Whole-Home Dehumidifier Installation and Service
Full Nelson installs whole-home dehumidifiers that integrate with your existing HVAC system to remove excess moisture from indoor air. These systems work alongside your air conditioner to maintain comfortable humidity levels throughout the house.
Why Your AC Alone May Not Be Enough
Air conditioners remove some moisture from the air as a byproduct of cooling. When warm air passes over the cold evaporator coil, water vapor condenses on the coil surface and drains away. This is why you see water dripping from the condensate line during the cooling season.
The problem is that an air conditioner is designed to control temperature, not humidity. On moderately warm but very humid days, the thermostat may be satisfied before the AC has run long enough to pull sufficient moisture from the air. The result is a house that feels cold and clammy. You lower the thermostat to try to dry the air out, which overcools the house and drives up energy costs without actually solving the humidity problem.
An oversized AC makes this worse. It cools the space quickly, cycles off, and barely removes any moisture in its short run time. This is one of the reasons proper system sizing matters and why a separate dehumidifier is often needed even in homes with a correctly sized air conditioner.
How Whole-Home Dehumidifiers Work
A whole-home dehumidifier installs in the ductwork, typically on the return air side. It draws air from the return duct, passes it over a refrigerated coil to condense moisture, then returns the drier air to the system. The collected water drains through a line to a floor drain or condensate pump.
A dedicated humidistat controls the system independently from the thermostat. You set the target humidity level, and the dehumidifier cycles on when moisture levels exceed that threshold, regardless of whether the AC is running. This maintains consistent indoor humidity without overcooling the house.
Whole-home dehumidifiers are rated by the number of pints of moisture they remove per day. Residential units typically range from 70 to 130+ pints per day. Full Nelson sizes the dehumidifier to your home’s square footage, construction type, and the local climate conditions.
Signs Your Home Has Excess Humidity
Indoor humidity above 60% creates conditions where mold, mildew, and dust mites thrive.
You may notice:
- Condensation forming on windows, especially in the morning
- A musty smell in the basement, closets, or bathrooms
- Visible mold growth on walls, ceilings, or around window frames
- Wood floors cupping or warping
- Paint peeling or wallpaper bubbling
- The house feeling muggy even when the AC is running
- Allergy symptoms that worsen indoors
The ideal indoor relative humidity range is 30% to 50%. A hygrometer, available at most hardware stores, gives you a quick reading of your current levels.
Whole-Home vs. Portable Dehumidifiers
Portable dehumidifiers work in a single room and require you to empty a collection bucket or route a drain hose. They handle small spaces but cannot treat an entire house. They also add heat to the room they operate in, since the compressor generates heat as it runs.
Whole-home dehumidifiers treat the entire conditioned space through the duct system, drain automatically, and operate more quietly since they are located in the mechanical area rather than the living space. For homes with persistent humidity issues across multiple rooms or levels, a whole-home unit is the more effective solution.
Dehumidifier Installation
Full Nelson installs whole-home dehumidifiers by connecting the unit to the existing ductwork, running a condensate drain line, and wiring the humidistat. Installation includes:
- Evaluating the return duct for the best installation location
- Mounting the dehumidifier unit and connecting supply and return ducts
- Running the condensate drain to a floor drain or installing a condensate pump
- Installing and calibrating the humidistat
- Testing the system and verifying moisture removal performance
Why Full Nelson
- Family, Women, and Veteran owned since 2003
- Licensed, insured HVAC technicians
- Whole-home dehumidifier sizing and installation
- Integration with existing HVAC ductwork
- Up-front pricing before work begins
- 24/7 emergency service