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Turning Off Your Dehumidifier
New Jersey summers can get uncomfortably humid, so a whole-home dehumidifier provides a welcome reprieve. Working in tandem with your central AC system, your dehumidifier can effectively keep your home cool, comfortable, and at the ideal humidity level all summer long.
However, as the summer wraps up and the air starts to get drier, it’s important to remember to turn off your dehumidifier for the coming seasons. This oft-overlooked task can help you save money and prolong your dehumidifier’s lifespan.
Our HVAC experts at Arctic Air Conditioning have put together this guide on the importance of and how to turn off your whole-house dehumidifier.
Reasons To Turn Off Your Dehumidifier
With the arrival of fall and winter comes cooler and drier weather for residents in Central New Jersey. This makes running your dehumidifier unnecessary, and you’ll likely not want it to remove any humidity as that will only make your home’s indoor air even drier.
Turning off your dehumidifier once the relative humidity (RH) drops below the 30% to 50% range is recommended.
By turning off your whole-house dehumidifier, you can help prevent it from unnecessary wear and tear. This, in turn, can help prolong your dehumidifier’s lifespan and prevent any issues with the system.
Turning the dehumidifier off will also save energy and prevent you from paying to run a system that doesn’t serve a purpose.
How To Turn Off a Whole-House Dehumidifier
Follow these steps to turn off your whole-house dehumidifier for the winter:
- Set the unit’s built-in humidistat to the “off” position or the highest percent of relative humidity possible to prevent it from running. If you can’t locate the humidistat, look in the return air plenum above or near the unit. It might also be installed on the wall near your thermostat.
- Close the bypass duct damper or switch it to the “winter” position. Be aware that not all whole-house dehumidifiers have a damper. If yours does, it will be in the round duct connected to the unit.
- Clean and dry all surfaces of the dehumidifier to prevent mold and mildew growth. This makes for a more seamless setup next spring when you turn your dehumidifier back on.
If turning off your dehumidifier sounds like too much of a hassle, you can ask one of our technicians to complete the job while we’re performing fall furnace maintenance! We’ll make sure your dehumidifier is set up for hibernating all winter.
Call Arctic Air Conditioning Today
Not sure what the purpose of a dehumidifier is? Need help with your dehumidifier in Central New Jersey? Call the professional technicians at Arctic Air Conditioning to learn more about how your dehumidifier functions.
Our highly trained technicians are available to help you keep your home as comfortable as possible, whether that means installing a dehumidifier or providing any other HVAC service you require.
By having our HVAC professionals work on your system, you keep your warranties in place and have the peace of mind that your system will continue to function as efficiently as possible.
Call Arctic Air Conditioning today to request dehumidifier services in Old Bridge or the surrounding areas of Central New Jersey.
