Like other cities along and close to Florida’s Gulf Coast, Tallahassee experiences extreme temperatures and oppressive relative humidity (RH) throughout the year. Days during summer often start with moisture levels around 90 percent. These conditions affect everyone’s perception of the apparent temperature. Dry air feels cooler. Humid air feels warmer. This means that on high-humidity days, you probably turn down the thermostat and run your air conditioner more to achieve the same level of comfort.
Common Dehumidification Systems
Because relative humidity (RH) affects how temperatures feel, inventors have created specialized products that remove excess moisture. Here’s how they work.
- Air conditioners and heat pumps remove moisture as they cool the air. Condensation collects on the cooling coils, drips into a collection pan and drains outside your home. Residential HVAC units capture several gallons of condensation daily.
- There are a few kinds of dehumidifiers. The most common type uses refrigeration coils like the ones in your air conditioner. These dehumidifiers cool the air when they run. This isn’t the intended function, so the unit heats the air before it’s released into your living area. That’s why these products use more energy than conventional HVAC units.
Controlling Humidity at Your Home in Tallahassee
If you’re tired of battling humid indoor air, a whole-house dehumidifier can enhance your comfort and improve your indoor air quality. A properly functioning HVAC unit should remove enough water vapor to keep your home comfortable. For customers who need additional dehumidification, variable-speed cooling systems pull even more moisture from the air because they run longer and at lower capacities. Products in Trane’s XL and XV series provide on-demand dehumidification that’s controlled by your thermostat. We also install secondary return ducts that treat air from humid trouble spots.
For more information about improving your comfort at home, check out our indoor air quality services, or call 850-893-1021 to have the professionals at High Quality Heating & Air assess your options.
