Indoor Air Quality, Dehumidifiers and Filtration in Middle Tennessee
- Licensed and insured plumbing, HVAC and electrical techs
Middle Tennessee summers are humid, and a house can feel sticky even when the thermostat reads 72 degrees. Add spring pollen, dust, pets and tightly built new homes, and the air inside is worth a closer look.
We'll start with what's actually going on: the humidity, the filter you have, the ductwork and the crawl space. Then we'll tell you what would help and what wouldn't. Equipment that ties into your heating and cooling system is installed by licensed and insured techs, and one call covers any plumbing or electrical it needs too.
Signs you need indoor air quality help
- The house feels damp or clammy in summer, even with the AC running
- Musty smells, or mildew on closet walls, shoes or window frames
- Condensation on windows, or sweating ducts and pipes
- Dust that settles again soon after cleaning
- Pollen and dust seem to linger indoors
- Dry, staticky air and gapping wood floors in winter
- Stuffy or stale air, especially in a newer, tightly built home
- A damp crawl space or basement
What we do
Whole-home dehumidifiers
A dehumidifier tied into the ductwork, or set in the crawl space or basement, that removes the moisture the air conditioner leaves behind. It drains on its own, so no one empties a bucket.
Better filtration
Filter cabinets that hold a thicker media filter, chosen so they catch more fine dust and pollen without choking the airflow your system needs.
Fresh-air ventilation
Energy recovery and heat recovery ventilators (ERVs and HRVs) and fresh-air intakes that bring in outdoor air in a controlled way, which matters in tightly built homes.
Whole-home humidifiers
For houses that get too dry in winter, a humidifier on the furnace or air handler adds moisture back to the air.
New construction and renovations
Planning ventilation, dehumidification and filtration during the HVAC rough-in, when they fit into the design instead of being added around it later.
What it costs, and how we price it
What drives the price
- What the house needs: dehumidification, filtration, ventilation or a humidifier
- The size of the house and the capacity of the equipment
- Whether the equipment ties into the existing ductwork, or needs its own ducts, drain or power
- Where it goes: attic, crawl space, basement or closet
- The type of filter cabinet and how often its filters need changing
- Whether the heating and cooling system or the ductwork needs work first
- The diagnostic visit
- Free. We come look, find the cause and explain it.
- Your price
- Firm price given before any work starts.
- How we price
- Priced per job. Each job is priced on its own.
- Why prices stay down
- Low overhead, and the work done right the first time with current methods, equipment and quality materials, so you are not paying for callbacks.
How a visit works
Call or text
Call or text (615) 426-9344 and tell us what's going on. A photo helps. We work Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A free diagnostic visit
We come look, find the cause and explain it in plain words. The visit is free.
A firm price before any work starts
You get the price for the job before we begin, so you can decide with real numbers.
The work, done right the first time
Current methods, good equipment and quality materials. We keep overhead low and skip the callbacks, which keeps prices down.
Follow-up
If anything we worked on gives you trouble, call or text the same number.
Why is my house humid even with the AC running?
An air conditioner removes moisture only while it runs. An oversized system cools the house fast and shuts off before it dries the air. Low refrigerant, a dirty coil or a fan left set to on can also leave moisture behind.
Sometimes fixing the air conditioner is the answer, not adding equipment, and we'll tell you if that's the case. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent. An inexpensive humidity gauge will tell you where your house sits.
What filter should I use?
A filter's MERV rating tells you how much fine dust it catches. Higher numbers catch more. But a higher-rated filter squeezed into a slot built for a thin one can choke airflow, which makes the system work harder and can freeze the coil.
Many homes do well with a filter in the MERV 8 to 13 range, in a cabinet sized for it. We'll check what your system can handle before recommending one.
Do new homes need fresh-air ventilation?
Newer homes are built tighter to save energy. That's good for the power bill, but it also keeps moisture, cooking smells and stale air inside. Building codes can require mechanical ventilation in tightly built homes, and an energy recovery ventilator is one common way to bring in fresh air without losing much of the heating or cooling.
It's easiest to plan during the HVAC rough-in, which is part of the new construction and renovation work Root House does.
Common questions
Is the visit to look free?
Yes. We'll come look at your house and your system for free, tell you what would help, and give you a firm price before any work starts.
Who installs the equipment?
Licensed and insured techs install it. Root House gives you the price, and one call still covers plumbing, HVAC and electrical.
Is a whole-home dehumidifier better than a portable one?
For a whole house or a crawl space, usually yes. It handles more moisture, drains on its own and runs quietly out of the way. A portable unit is fine for a single room.
Will better filtration help with allergies?
We can't promise a health result. Better filtration catches more of the pollen and dust that pass through your system, and keeping humidity in check helps hold down dust mites and mold. Your doctor is the right person for the health side.
How often should I change a media filter?
Thicker media filters usually last longer than thin ones, often several months. Pets, dust and remodeling shorten that. Check it monthly at first, and follow the filter maker's guidance.
Can you help with a damp crawl space?
Often, yes. A crawl space dehumidifier, sealed ducts and better drainage all help. If there is standing water, drainage or a sump pump may be the first step, and we will tell you which comes first.
Can indoor air equipment go in during new construction?
Yes, and that is the easiest time. Ventilation, dehumidifiers and filter cabinets fit into the design during the HVAC rough-in instead of being worked in around finished walls later.
Work that holds.
Call or text for indoor air quality anywhere we serve in Middle Tennessee.