Should I use a dehumidifier?

Question

I live in MA. I have a humidity meter and it is reading on average 65%. I have central air, but due to rising costs I try to keep it on 76-78. Would it be more cost effective to turn down the central air or use a dehumidifier to lower the humidity in the house? I don't need it to be freezing, just comfortable.

Answer 1

if you have central air you have a dehumidifier right there! set your temp a little lower let it run, there should't really be a need for a dehumidifier. They are in fact self contained air conditioners

Answer 2

Shop around for dehumidifiers and do the math to see which is more cost effective.

Answer 3

A dehumidifier is a small refrigeration unit in itself. I would think the cost difference would be very slight. Set it at 74, and be comfortable.

Answer 4

65% is pretty high if your running the A/C already and set to 76.

The dehumidifier would be more expensive to run to remove humidity vs the A/C.

make sure your not adding to the humidity that you would normally gain from outdoor infiltration.

Cooking withot using exhast fans, showering without using bath fans, hot tubs all can add significantly to the humidity.

Make sure your not adding unnessasarily to the humidity.

Answer 5

I have a 70 pint dehumidifier in a large cellar. Set at 60% it has to be emptied twice a day and boosts my electric bill by 50%. I pour the bucket into the washing machine to do a cold water wash.

Shade your outside unit. Use exaust fans when it is cool outside. And stick with your air conditioner.

Answer 6

Thumbs up for gizmoe.

I just want to add that a dehumidifier uses power to run and that power converts to heat that is added to the room.

With the a/c for dehumidifying it is less about the temperature than it is about how much it runs. i.e. If it gets hotter out, then set at the same temperature it would run more and dehumidify more.

And add "plants" to gizmoe's list of sources of humidity.

Answer 7

Just turn down the central air a couple

degrees. At best a portable dehumidifier would  dehumidify maybe two rooms and cost 25 -30 dollars a month.

Answer 8

You have a humidity problem in your house.

This can cause mildew and moisture damage.

Two ways you can go here:

1)   Get a portable dehumidifier and place it

in the dankiest room in the house. Most times in

the basement. Keep an eye on how often you

need to dump the reservoir. If you dump it twice a

day you have an extreme moisture problem.

2) Call your A/C repairman and ask him to

install a permanent de-humidifying unit on your

HVAC ,unit. These ar plumbed to a pump out unit,

and pumped to the outdoors via a drain line.