About Dehumidifiers

artemusgordon asked:


Your home may be a great candidate for an Aprilaire dehumidifier, depending upon your location.  Depending on your climate, Aprilaire dehumidifiers can maintain proper humidity levels yearlong.  A dehumidifier does the opposite where is takes the moisture out of the air.

No matter the size of your house there is a Aprilaire humidifier to fit your needs. This product comes in a variety of sizes, and can regulate the humidity level in everything from a sprawling home to an intimate space, providing you with a healthier living environment.

Overall, humidity really does play a role in human health; or does it?  Definitely.  When we hear the words humidity we most often think of the hot and uncomfortable days of summer.  Especially during the warmer months of summer, temperatures seem to increase with the higher levels of humidity.  Apart from the hassle of routine household jobs, there are huge utility bills in the house too.  People who have Aprilaire dehumidifier’s working in their homes year round have found saving’s of up to 18% on their utility bills.  Those who are part time residents in a humid area find that their Aprilaire dehumidifier saves them up to 44% on their utility bills!

Humidity levels that are too high can have more negative effects within a home than just discomfort, though.  Not only can people suffer discomfort and illness, but the home itself may be impaired when moisture is not an optimal level.  A home that does not have controlled humidity can begin to take on a musty smell that permeates through every room and sometimes into fabrics and carpets.  If mildew and mold begin to grow and flourish in the wet environment, what follows can really be serious. 

When homeowners attempt to control humidity by lowering temperatures, the moist atmosphere causes utility bills to rise and damages to the home.  If a home has higher levels of moisture, it is common to see bacteria and othe contaminants.    Wet conditions in homes are a perfect environment for allergencs, bacterial, mold and other critters.    A unit like Aprilaire dehumidifier is necessary to effectively combat these health stealing pests

 

Aprilaire dehumidifiers are installed by professionals to work with your current heating and cooling system.

  Air is pulled from every room of the house through ducts, and moisture is removed by the dehumidifier before air is sent back through the home.   While an Aprilaire dehumidifier has the capability to run along with your home’s air conditioner to balance humidity levels, the unit can also run independently so humidity is regulated even on days when the air conditioner is not needed.

An air-conditioner run non-stop in your home can make you feel comfortable during summer but makes a heavy dent in your budget for those months whereas by installing a  centralized Aprilaire humidifier, you can have both quality and healthy living for years.   Not only will you be more comfortable and breathe healthier air; you will also save the value of your home while saving money on utilities.



Carrier Heat Pumps

Tim Ryan asked:


Allergies are both annoying, costly and at times embarrassing, so here are some ways in which you are able to limit the affect of allergic reactions on your life:

Lets’ start really simple. Frequently clean and vacuum your living and work areas. Sometimes cleaning can irritate particular allergies but make sure that you do clean your house frequently because in the long run it will definetely reduce ther allergens present. Having a vacuum cleaner that contains a built in air filter would be wise too. Once you finish cleaning you may like to leave the house to let the dust settle. Dusting along with vacuuming also helps reduce the number of dust mites in your house.

Pay attention to how much time you spend mixing with pets and animals. If your pet is your best friend then try as a minimum to keep it out of your bedroom as this would be a considerable risk factor. Clearly keep to a mimimum the time you spend with animals and also their saliva, fur, dead skin and so on.

Make sure you try to reduce the moisture level in your house. By lowering humidity levels in the bathroom and kitchen you can reduce greatly the chances of mold forming. Using a home dehumidifier is highly recommended (ebac dehumidifiers and delonghi dehumidifiers come highly recommended). Also clean surface areas with a gentle disenfectant frequently and check that there are no pipes that leak in your household.

If you have ever seen pollen on the surface of your window sill or frame then of course you would be wise to keep windows firmly shut. Try to have your aircon running instead and use one that has an easily cleaned and changeable filter.

Ensure that you check your chosen destination for the local areas pollen count in advance. If it is due to be high then try to avoid being outside for extended periods between 10am and 4pm when it is at its highest. When driving ensure that the windows are firmly closed.

During periods of high wind and humidity you may prefer to stay inside as these are times when pollen and dust levels are at their highest. Try travelling outside of the peak times mentioned also as this will help avoid poorer air quality. You may even wish to consider wearing a face mask if you really suffer a great deal. After getting home from a day out take a shower soon to get rid of dust and pollen that might have gathered on your skin.

