If submitting a service request after hours or on the weekend, please note it is best to call.
(361) 235-3905 Request Service

Dehumidification Basics For Your Corpus Christi Home

April 25, 2013 | Blog

On a hot, muggy day, dehumidification isn’t just a matter of comfort; it’s about health. The Texas Gulf Coast is among the most humid areas in the country, and when the humidity gets over 50 percent, it fosters mold, mildew and bacteria, triggering or exacerbating allergies, respiratory ailments and other illness. To keep your Coastal Bend home dry and comfortable, here are some dehumidification basics:

First of all, you have three main choices when buying a dehumidifier, getting a portable model for removing moisture from a room or small area, two or more portable units for more rooms or a larger space, or a whole-house dehumidifier that operates in tandem with your HVAC system. While costing more, a whole-house system will do a better job of removing moisture from throughout the house, since it works by removing water vapor from the home’s conditioned air before it begins circulating through your ductwork. It’s also easier to maintain than portable dehumidifiers, and on a whole-house basis, cheaper to operate than multiple portables.

Before investing in whole-house dehumidification, however, determine whether your existing A/C or heat pump is able to handle dehumidification on its own. Depending on the A/C model and conditions in your home, the appliance may be able to dehumidify the space as it cools. On the other hand, during our humid South Texas cooling season, you may find that additional dehumidification is necessary. One advantage to having a whole-house dehumidifier (and some portable models) is that most of them operate with humidistats. Working similarly to a thermostat, a humidistat allows you to set your ideal humidity level (somewhere between 40 and 50 percent) and monitors your air to make sure it doesn’t get too wet or too dry.

If you’re purchasing a portable dehumidifier, it’s important to realize that it probably will be running steadily for most of the summer and longer. As a result, you’ll want to get one that’s as energy efficient as possible. Look at the unit’s Energy Factor. This measures how much water it can extract (in liters), for the amount of energy it uses (in kilowatt hours). The higher the Energy Factor, the more efficient your dehumidifier is, and the more energy you can save.

For more tips on dehumidification, as well as general cooling and heating issues, please contact our experts at CCAC, Inc. We’ve been the Corpus Christi area’s source for quality HVAC service since 1979.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about Dehumidification Basics and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Constantly Concerned About You!

noun_team_2578407
Professional Team
Our ac technicians are highly trained, professional and committed to getting the job done right the first time.
noun_assurance_426752
Reliable Service
You can count on our expert ac technicians to provide high-quality air conditioning services with quality products and transparent pricing.
noun_Handshake_2064250
Customer Service
You deserve excellent customer service. That's why we strive to be courteous and professional through the entire service process.

What Our Customers Are Saying

Very Satisfied

I’ve had a system purchased and installed by them for several years with the maintenance contract the whole time. I’ve been very satisfied with the service. You can’t go wrong selecting them for your business.

Joseph S.

Pleasure to Work With

Mathews CCAC conducted the semi-annual inspection of the A/C, heating system for the fall check-up, Technician was on time, courteous and went quickly about the inspection and observed all COVID-19 protocols for his and our safety a pleasure to work with this company

Steven L.

Great Company

Great company. Contacted my current AC company to check on my warranty before charging me anything. Saved me a bunch of money and headache if dealing with anything. Would definitely recommend them and use them again.

Ryan W.