- By Myles Kleeman
- Tags: Dehumidifiers, Forced Air, General Filters, GeneralAire, Humidity Control, IAQ, SDHV, Small-duct high-velocity, System Design, Unico
- August 30, 2022
Better Comfort Through Dehumidification
If this past week of rain and humidity has reminded you of anything, it’s probably that not all comfort is measured in degrees Fahrenheit. In muggy weather, a temperature that would be comfortable is now only bearable and a temperature that was bearable is now oppressive. High humidity also means that your HVAC system is going to be working harder. Luckily, Able has everything you need to dehumidify in any application!
Why Dehumidify?
Before we jump into products, a quick refresher on why proper humidity control is an essential part of any HVAC system.
Superior Comfort
Superior Efficiency
Superior IAQ
Preservation
The first point is pretty simple. When humidity climbs above 60%, it negatively affects perceived comfort. A temperature that is normally great is now decidedly uncomfortable. This segues into the next point of efficiency nicely. When a space is properly dehumidified you can actually adjust the setpoint higher without losing any comfort, which will reduce energy use.
With more and more people working from home either part- or full-time, indoor air quality is more important than ever. High-humidity environments can breed mold and other bacteria as surfaces condense and things stay moist for longer. Those moisture levels can actually hurt not just your comfort and health but your home as well. Woodwork is the most susceptible to these issues but other materials such as drywall.
GeneralAire DH75 Whole Home Wi-Fi Dehumidifier
Our main dehumidification option is from General Filters. The DH75 allows for multiple different manners of installation and removes up to three pints per hour (75 pints per day) which makes it ideal in pretty much any residential application.
Purchase GeneralAire DH75 Wi-Fi Dehumidifier from Able
For homes with a forced air system, you can just connect the DH75 to the duct system and you’re good to go. If there isn’t an existing forced air system, the DH75 can be installed independently.
From there, setup and operation are even easier than installation. The DH75 has a touchscreen for quick contractor setup and these wi-fi connected units can be adjusted by the homeowner using a convenient smartphone app. The app even tracks the total hours on the included MERV 11 filter and lets them know when it’s time to change it.
The Unico System – Integrated Dehumidification
Now, of course any air conditioning system will provide some level of dehumidification, but it is rarely enough in the case of central split systems. However, small-duct high-velocity systems like Unico are different.
We have gone over the many advantages of SDHV systems before but today we are going to go under the hood on one of the more technical benefits: humidity control. A normal condenser is working to reach a set temperature and typically cooling air to ~62°F. With the Unico System, it is a more holistic approach. Unico units consider both the temperature and humidity levels when making decisions about when to activate and for how long. They also run about ten degrees cooler than a conventional system on average.
The end result of Unico’s approach is a forced air system that removes 31% more humidity than one with a standard condenser. If you add a dehumidifier to that standard system, it is now using an average of 25% more electricity than the Unico system. So, no matter how you approach it, the Unico system is a more efficient dehumidification option.
