In my last week’s article I gave you some helpful tips on what to do if your comfort system stops working. Also in that article, I’d promised that this week I would elaborate about why I said that you should have a humidistat.
So, before I can explain the why, I need to explain “the what” of a humidistat. Just like a thermostat, a humidistat is simply a switch. It turns you’re a/c system on and off depending on what the settings and what the environmental conditions are. In the case of the thermostat, the “trigger” or what turns it on is temperature. As the temperature inside your home rises or drops, the thermostat turns the system. The same holds true with a humidistat; the only difference is that its trigger is humidity and as it rises, the system turns on. Let me also stress that thermostats are used when you are in your home, but the humidistats are used when you leave town.
So, now I can explain why you should have a humidistat. There are several reasons for this: it will save you money on your electric bill, it will save on wear and tear of your a/c system, it extends the life of your a/c system and it’s one of the most effective ways of preventing microorganism growth in your home. The last fact is probably the most important one. There are certain conditions that are required in order for microorganism to grow. The most common condition is moisture or in Sanibel Island and Captiva Island’s case – humidity. The main function of a humidistat is to run your a/c system until the air inside the conditioned space is below a certain humidity level. No humidity means no microorganism growth and no fuzzy mess. The bottom line is that this is one of those great devices that are inexpensive to have installed and the savings that you will experience usually offset the costs of installation within a year or two.
Thanks as always,
Bryan
Bryan Hayes, along with his brother Todd, is a co-owner of a Sanibel Air Conditioning company on Sanibel, FL. They also own and operate an island-based electrical service company Sanctuary Island Electric, Inc. Bryan can be reached at Bryan@Sanibelair.com
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