Dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers

What Are the Best Brands of Dehumidifiers on the Market?

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Dehumidifiers pull excess moisture from the air, removing that uncomfortable, damp feeling from your home as well as helping to prevent allergy triggers. With so many product manufacturers to choose from, it can be challenging to know which is the most reliable model for your home. Let's save your time by telling you some of the top-rated dehumidifier brands currently available.

Frigidaire

Frigidaire is one of the most widely sold dehumidifier brands. Its dehumidifiers range from 35 to 70 pints. Many of its new units meet the current Department of Energy (DOE) standards, making them highly energy-efficient. They often feature digital controls. Frigidaire dehumidifiers are exclusively refrigerant-based.

Lennox

Lennox is a premium brand that places a huge focus on quality and user safety. Lennox dehumidifiers come in a variety of sizes and control indoor moisture levels without producing ozone. Some models are designed to work with any central cooling brand, and some are specially engineered to work with Lennox cooling equipment and, as a result, don't require water-collection tanks.

GE (General Electric)

GE is also a widely sold dehumidifier brand. Many of its products have received numerous positive reviews from customers. GE manufactures large-, medium-, and small-capacity units. The dehumidifiers have elegant designs.

Keystone

Keystone is a major manufacturer of dehumidifiers, with its units being available in capacities varying from 30 to 95 pints. You can choose between desiccant and refrigerant models. Keystone is a great brand to consider if you want myriad options.

Ivation

The designs of Ivation dehumidifiers are known to be smart and innovative. Whether you want minimalist or contemporary, the brand offers a variety of styles to suit your needs. Ivation high-capacity and small, mini dehumidifiers are available at pocket-friendly prices.

A high-quality unit from one of these reliable dehumidifier brands will help you enjoy a healthier and more comfortable home without having to worry much about the dehumidifier breaking down prematurely. For more information on dehumidifiers, contact us at Air Assurance. We offer Broken Arrow-area homeowners reliable installations and repairs of dehumidifiers and other HVAC equipment.

Dehumidifiers

5 Home Dehumidifier Benefits

The air in your Broken Arrow home can get awfully sticky in times of high rainfall, particularly in the summertime when it's warm. Whenever the humidity climbs above 50-55 percent you may find yourself wishing there was a way to keep it under control.

It's always a good idea to check your home for moisture leaks in the roof and in the plumbing, and to make sure your air filter is regularly changed so that the HVAC system does a good job of removing moisture from the air. But what if your home remains too humid? A dehumidifier can be the answer.

Read on to find out more about dehumidifier benefits.

1. Prevents mold, mildew and fungus.

Whenever relative humidity is more than 50 percent, you have a greater chance of developing mold, mildew and fungus in your home. These organisms reproduce by means of spores and can spread rapidly, destroying drywall, wood and fabrics. Mold, mildew and fungus are also the source of unpleasant odors.

2. Makes home's occupants feel more comfortable.

Warmer air holds more moisture than cool air, so that in the summer, a home's occupants may feel uncomfortable as the relative humidity climbs. A dehumidifier can dry the air out sufficiently that the occupants feel cooler.

3. Saves money on air conditioning utility bills.

The dryer the air, the cooler a home's occupants will feel, and the less likely they will be to turn down the air conditioner thermostat to a cooler temperature. By using a dehumidifier, you keep the humidity levels down and the home's occupants are more content at higher temperatures. Also, the wetter the air, the harder the A/C has to work to dehumidify the return air. A dehumidifier helps the A/C do its job, so that you use less energy.

4. Reduces the presence of dust mites.

Dust mites flourish in humid settings. By reducing humidity, you can make conditions less hospitable for these microscopic creatures, which are the source of allergic reactions.

To start reaping dehumidifier benefits in your home, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

Dehumidifiers, Featured

Should You Get a Whole-Home Dehumidifier?

Should You Get a Whole-Home Dehumidifier? | Air Assurance

The Broken Arrow area may not be the most humid part of the country, but we can still get enough moisture in the air to cause problems. A whole-home dehumidifier can control your humidity to improve your comfort and save you money.

The Problem with High Humidity

Ideally, your indoor humidity should fall somewhere between 30 and 50 percent. Although it's naturally a little higher in summer, humidity that's consistently above 50 percent causes a number of problems.

