Pest News   |   August 7, 2020

Energy Saving Tips: Why Add an Aprilaire Dehumidifier for Basement Air

Whether installed in a basement or crawl space, running a dehumidifier in tandem with an air conditioner can help your customers conserve energy, save money, and cool down spaces together.

There’s nothing quite like walking into a nice, cool home after a day in the hot summer sun. But, that luxury can come at the price of skyrocketing electrical bills. In 2019, the typical U.S residential electricity bill was expected to average $137 per month in the summer. As a season notorious for wasting energy, the overworked air conditioners, poor air flow, and ill-prepared windows of summer can cause energy leakage and an increase in the cost of monthly gas and electric utilities. To help lower your customers’ bills, offer them an Aprilaire dehumidifier to better their basements’ air quality. Keep reading for some expert energy saving tips.

Why Utility Bills Skyrocket in the Summertime
In general, there are three reasons why energy bills jump in the summer months:

  • Air Conditioners Work Overtime: Air conditioners have two jobs. One is to cool the air and the other is to dehumidify the air. Essentially, air conditioners do the job of two appliances all by themselves.
  • Air Conditioners Only Run Based on Temperature: Having an air conditioner run based on a home’s humidity is preferred because when a home reaches its ideal temperature, the air conditioner shuts off. During those hours without active cooling, there’s also no active dehumidification. As a result, indoor Relative Humidity (RH) rises. And, once the A/C kicks back on, it has to climb uphill to try and dehumidify the air again and cool the home at the same time. 
  • Excessive Humidity Changes A Home’s Real-FeelIn hot, humid climates, high humidity prevents our bodies from releasing heat through sweat. This is due to sweat becoming unable to evaporate or evaporating slower. While sweat evaporates, it’s supposed to help transfer our bodies’ heat into the air but, because the heat isn’t transferring as quickly around us, a humid home will feel much warmer than it actually is. This feeling causes homeowners to lower their thermostats in search of relief, causing their A/C units to work overtime, repeating the cycle.

What Can You Do?

The best course of action is to offer an Aprilaire dehumidifier on every job for basement or crawl space usage. 

Think of an A/C unit and a dehumidifier as a dynamic duo, capable of taking on heat and humidity together more efficiently. These two together will allow a home to maintain a consistent level of humidity while the air conditioner lightens its load and focuses largely on keeping the home cool.

Bonus: Aprilaire dehumidifiers cost about $189 less to run during the summer than a cheaper retail model. Our models also drop Relative Humidity (RH) 3% below the set point to greatly reduce compressor cycling and energy use. 

Pass Along These Extra Energy Saving Tips

Looking for more ways to save your customers on their energy costs? Try these methods:

  • Keep humidity as close to 50% year-round for the best possible environment.
  • If it’s a product that you install, offer an Aprilaire programmable thermostat to keep your customers’ homes cool at pertinent points throughout the day. This will prevent their air conditioners from working overtime. As a general rule, have your customers keep their homes warmer when they’re not home and cooler when they are.
  • Manage humidity by improving drainage, ensuring properly vented laundry, and repairing leaky outdoor faucets, according to Energy Star

Overall, maintaining a healthy, controlled level of humidity in the summertime can not only help your customers save money, but can also help improve their overall well-being. Humidity controls is also an important aspect of breathing healthy air, but beware, too much humidity can be a breeding ground for mold, pests, viruses, and bacteria which can irritate lungs and heighten allergy and asthma symptoms. By improving your customers’ air, they can benefit from overall better health, less stress, and better sleep, while you grow your business and set yourself apart as a provider of healthy humidity and healthy air.