How Does a Furnace Dehumidifier Work, and Its Pros and Cons?

If you live in an area that has consistent high humidity, I have some nasty news for you. Your house will be uninhabitable; you will be uncomfortable all the time. Your skin may also start breaking out.

You wouldn’t hesitate to invest in a humidifier for dry air. It is with the same vigor that you should look for a whole house or central dehumidifier.

Thankfully, you can order whole house dehumidifiers on Amazon.com. With the huge variety available there, you will be spoiled for choice.

With a reasonable budget, you can find a good furnace dehumidifier system for your home. In this article, we will also try to find out the whole house dehumidifier cost and other factors.

How a furnace dehumidifier works

The magic of a whole house dehumidifier lies in its inner workings. The technician installs this unit in such a way that it utilizes your HVAC system’s existing ductwork to distribute dry air evenly throughout your home.

When the humidity levels rise, the dehumidifier’s sensors detect the excess moisture in the air. It then draws this moist air into its system, where it passes over a cold coil. This is pretty much how any dehumidifier works.

The cold coil causes the moisture to condense, transforming it into liquid water that is collected and drained away. Meanwhile, the now-dry air is reheated and released back into your living space.

Don’t be surprised if the furnace dehumidifier blows warm air, they do that. Actually, if a dehumidifier blows cold air, something is wrong.

Please note, the installation of this dehumidifier is pretty complicated, so it is not something that you can do on your own.

A qualified technician will integrate the unit into your existing HVAC system, ensuring seamless operation. Also, routine maintenance is important. It includes cleaning or replacing the air filters, is necessary to keep your dehumidifier functioning optimally.

Whole house dehumidifier vs portable

Should I use a whole house dehumidifier or not? Is it worth it? What benefits will I get and are there any drawbacks?

These are the questions you may be asking, especially if you have a serious problem of excess moisture in the air in your home.

You will find buying a whole home dehumidifier much better than buying a small, portable dehumidifier for each room at home.

Specifically, make sure you get the best ducted furnace dehumidifier.

To start with, a full house dehumidifier is essential if you want to get rid of excess moisture in your home. If you measure humidity with a hygrometer and find that it is more than 50%, then the relative humidity is high.

This level of moisture encourages the growth of mold and mildew. It makes the house feel stuffy, and it may cause allergens such as dust mites to thrive. These can affect your health badly, cause nasty odors and damage your property.

Look out for rotting wood, paint peeling and so on. If you feel as if you are having difficulty breathing, it is time to get yourself a dehumidifier.

These and many more are signs that there is excess moisture in your home.

Do I need a whole house dehumidifier if I have an HVAC system?

The function of the AC is to control the temperature in the home. However, it also does some dehumidifying, but it may not be effective when there is high humidity.

In fact, for a city like New Orleans, which experiences humidity highs of up to 84%, well, the dehumidifying factor of your air conditioning system is totally negligible.

Just go all out and get a dehumidifier. With professional installation into the air conditioning system, whole house dehumidifier pros are more than the cons.

You just need to find out the HVAC dehumidifier cost. It might be high at first, but it will be worth it in the long run.

What is the solution? A whole-house dehumidifier

All you need is to install a whole house dehumidifier. If you can get the dehumidifier on the furnace or in the attic, the better.

Unlike other portable units that serve a single room, a whole-house dehumidifier removes moisture from your entire home.

The HVAC dehumidifier is installed into the existing air conditioning system and draws in the air using the return ductwork.

Well, there are other installation methods out there. However, they all depend on the existing HVAC system.

Whole house dehumidifier pros

Here is why you should consider having a whole-house dehumidifier in your home:

You can save on energy costs

Running the AC consumes energy. It is worse if your air conditioning system is overworking trying to reduce the humidity in your home.

However, if you have a whole-house dehumidifier, the AC will not be overworked and it will use less energy. Besides, you can run the dehumidifier alone on cool days to save on energy and money.