  • You feel hot and sticky in summer, even with the A/C temperature set low. In winter, you always feel chilly, even with the heat on.

  • Your allergies or asthma are worse when you're at home than when you're out.

  • You find mold on the ceilings in your bathroom or kitchen, or you smell a musty odor.

  • You see brown, splotchy water stains on your walls or ceilings.

  • Your paint is bubbling or your wallpaper is peeling.

  • You often see condensation on your windows, particularly in winter.

How a Whole-home Dehumidifier Helps

A portable dehumidifier is useful in a small space with high humidity, but it can't dehumidify multiple rooms. A whole-house dehumidifier sits inside your heating and cooling system and removes excess moisture from the air as it passes through. The resulting water is drained away to your plumbing system. The dehumidified air continues through your duct system and out to your rooms. This lowers the humidity in your entire house to a healthier level.

Better humidity improves the "feels like" temperature in your home. In summer, your body will be able to cool itself more effectively in drier air, and you'll feel cozier in winter, too. You'll need less heating and cooling, which means lower energy bills.Lower humidity inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold, and dust mites, improving your indoor air quality and protecting your home from the rot that mold can cause. Less condensation also protects your windows from rot.

If you think you could benefit from a whole-home dehumidifier, get in touch with us at Air Assurance in the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “marekuliasz/Shutterstock”

Dehumidifiers, IAQ – Indoor Air Quality

Easy Ways to Prevent Allergies in Your Broken Arrow Home

Spring is almost upon us and that means allergens are about to start blowing across the prairie. If you're looking for some ways to keep your allergies under control, consider implementing the following tips:

Easy Ways to Prevent Allergies in Your Broken Arrow Home
  • Control the temperature. Keeping your home around 70 degrees can prevent dust mites and mold from taking hold.

  • Use a dehumidifier. By reducing dampness, you can keep mold from forming on interior surfaces.

  • Keep the windows closed. Even when the weather warms up, rely on your air conditioner and fans to keep your home cool.

  • Upgrade your filter.Using a small-particle or HEPA filter can help remove pollen, dust and spores from the air you breathe. It's important to replace or clean these every month.

  • Go chemical-free. Instead of using store bought, chemical-based cleaners, consider making your own natural cleaners.

  • Wash linens, drapes and clothing regularly. This will help remove particulates that are stuck within the fibers.

Completing these tasks will remove a great deal of particles that trigger allergies within your home's environment. Other things you can do include reducing the number of knick-knacks you have, which reduces the amount of things you need to dust. You can also replace carpet and wallpaper with tile, which makes cleaning easier and more efficient.

If you have pets, you'll want to increase their bathing regimen as they'll likely begin shedding more as the weather warms up. It's also a good idea to increase your own bathing routine, so as to remove pollen and dirt as soon as you come indoors.

The team at Air Assurance is happy to share some more ways to prevent allergies in your home. We invite you to contact us to learn more about the ways we're helping our clients keep the air in their home's around Broken Arrow clean and clear.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Piotr Marcinski/Shutterstock”

Dehumidifiers, Humidifiers

Controlling Humidity in Your Tulsa Home Increases Summer Comfort

No one wants to live in a humid home. And in summer, controlling humidity in your home can be a challenge.

Controlling Humidity in Your Tulsa Home Increases Summer Comfort

Controlling Humidity in Your Tulsa Home Increases Summer Comfort

How humidity makes you feel warmer“It's not the heat, its the humidity,” is a common expression. And it is true. A higher level of humidity in your home will make you and your family feel hotter on a warm day. But why?

Humans release heat from their bodies in a many ways, but the most common is by sweating. It is the evaporation of the skin's sweat that cools your body. A humid environment reduces this evaporation and makes you feel warmer. People feel most comfortable in homes with a relative humidity level of around 45 percent.

Controlling humidity in your home

Maintaining an ideal level of humidity in your home can be difficult. While air conditioners can reduce the humidity in your home's air by cooling the air (cool air holds less moisture than warm air), A/Cs are not the ideal way of reducing humidity. A/Cs are designed for hot weather operation and humidity is a hot and cool weather problem. To feel a difference year-round, you need to install a dehumidifier.

