows them to be used in climates as cool as -4°F, making these appliances perfect for year-round use. Homes located near water or low-lying areas can always benefit from using a whole-house dehumidifier.
7. Different Sizes Available by Pint
   Before making any kind of purchase, it’s important to call us here at Air Concept Solutions, LLC. to help figure out which size dehumidifier is properly suited for your home. Dehumidifiers remove moisture in terms of pint capacity, emphasizing each unit’s reservoir size.

   Small Rooms:
   For lightly damp or small rooms, such as bathrooms or laundry rooms, a dehumidifier with a capacity of 40+ pints capacity is recommended for that size space, look up the total square footage and the unit’s coverage area.

   Mid-Sized Rooms:
   For mid-sized rooms, such as bedrooms, or rooms with excessive levels of moisture, a dehumidifier with a capacity of 60+ pints capacity is recommended for that size space, look up the total square footage and the unit’s coverage area.

   Large Rooms:
   For larger rooms, including living rooms or other open living spaces, a dehumidifier with a capacity of 80+ pints capacity is recommended for that size space, look up the total square footage and the unit’s coverage area.

   Basements, Garages & Crawlspaces:I
   f your garage, basement, or crawlspace needs to be treated as well, a 70+ pint-sized unit is generally recommended and, there are specially-designed units designated for these areas. We would recommend using one of these, if possible, especially if the device will be used in that area for prolonged use. Whole-house dehumidifiers may be needed for larger areas and to cover a broader area.

   The above room sizes typically cover the standard home, however, if you require an even larger unit, then you may want to look into getting commercial and industrial-grade dehumidifiers. Units rated with a capacity of 80 pints or less are ideal for smaller residential use, while larger-sized dehumidifiers 100 pints or more are perfect for larger residential homes, or commercial and industrial settings, such as warehouses, factories, and even server rooms. However, keep in mind that a larger size dehumidifier isn’t always necessarily better; the performance of a dehumidifier is affected by the size and humidity levels in the space being treated. Adding circulation fans can help reduce the size of the dehumidifiers due to air movement and drying.

8. Energy Efficiency Helps You Save Money
   When a unit has an Energy Star rating it means the dehumidifier can operate in an energy-conscious manner to help you save energy, which means you can cut down on your utility costs. Not only will this help create a healthier environment for you and your family, but you can save money in the process. It will also put less stress on your Air Conditioning systems all year round here in South Carolina. For a product to become Energy Star Rated, it must meet strict guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. And this is no easy feat. Note: A dehumidifier running constantly can be a sign of the dehumidifier being undersized which can cause excessive energy consumption.

   A home tightening inspection or a Blower Door Test may be best to show you several areas that need to be repaired or air-sealed inside the envelope of your home before adding a dehumidifier. This test can also help a homeowner to identify areas of their home that may have major issues to the unseen eye. Making the necessary repairs or air sealing your home correctly can help lower your monthly energy usage. Something to know, excessive run times on your home’s dehumidifier would be almost like having a bilge pump running constantly on a sinking boat. Call us today at (843) 376-7214 Air Concept Solutions, LLC for more information.

9. Maintenance is Important for Any System
   While many dehumidifiers require the internal reservoir to be taken out to change or clean the filter, units with this feature have a convenient compartment on the top that provides immediate access to the filter. This cuts down on time spent trying to open the device and prevents an unneeded mess from occurring. And trust me, removing and emptying an internal reservoir will lead to an unwanted mess at some point. PM System cleanings are always recommended on your dehumidifiers & AC Systems every 6 months to help maintain your unit’s proper system operations.
10. 10. Automatic Shut-Off Saves You Time & Energy.
    Designed to further cut down on energy costs, dehumidifiers with an automatic shut-off feature use intelligent software to actively monitor your space’s climate and will shut down once the desired humidity level has been reached. In addition, units with this feature will also shut down once the internal reservoir is full. Another must-have feature when it comes to buying a dehumidifier for your home is automatic shut-off will ensure that the device only operates at its best ability.
11. Auto Defrost Saves You Time
    Automatic defrosting dehumidifiers are convenient and save time when it comes to maintenance. The automatic defrost feature is a must-have feature for anybody that plans to use their device in colder climates. Auto defrost allows you to operate your unit without the worry of frost damage. While most dehumidifiers can function in low-temperature spaces, appliances designed for the cold can operate without the danger of the units’ coils icing over.
12. Restarts Automatically
    In times of power outages — or any time your electricity suddenly shuts off—the automatic restart feature is a godsend. This feature ensures that your dehumidifier will continue to operate at its previously configured settings as soon as the power has been restored, making sure your space continues to receive the dehumidifying treatment it needs. Installing surge protection devices is another way to protect your units and your investment. This feature is a must-have for people who travel/work a lot and are home-less frequently.
13. Drains Continuously
    Although some dehumidifiers may have a large reservoir capacity, allowing for continuous drainage can reduce user maintenance, as well as provide continual dehumidification for your space. Some units come equipped with drainage hoses that connect to the internal reservoir and utilize gravity to feed built-up moisture to the nearest drain. Gravity drains can only drain liquid vertically, so if you need a more powerful option then looking into units that have an internal condensate pump built-in may be beneficial. Condensate pumps are great for locations with diverse elevations and work to pump the liquid vertically and horizontally to the nearest drain.

Takeaway:
Now that you’ve gathered sufficient information and have a better understanding of home dehumidifiers, deciding on a unit that will work best for you should be much easier. While many home dehumidifiers exist and claim to treat your space as effectively as the next, our top four home dehumidifying brands — Aprilaire, Santa Fe, Honeywell have been commendably reviewed to treat spaces for excess moisture, making homes a happier and healthier place to be.

Don’t let yourself or your family suffer anymore, call us today here at Air concept Solutions, LLC. for more information on home dehumidifiers. We can help find a solution that keeps your house dry and comfortable, for many years to come.