Madison, Wis. (May 12, 2004) -- Aprilaire, a brand leader in the indoor air quality industry, is offering homeowners the ability to create a healthier living environment by helping them control excess moisture due to humidity in their entire house with an innovative and effective solution – the Aprilaire Whole-Home Dehumidifier.

“Experts say that high humidity levels in homes contribute to the growth of allergy causing mold, bacteria and dust mites,” said Robin Pharo, channel manager for Aprilaire. “An Aprilaire installed dehumidifier provides homeowners the ability to control moisture levels in the home in order to sustain a more healthy and comfortable indoor environment.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “the key to mold control is moisture control. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of excess water or moisture. Lowering the moisture also helps reduce other triggers, such as dust mites and cockroaches. Maintaining the relative humidity between 30 – 60 percent will help control mold, dust mites, and cockroaches.”

Through the use of an Aprilaire Whole-Home Dehumidifier, homeowners can safely and effectively keep humidity between the EPA recommended levels of 30 - 60 percent throughout the whole house, without having to inefficiently over-cool the space through the use of an air conditioner.

“Often times when we are uncomfortable in our homes it is due to high humidity levels,” said Pharo. “A common reaction to this problem is to turn down the air conditioner thinking it is the temperature contributing to the discomfort, not understanding it is actually the high moisture level.”

While some believe air conditioning units can effectively dehumidify a home, experts agree they can not get the job done effectively or efficiently. Homes have been built so energy efficient that a typically air conditioning unit will cycle on and off too quickly to eliminate excess moisture in the air. The result is homeowners can over cool the living space in order to remove moisture, which leads to uncomfortable air temperatures, high-energy bills and excess wear on the cooling system.

Portable dehumidifiers only address a small area of the home and lack the ability to control the amount of humidity being removed from the air. These products are high maintenance and intrusive to the living space.

“An installed dehumidifier is the only reliable way to control humidity in a home,” said Pharo. “Aprilaire invented whole-house humidification 50 years ago, we have now come full-circle by offering total humidification control.”