There are two types of dehumidifiers: a whole house dehumidifier and a portable unit. The portable unit can be placed in any room as needed. While this may sound like a good idea, remember that dehumidifiers are noisy. Depending on where you place your unit, you may find the noise to be distracting. In addition, as many portable dehumidifiers are not attached to drain pipe, the unit's water reservoir needs to be emptied often. Whole house dehumidifiers are built into the HVAC system of the home. They have the benefit of dehumidifying your entire house and require less maintenance.

Homeowners thinking about installing a dehumidifier, should speak with HVAC experts to assist them in their decisions. The HVAC specialists at Air Assurance are more than happy to assist you with any of your heating and cooling needs. Air Assurance has been proudly serving the Tulsa-area community since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Air Conditioning, Air ducts, Dehumidifiers, IAQ – Indoor Air Quality, Mold

Humidity Control With Dehumidification Systems Gives Oklahomans Comfort

While the summer is winding down, humidity levels remain high. As your air conditioner struggles to keep up with the heat and humidity, you may notice your energy costs rising and your household comfort suffering. What’s worse, as excess moisture begins to accumulate in your household, you may experience the growth of mold or even water damage to the structure of your home.Instead of putting your family’s respiratory health at risk, consider the benefits of dehumidification. Whether you choose a portable unit or a whole-house dehumidification system, you can alleviate the burden that excess moisture puts on your home, family and HVAC system.Keeping humidity levels between 35 and 50 percent is easy with a whole-house system. While room dehumidifiers can be successful within their indicated capacity, whole-house systems often provide as much as four times the efficiency. Plus, you have control over the humidity of your entire household, making it easier to keep consistent levels of comfort throughout the home. Other benefits of whole-house systems include:

  • No wasted space – Integrated into your HVAC system, a whole-house dehumidifier doesn’t impose on your floor space.

  • Quiet operation – Where room dehumidifiers are hard to miss due to the noise they produce, whole-house units offer quiet, distraction-free operation.

Whatever option you choose, be sure to consult with a professional regarding the proper sizing of your dehumidification unit. As with any HVAC component, dehumidifiers must be matched to the unique needs of your home. Larger rooms need larger capacity dehumidifiers. You can also look at the units EF, or energy factor, to determine the level of efficiency it will provide for the level of energy it will consume. More efficient systems carry a higher EF rating.It’s also important to look at temperature specifications when comparing dehumidification units. Some units are better suited to operation during lower temperatures, while others may be apt to freeze when the temperature drops below 65 degrees. Look for models that feature anti-frost sensors to prevent potential freeze-ups.If you’re having humidity issues in your home, don’t suffer quietly. Contact the experts at Air Assurancetoday.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!      

Air Conditioning, Air ducts, Central, Dehumidifiers, Energy Evaluations, Filtration, IAQ – Indoor Air Quality, Planned Maintenance, Service & Maintenance

Air Filtration Systems: How They Work

A mechanical air filtration system can remove particles of dust, animal dander and dust mites from the air you breathe at home or work, improving your comfort and health. Here's how the filters work:Basic air filtration systems consist of simple panels that cover the intake of furnaces or air vents. The most basic ones are made of fiberglass or polyester and allow air to pass through but trap large particles. Depending on the filter, it is meant to be either replaced or washed periodically.Though these basic filters are effective against dust, smoke and pollen, they don't work to trap harmful molds, bacteria or viruses, which are much smaller and can seep through. This is where High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters can come in. HEPA filters more efficiently capture spores and viruses, filtering out nearly all airborne particulates. Despite one drawback -- motorized fans blow the air through HEPA filters, which can be a bit noisy -- they are the most widely used filters on the market.However, technology is advancing every day, and there are some filtration devices that approach HEPA filtration levels, but allow the filtration to happen without the fans and noise.  You can visit www.IQAIR.com to find out more.  We are the only IQAIR dealer in Oklahoma! They've been featured on Extreme Makeover, as filtration devices used for people with hyper-sensitivity, allergies, or problematic lung and heart patients.Another option: UV filters, which can be combined with HEPA filters to make them even more efficient. HEPA filters catch the harmful pollutants in the air, but UV filters neutralize them. They release short-wave ultraviolet light that breaks down the particulates on a molecular level, altering their DNA and killing them.Air Assurance has been servicing the Broken Arrow and Tulsa region for over 30 years. Please feel free to contact us to ask about air filtration systems or any other heating and cooling questions.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.