When air rises in a home, it includes air from the crawl space too. The crawl space air includes mold spores and moisture. As the air continues to rise, vents help to draw the replacement air. This air includes the one that came via leaks and vents. It creates a naturally upward air movement called the stack effect.
All of this means that whatever lies at the lowest area of your house goes up into the other areas of your home. Around half of the air you breathe in your home comes from the crawl spaces. An unmaintained crawl space is always plagued by dirt and moisture.
Reasons to Use a Dehumidifier in Your Crawl Space
If you reside in a humid region or your home contains tiny living spaces with limited ventilation, using the best crawl space dehumidifier can be worthy investment in your home.
Protect Health
By improving air quality in the crawl space, you protect the health of your family. A higher humidity level can invite mold and dust mites. The use of dehumidifier allows enhancing air quality and reducing moisture in the air. In this way, you can keep a lid on the symptoms of allergies that include headaches, eye irritation, and respiratory problems.
Saves from Pests
If you are relying on a dehumidifier to manage moisture in your home, it is not only helping your with health protection, but you also get to keep pests away from your home. Pests wreak more havoc on homes than fires and storms combined. Since pests are often attracted by the water, they often live in the crawl space. A dehumidifier can help to control them effectively.
Improve Structural Integrity
In case more than 70% humidity is found in your crawl space, it is supposed to generate condensation. Condensation causes the wood to rot. Wood becomes prone to rotting when the air contains at least 28% moisture. This occurs when the wood touches liquid water. When your crawl space’s wood is damaged, it is unlikely to provide support to the weight of stuff in your home.
Add Comfort
Too much humidity can have a negative impact on the comfort level of a home. It can let household members feel sticky and hot. If you lower down air conditioning to eliminate the humidity, it can make the wind in your home clammy and cold. A dehumidifier in your crawl space can ensure that your home remains comfortable. Additionally, installing it in the crawl space can help you with saving money.
Save Energy
If you depend on your air conditioner to reduce humidity levels in your home, your energy bill is expected to climb up. More air is always going to consume more energy. A dehumidifier in the crawl space can let you save money because rather relying on the air conditioning, it maintains humidity below the recommended 60% in the fall, summer, and spring season.