When planning a holiday ensure that you also look up the pollen level at the destination and be especially aware that you may might need to take special care when going to tropical places. Due to excess moisture these may then have raised levels of mold spores.

Plenty of suffering can be avoided by simlpy adhering to thes very simple guidelines.



How To Build A Fireplace

Chris asked:


A common situation that countless numbers of homeowners run into everyday is the removal of mold from their homes. In many cases just having a small amount of water sitting for one day can lead to the growth of mold. This can cause your house have a foul smell in addition it can pose a health risk for you and your family. To remove unwanted mold requires that you use a series of proven tips that will help you with effective mold removal such as:

Look carefully for mold: Mold can grow in many different places, before you do anything you want to identify where the mold is located paying close attention to corners and other hard to reach places.

Clean up any excess water and dehumidify: Water, humidity and darkness are the required elements for mold to grow. When you see that you have mold growing the first thing that you should do is clean up any excess water that you have around. Then dehumidify the area with a dehumidifier. This will take the moisture out of the air and eliminate free standing water. Two elements which are necessary for mold growth.

Seal the area: Another important aspect in mold remediation is to seal the area that you are going to be working in. What happens is when you are going in and physically removing the mold itself it can become airborne, meaning that its spores can colonize in other parts of your house through the air. To prevent this from happening you want to seal the room that you will be working in with plastic and duct tape to prevent it from spreading.

Create an air flow: Another way that you can remove unwanted mold is to create a consistent airflow. Meaning you redirect the moist humid air that is in the area outside. To this you would want to use an exhaust fan that will create an outward airflow, making sure that you are not allowing this air to circulate back into your house.

Unwanted mold is battle that many homeowners consistently fight. To effectively remove unwanted mold requires that you use certain tips to eliminate it such as: looking carefully for mold, cleaning up any excess water as well as dehumidifying, sealing the area and creating an air flow are some great ways to remove unwanted mold when you see it.



Fenwick Fishing Rods

doc_experiment asked:


These are basically like sponges are suck up moisture, so they say….But do they work?

Vinyl Log Siding

Morgan Vawter asked:


 

The world of water damage restoration   can be pretty confusing sometimes. Water damage specialists use a lot of complex and expensive tools and each tool has a purpose. This article will help you understand what these tools are, and why the experts use them.

            The desiccant dehumidifier is one of the most important tools water damage specialists use. It is comprised of four major components: the component that holds the desiccant material, a fan to move air through the desiccant holder (to be dehumidified), a heater to heat air that will dry the desiccant material, and another fan to move the air that is to dry the desiccant through the desiccant holder. When you have a flood, there is water, and a desiccant dehumidifier gets rid of that water. A dehumidifier is used to remove water from cement floors, insulation, carpets, interior paints, drywall, basements, and plaster. Say, for example, your sink springs a leak and floods the entire kitchen. Yes, you can pump all of that water out fairly easily; however, any porous surface (wood, drywall, cement, insulation, carpet, etc.) that the water was touching has now soaked up that water and has become saturated with it. There is no way to completely get rid of that water damage unless you use a dehumidifier.

            An infrared moisture meter is another very important tool that allows specialists to assess the severity of the problem. An infrared moisture meter determines the moisture content in bulk solids by using infrared light. This is crucial because often times water damage repair is not just as easy as fixing the visible damage. You often have hidden complications that need to be taken care of as well.

            Another tool that is crucial is the air mover. Air movers (often called “carpet dryers” or “blowers”) are designed to speed up the carpet drying process. They are placed incrementally around the carpet and lift the carpet off of the ground to where it is resting on a bed of air. They dry the carpet a lot quicker than if you just let the carpet air dry. This is important to ensure timely water removal.

            And last but not least, repair technicians may use a heavy (80-100 lb.) roller. The roller is used to press the carpet and squeeze it out removing any remaining water after the pump. This process is done before the air movers are utilized to dry the carpet out as much as possible. It is a crucial step to having dry carpets because in order to dry the carpet out with the air movers, the carpet must be near-dry so that it is not too heavy for air to lift.

            You now have a better understanding of what tools the technicians use to remove water damage  and how they work. Yes, it is very complicated, but specialists use this equipment everyday; so you can sit back, relax, and wait for your water damage to be remediated!



Bamboo Flooring Installation

boggi-chan asked:


My aquarium leaked, and I had 30 gallons of water spill to the floor on to the carpet. I live on the 2nd story of an apartment, and so the downstairs neighbor got flooded too. Apartment management called some contractors in right away to prevent mold and stuff. They rip up the carpet and padding, and remove the ceiling of the downstairs neighbor. They cut up some drywall at my place too.