No more mold and dust mites

The main purpose of a dehumidifier is to get rid of mold, mildew, dust mites and other allergens. The whole house dehumidifier reduces humidity levels to the recommended levels of between 30 and 60%. It makes the home uninhabitable to these allergens.

More indoor comfort

The AC can remove excess moisture. However, it has limitations. For instance, in the warm seasons, the air conditioning can lower the temperature in your home and reduce the humidity to a certain level. However, you may continue feeling a lot of clamminess on your skin.

A dehumidifier gets rid of the excess moisture, leaving you feeling cool and comfortable without feeling clammy.

Longer lasting AC

Without a dehumidifier, the AC does the extra work of regulating temperature and getting rid of excess moisture.

Since it is being overworked, it may not last long and may require constant repair and maintenance. However, when you have a dehumidifier, there is less strain on the AC.

It will last longer, in addition to reducing the cost of maintenance.

More convenient than portable dehumidifiers

A whole-house dehumidifier is installed in the existing HVAC system. It dehumidifies the entire house.

Its vital features include a pump or floor drain to get rid of the water. All you have to do is set the humidistat, and you are good to go.

Compared to a small dehumidifier, you enjoy more convenience since you don’t have to empty it all the time.

There is no constant maintenance, no emptying the tanks, and no moving the unit from one place to another as humidity decreases in one room and rises in another.

The whole house dehumidifier unit only requires an annual check-up that can comprise replacing or cleaning the filter and inspecting the coil.

Protect your furniture and floor: whole house pros and cons

You can’t discuss the whole house’s pros and cons without talking about protection. It prevents paint from bubbling up and peeling away. It also protects your furniture.

By getting rid of the extra moisture in the air, your wood floor and furniture cannot rot. Usually, rot starts at the joints, where you have nails penetrating the wood.

Furnace Dehumidifier Cons

Since this is an article on whole-house dehumidifier pros and cons, we must look at the drawbacks of dehumidifiers. Although there are some downsides, they are fewer. The benefits outweigh the cons.

Initial buying and installation cost is high

Adding a dehumidifier to central AC needs an expert. You cannot attempt this on a DIY basis, no matter how handy you are with your hands.

Unlike portable dehumidifiers that you can find at a low cost of even 20 dollars, a whole-house dehumidifier costs way more money.

One unit can set you back up to a thousand dollars. It depends on your needs and the size of your home. The good thing is that you just need one unit.

To offset this, you can consider the cost of the unit as an investment and weigh it against the benefits. It is better to have a whole-house dehumidifier than to have your house, belongings, and health at risk.

High utility bill

Your energy bill will go up. The increase will depend on how you are using the whole-house dehumidifier. If you are running it a lot, especially during the humid summer season, then your energy cost is likely to go high.

Your energy bill will not be too high if you only run the dehumidifier occasionally. Besides, by running the unit, you are saving on air conditioning energy costs.

Is a whole-house dehumidifier worth it?

It is 100 percent worth the cost you will pay for it. If you have runaway humidity in the house, you need to check it. This also applies to outdoor humidity, since it affects indoor humidity as well.

If you have too much humidity in your indoor spaces, it can lead to the growth of mold. Once this mold matures, it produces spores and if you get into contact with them, they make you sick. You can experience serious mold toxicity symptoms.

A furnace dehumidifier works automatically, completely hands-free. Once you have set it up and entered your desired settings, the dehumidifier will kick in when the humidity level goes up too much.

Likewise, it will stop when the desired humidity level is achieved. This dehumidifier will also help to keep your rooms cooler.

Final Thoughts

You have seen all the whole house dehumidifier pros and cons. You have also seen that the pros are more than the cons. When you buy this and get it installed in your HVAC system, you will not need to do anything else.

Just let it run and let it keep your indoor humidity at optimum level. If you live in a humid area, using a dehumidifier for the whole house is better than using a small, portable dehumidifier for each room.

The most important thing is to find a professional company or person who installs dehumidifiers to do the job for you.