Nowadays, contractors are calling me in regards to high humidity in homes. Do your customers have high humidity too?

Here’s an important point I stress to all contractors: Remember the primary responsibility of any AC unit is to remove heat from the air. A secondary function of any AC unit is dehumidification.

With that said, I also mention the right sizing of AC units is critical (and we all know how frustrating over-sized equipment can be). However, in the context of humidity, size is not everything. In fact, a correctly-sized, single-stage HVAC system can still have issues.

To truly address high humidity issues in homes, think beyond the “box.” For example, consider adding a dehumidifier.

Simple things like dehumidifiers can make huge differences in both comfort and health concerns by keeping humidity low. On a technical note, I really like what the ThermaStor Ultra Aire has to offer.

Beyond adding a dehumidifier, here are some additional suggestions I give contractors:

• Make sure the air ducts are sealed tight
• Alleviate any pressure imbalances in the home
• Remove any “holes” in the thermal envelope

Are you a contractor? Comfort Institute helps contractors nationwide “think outside the (equipment box” to fix issues in homes like high humidity. We’d love to chat with you. Call us 800.933.5656, email us, or leave a comment below.