Kako radi odvlaživač?

Ako se pitate kako najbolje podnijeti opresivnu vlagu koju doživljavamo na američkom jugu, možda ste postavili pitanje:"Kako radi odvlaživač?"

Kao što možda već znate, vrućina u ovom dijelu zemlje samo je jedan od izvora nelagode. Drugi je vlaga. Odvlaživač zraka, ako je pravilno instaliran i postavljen, može eliminirati višak vlage i pomoći vam da se osjećate ugodno u zatvorenom prostoru.

Ali o čemu se uopće priča o odvlaživačima zraka? I zašto su toliko korisni u ovoj klimatskoj zoni? U ovom ćemo članku pokušati odgovoriti na sva vaša pitanja o odvlaživačima zraka, uključujući i one vrste koje imaju najviše smisla za vaš dom.

Što je uopće odvlaživač zraka?

Dobro pitanje! Počnimo s osnovama. Odvlaživač je stroj dizajniran za smanjenje vlažnosti u zatvorenom prostoru.

Ako vaš dom pati od visoke vlažnosti — što je čest problem, osobito na jugu — možete postaviti odvlaživač zraka da snizi relativnu vlažnost zraka (RH) u zatvorenom prostoru na željeni prag. U mnogim domovima RH se kreće između 65% i 80% od proljeća do jeseni. Pomoću odvlaživača RH možete smanjiti na mnogo ugodnijih 50% do 55%.

U osnovi, odvlaživač je uređaj koji je dizajniran za upravljanje vlagom iznad onoga što može klima uređaj u vašem domu.

Što odvlaživač zraka čini za smanjenje vlažnosti?

Kada odvlaživač radi, proces uklanjanja vlage odvija se na sljedeći način:

• Ventilator unutar odvlaživača dovodi zrak u jedinicu
• Unutar odvlaživača, vlaga u zraku pretvara se u kondenzaciju na vanjskoj strani unutarnjeg izmjenjivača s rashladnim sredstvom unutar njega; ovo je vrlo slično načinu rada klima uređaja.
• Zrak napušta odvlaživač s manje vlage nego što je imao kada je ušao u jedinicu
• Vlažan zrak u vašem domu postupno se zamjenjuje sušim zrakom koji izlazi iz odvlaživača
• Kondenzat koji se stvara unutar odvlaživača otječe u spremnik ili, ako imate jedinicu za cijelu kuću, u odvodni vod ili cijev koja ga kanalizira izvan vaše kuće

Zar moj klima uređaj to već ne radi?

Da i ne. Vaš klima uređaj je dizajniran za dvije stvari:nižu temperaturu i manju vlažnost. U najtoplijim danima u godini, kada puno radi, obično će dobro obaviti posao održavajući zrak u vašem domu suhim i ugodnim. Što duže vaš klima uređaj radi, to će više vlage ukloniti.

Ali klima uređaji su konfigurirani na termostat . Stoga tipični AC reagira samo na promjene temperature. Činjenica da također uklanja vlagu je samo slučajna.

Evo primjera. Ako postavite klima uređaj na 73 stupnja, on će uklanjati toplinu i vlagu iz vašeg doma sve dok unutarnja temperatura ne padne na 73 stupnja. Ne morate reći klima uređaju koji RH postotak želite, pa bi mogao smanjiti vlažnost na ugodna razina… ili ne.

On the hottest days of the year, the AC in this example will run for long cycles. It might lower your humidity to 55% RH, which is great. But on warm-but-not-scorching days, it won't run as frequently. It will always get your temperature down to 73 degrees, but it might only get your RH down to 70%. That's still a pretty high level!

Basically, your AC will only remove humidity to the extent you keep it running. During the fall when it's 75 degrees outside and with 80% humidity, there's a good chance you'll be uncomfortable indoors.

Well, unless you've got a dehumidifier.

What kind of dehumidifier should I get?

For most homeowners, the choice will be between two different types of dehumidifiers:

• Standalone portable dehumidifiers
• Whole-house dehumidifiers

Standalone portable dehumidifiers

Standalone units are great for certain situations. If you just need to manage humidity in one room, they're a good buy. You'll see them in offices, waiting rooms, and so forth.

However, these small dehumidifiers also have drawbacks. In addition to having a limited coverage area, most will only dehumidify until the onboard tank is full of water. If you're not around to manually empty the tank and reinstall it, the humidity will quickly creep back up to an uncomfortable level.

Do some standalone dehumidifiers have a drainage option? Yes. But you'd have to run a drain line out from your living room or wherever you put the unit. Most people don't want a PVC pipe or drainage hose running through their living space. What's more, standalone units typically only have 1-year warranties and really aren't designed to be serviced.

Whole-house dehumidifiers

Whole-house units don't have the problems described above. They connect to your central HVAC system's existing ductwork and drain all of the condensate into a pipe. Aside from changing the air filter periodically (usually twice per year) and having them serviced annually, they're basically a set-it-and-forget it device!

A whole-house dehumidifier also has a much better parts warranty, a great labor warranty if it's installed by a conscientious HVAC company, and — this part's great — you never have to see it! Unlike a standalone unit that lives inside your house, makes noise, and generates a lot of heat inside your home, a whole-house unit is quiet, out of sight, and distributes the heat it produces across your ductwork so it's not directly heating your living space.

The downsides of whole-house dehumidifiers? Well, they cost more than portable units, which is to be expected. But you also have to be sure that you receive a proper whole-house dehumidifier installation. In some cases, people will have an HVAC company install their dehumidifier only to be disappointed in its performance. More often than not, this isn't because of the unit itself. It's because of how it was installed.

At PV, we follow very specific installation procedures for dehumidifiers. Because of how we install them, you can feel confident that they'll keep your humidity at a comfortable level all year round!

Now that you know how a dehumidifier works, let's keep your home's humidity in check!

If you're ready to improve humidity management in your Atlanta area home, PV can help! Our experienced team will analyze your home, identify opportunities to improve humidity management, and help you decide whether a whole-house dehumidifier makes the most sense.

Just give us a call at (404) 798-9672 or schedule a consultation online!