Anyway they ran 2 dehumidifiers downstairs for 3 days. They ran one dehumidifier in my place for 3 days and I thought it done. They come back a few days later when I’m away, and then put back 2 dehumidifiers and have been running them for the past 3 days. They claim that the concrete under the carpet is still wet, but I can’t feel any wetness. The area of water damage is approximately 10′x6.5′, and the room size is around 12×22. So how long do you need to run dehumidifiers for? How can my downstairs neighbor be dry in 3 days but mine not be dry that fast?

Kohler Plumbing Fixtures

Tim Ryan asked:


Soaring humidity levels on a balmy summers evening are frequently the cause of discomfort when sleeping and also loss of sleep. It is highly recommended that for this problem people choose to use a home dehumidifier. For some people they might think that this is going a bit too far but take a look at the negative effects of long term excess humidity:

Disrupted sleep patterns, allergy problems surface due to an increase in dust mite populations, damage can be caused to wallpaper, wood finishes and painted surfaces i.e. Blistering because of condensation that may accumulate on the surface of water pipes inddors and occasionally on walls themselves. Any metals in the house may also rust, irrepairable damage can also be caused to electrical aplliances plus cause much danger not forgetting the likelihood of developing musty smells that can come from the existence of mildew, mould and fungus that may also damage your health.

The humidity level that will be most comfortable is between 40 and 50 percent. Air dehumidifiers can help maintain those levels twenty four hours a day. However selecting the most dehumidifier is not always that easy. As there are a wide variety of different makes and models on the market. Most manufacturers state what size room a dehumidifier is intended for but in reality because humidity levels alter a great deal between rooms it is not the best way to gauge which dehumidifier you ought to select.

A more preferrable question is: “About how much water do I need to remove from the air?”. From this answer you can then view the dehumidifer information to discover the one that gets rid of the most moisture from the enviroment each day, this figure is normally given by most manufacturers and is a fair guide, however be aware that both air flow and air temperature play a role in the dehumidifiers capabilities. Once you have figured out how much water per day you would like to remove from the are you are in a much better position to start shopping.

It is also helpful to identify the source of your high humidity, if it is an ongoing problem such as a leaky roof, bad plumbing and so on which cannot be fixed immediately/if ever then you are going to need a more powerful home dehumidifier. If the problem is infrequent then a smaller dehumidifier may be enough to rectify the situation.

Furthermore here are a few features to look out for if you decide to purchase a air dehumidifier:

A continuous drainage feature will mean you don’t have to keep emptying the tank, or at least ensure that there is an auto-switch off mechanism to prevent it from flooding. Purchasing a dehumidifier that comes on wheels is extremely helpful for old people whom could otherwise struggle to move it around, a sensor for frost that will disconnect the machine when the temperature hits freezing is a further excellent precaution to take if it shall be placed in a basement location. Ensuring that your dehumidifer has low levels of noise pre-purchase will be an important thing to make sure of especially if it will be made use of in a living/sleeping area, also having one that includes an air filter may be prefferable for allergy sufferers.

Considering all of the above factors and purchasing an air dehumidifier (ebac dehumidifiers are recommended) should enable you to maintain suitable levels of humidity that won’t interfere with you sleep patterns and ensure you are comfortable at night.

 



Alcoa Vinyl Siding

Yodle asked:


Too much or too little humidity affects you and your family as well as your home’s health. Creaking floors and groaning walls may be a result of rising and dropping humidity levels. You can balance your home’s humidity with the right equipment. We’re here to clear the air with some important things to understand about humidifiers and dehumidifiers.

Humidifiers

Humidifiers are used to add moisture to the air. If you or anyone in your family is experiencing nosebleeds, sinus headaches or snores loudly, your home may need some moisture. Humidifiers vary in size and capacity. Basically, you add clean water to the machine and the humidifier distributes it through the air. Your local HVAC professional can recommend the right system for you according to the square footage you want to add moisture to. There are smaller systems you can buy that sit on the floor or a side table. Small and portable, these humidifiers are easy to operate and can be moved from room to room. The downside for this type of humidifier is that if left unchecked, there is a chance of mold or bacteria build up. The machine has to be regularly emptied and cleaned. Empty, rinse and dry the humidifier when you are no longer using it. Keep in mind that adding too much humidity to your home can damage furniture and wood floors. Larger humidifiers can be installed by your HVAC professional. He can also provide you with more information about local humidity problems and solutions.

