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Dehumidifiers - I need guidance of how to proceed
Posted on 5/21/25 at 4:30 pm
Posted on 5/21/25 at 4:30 pm
What humidity should I target in my home in South Louisiana? And how can I get there with an inside temperature in the mid-70s in the house? My wife gets cold if we go much lower, and I am comfortable at 74 degrees (where it usually sits) myself. We are currently running around 55%.
As I understand it, I should be below 50%. I think I will try to add a dehumidifier.I don't know if my best solution is to have a dehumidifier added to my central unit, get a dehumidifier rated for the size of my home placed in a central location, or if there is some other option.
Any help you fellas can give me would be much appreciated.
As I understand it, I should be below 50%. I think I will try to add a dehumidifier.I don't know if my best solution is to have a dehumidifier added to my central unit, get a dehumidifier rated for the size of my home placed in a central location, or if there is some other option.
Any help you fellas can give me would be much appreciated.
This post was edited on 5/21/25 at 5:05 pm
3
Posted on 5/21/25 at 5:20 pm to mdomingue
Target humidity level should be around 45-55%.
Lower than 45% means you start to dry out trim and furniture (cracks start to form) plus can lead to increased allergies. Although the lower the humidity levels you can achieve, the higher the actual temperature you can run and still be comfortable. This is why most medical facilities feel cold, they run extremely low humidity levels to inhibit bacterial growth.
Lower than 45% means you start to dry out trim and furniture (cracks start to form) plus can lead to increased allergies. Although the lower the humidity levels you can achieve, the higher the actual temperature you can run and still be comfortable. This is why most medical facilities feel cold, they run extremely low humidity levels to inhibit bacterial growth.
Posted on 5/21/25 at 5:34 pm to mdomingue
quote:
don't know if my best solution is to have a dehumidifier added to my central unit, get a dehumidifier rated for the size of my home placed in a central location,
Dehumidifiers plugged into the walls will put out hot air as a by product.. so in the summer that’s not ideal
Posted on 5/21/25 at 6:35 pm to Ktfsh1972
quote:
Target humidity level should be around 45-55%.
I'm at 55, typically, so maybe I'm OK.
Posted on 5/21/25 at 6:53 pm to mdomingue
quote:
Target humidity level should be around 45-55%.
Pretty much this. HVAC systems are sized using manual J (heat-cooling load) criteria to maintain 75F with 50% relative humidity during the cooling season.
A properly sized and operating HVAC should be able to maintain 50% RH with a relatively long run time, common in the Deep South. It’s usually during the ”shoulder seasons” of spring & fall when outdoor temps are comfortable, but humidity is high, and run times of the HVAC in cooling mode are short that humidity in the house might creep up above 55% RH. This is why whole house dehumidifiers are more common at more northerly latitudes in humid areas of the country as their “shoulder seasons” are much longer than ours.
This is the one better short videos on installing a whole house dehumidifier in New Orleans - “This Old House” Episode.
If you having a bit of a problem maintaining a 50% RH in your house and your HVAC short cycles in cooling mode (short run times, a common characteristic of a over-sized HVAC system), slowing the blower speed in the indoor evaporator coil system (furnace, air handler) from a “high” setting (usually the default setting from the factory) to a medium-high or medium speed might solve your indoor RH issue.
This post was edited on 5/23/25 at 10:53 am
Posted on 5/21/25 at 7:31 pm to CrawDude
That's very helpful, thank you.
Posted on 5/21/25 at 8:22 pm to CrawDude
quote:
HVAC systems are sized using manual J (heat-cooling load) criteria to maintain 75F with 50% relative humidity during the cooling season
Dafuq? I'm gunna need that to be factored at 70F or lower.
Posted on 5/22/25 at 12:26 pm to PenguinPubes
quote:
Dehumidifiers plugged into the walls will put out hot air as a by product.. so in the summer that’s not ideal
I have one in the basement that pulls out a lot of moisture, but does heat up the rooms alot, which discourages my wanting to run it.
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