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Summers in Louisiana bring both heat and humidity\u2014and everyone knows this is an unpleasant combo! No matter how hot it is, a high level of humidity will make the heat feel worse. This is because the moisture in the air makes it harder for the human body to release heat through perspiration. With more heat trapped in the body, people feel even hotter than the air around them.<\/p>\n
Since we frequently experience relative humidity above 80% during the summer (which is already 20% above what\u2019s considered comfortable), we have an uphill battle cooling down our homes. Air conditioners must run more often to overcome the effects of both the heat and humidity, and this creates higher energy bills. The extra humidity is also harmful to furnishings in a home and allows mold, mildew, and fungus to start to grow.<\/p>\n
But you can trust us to help you out with a whole-house dehumidifying solution.<\/p>\n
The first electro-mechanical air conditioning system was invented to dehumidify industrial buildings, not to cool them. Air conditioners have dehumidifying abilities as part of how they remove heat from the air-water moisture condenses along the indoor coil as the coil extracts thermal energy. However, an AC can\u2019t handle the humidity levels we experience on its own and become easily overwhelmed.<\/p>\n
If you have an air conditioner that\u2019s been in your home for less than 10 years and is still working effectively, the best way to enjoy balanced humidity is to have our technicians install a dedicated whole-house dehumidifier. This dehumidifier works similarly to an air conditioner\u2014extracting moisture from the air using refrigerant\u2014but it doesn\u2019t have a cooling function. All it does is remove moisture, and it has a much greater capacity for this than a standard air conditioner.<\/p>\n
These whole-house dehumidifiers draw on the air from the heating and cooling ductwork, treating the entire volume of air in the house\u2014first dehumidifying it, then sending it to the AC to be cooled. This ensures there\u2019s no restriction on air flow and the HVAC system won\u2019t lose any efficiency.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re thinking about putting in a new air conditioning system because your current one is old or isn\u2019t working as well as it once did, we recommend you have a special high-end air conditioner that has the dehumidifier built into it installed. This is even more effective than putting in a separate dehumidifier since the AC and dehumidifier work in close connection to ensure better humidity balance\u2014it keeps the house from becoming too<\/em> dry. (And yes, this can be just as unpleasant as too humid.)<\/p>\n