Dehumidifiers

You may be wondering why you need a dehumidifier. Air conditioning systems do remove some humidity from the air. But there may be some areas in your home that need a little more help. Keep your air conditioning unit from overworking by using a dehumidifier in the locations that need a little more attention. By reducing the moisture in the air, you reduce mold growth. The dust mite population shrinks too. Dehumidifiers have been proven to help people who suffer from allergies and asthma. Change the filter twice a year. Empty and clean the water collector to keep minerals from building up. Also, don’t set your dehumidifier too high or you will have your machine overworked. Your HVAC professional could come and walk through your home to give their recommendation.

Consult with your local HVAC professional for more information about humidifiers and dehumidifiers. Don’t forget to ask them about local moisture problems.



Ventless Gas Fireplaces

Mullah Returns sEx-Christian asked:


a rainbow?

Tankless Hot Water Heaters

Yodle asked:


“Oh no!  The basement’s flooded again and… (gasp) Grandma’s staying in the guest room!  And she can’t swim!”  Okay, that scenario may be a little extreme, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen.  The truth is leaky basements are quite common, though there are potential steps you could take to prevent such an occurrence.  Before dishing out the dollars to a contractor, do a little investigating of your own.

What is it?

A leaky basement can arise from any number of things, which is why you may want to investigate a little bit before calling in the pros.  Leaks can arise from HVAC systems, ventilation systems, condensation from pipes, sump pumps, and of course, seepage from walls, ceilings, and foundations.  However, it is estimated that over 90% of all basement leaks stem from the joint where the wall and floor meet.

The primary method of keeping basements waterproof is to apply waterproofing coating to the problem areas.  Especially in cases where only minor seepage occurs, waterproofing paint and other similar interior compounds may do the trick.  Once applied, they are supposed to penetrate several inches into the concrete, sealing up capillaries and cracks by forming crystals when water is present.  And you know something magical is happening when crystals are involved.

However, sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether the leak is caused from seeping into the foundation or if it’s due from condensation on the walls.  A quick and easy way to make sure is to duct tape a piece of tin foil to the area presumed to be leaking (dry up any residue water that may be there first).  After taping all sides of the tin foil, leave it in place for 24 hours before examining it.  If the side of the foil that was against the wall is wet, then the water is leaking in from the outside.  If the other side is wet, the problem is condensation.  In cases of condensation, a possible solution could be to buy a dehumidifier and let it run continuously in the basement to remove water from the air.

Who needs it?

Go downstairs.  Is your basement flooding?  If so, then you probably need to consider waterproofing.  I mean, God forbid you let all of your scrapbooks get ruined because you were too lazy to check for leaks in your basement.  Just be aware, leaks can happen in any kind of basement, whether it be concrete foundation, stone, block, or tile walls.

Benefits

The benefits are pretty self-explanatory.  It’s fairly safe to assume that nobody wants their “stuff” to get all wet.  Besides doing damage to personal items stored in the basement (trophies, high school yearbooks, issues of Time magazine from 1991), continued water leakage can also devalue your home, as well as ruin your foundation over time.  Therefore, if you have any issues with water damage, don’t hesitate to do something about it.

In some cases, the problem can be fixed quite easily and may not require any professional assistance.  For instance, puddles can form more easily near the soil against basement walls if you have clogged gutters or dense shrubbery surrounding the outside of the basement walls.  Therefore, the solution could be as easy as cleaning out the gutters (or getting your kids to), buying a splash block to carry water away from the house, or trimming a particular bush so that the soil against the house can get more sunlight and absorb water more easily.

However, the do-it-yourself method can be a long-lasting process of trial-and-error, and can therefore, prove to be tedious and frustrating.  If there is serious water damage going on in your basement then you should, without question, contact a basement contractor of some kind to assess the damage.  In the case of Basement Systems (basementsystems.com), they will send a certified “expert” to your house who will give you a free wet basement inspection and estimate.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Waterproofing your basement is definitely a precaution that homeowner’s should take seriously.  It’s best to regularly check your basement for any leaks or condensation.  In cases where the seepage is minimal, it may be in your best interest to save money by doing a little detective work yourself (albeit, really lame detective work involving puddles).  However, if home remedies aren’t working and the problem persists, or if your entire basement is flooded, let the waterproofing professionals take charge.



Concrete Floor Paint