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Whole-Home Humidity Control
Why the AC Leaves the House Sticky
An air conditioner removes moisture as a side effect of cooling: warm, humid air crosses a cold coil and water condenses out. That works well on a 100-degree afternoon when the system runs for long stretches. It works badly on a muggy 82-degree morning in San Antonio, when the thermostat is satisfied in ten minutes and the coil never gets cold enough for long enough to wring anything out. The air is cool. It is also wet. And an oversized system, which is common in Central Texas, makes it worse by cooling so fast it barely dehumidifies at all.
A whole-house dehumidifier solves the problem the AC cannot. It connects to the ductwork near the air handler, pulls air through its own cold coil regardless of whether the AC is calling, and drains the water away. It is controlled by a humidity setting rather than a temperature, so it runs when the house is damp and stops when it is not. Homeowners usually find they are comfortable at a higher thermostat setting once the air is dry, which is where the operating cost comes back.
We size it to the house and the moisture load, connect it correctly to the ducts and the drain, and set it up to work with your system rather than fight it. Before that, we check the ducts, because return leaks pulling in humid attic air are a common reason a house cannot get dry. Written price first, under the Home Comfort Guarantee, and financing is available on larger jobs.
- Sized to the moisture, not the square footage A slab home in Kyle and a pier-and-beam house near the river carry different loads. We size for yours.
- Drained, not emptied Plumbed to a proper drain. No bucket to carry, no tank that shuts the unit off when it fills.
- Runs on humidity, not temperature Its own control, so it dries the house on damp mild days when the AC has no reason to run.
Signs of a Damp House
When Humidity Is the Real Problem
These show up most in spring and early fall, and in any home with an oversized air conditioner.
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Cold and clammy at the same time
You keep lowering the thermostat looking for comfort and end up chilly but still sticky. That is a humidity problem, not a temperature one.
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Condensation on windows and supply vents
Moisture beading on glass or sweating metal registers means the indoor air is holding more water than it should.
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A musty smell in closets and corners
Still air plus moisture. Closets on exterior walls and bathrooms without good exhaust show it first.
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Doors and drawers that stick in summer
Wood swells when it takes on moisture. If the pantry door fights you from May to September, the house is damp.
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An AC that short-cycles
A system that cools the house in a few minutes and shuts off never runs long enough to dry it. Common with oversized equipment.
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Mild, rainy weeks are the worst
In spring and fall the AC barely runs, and the house feels heavier than it does in July. Dehumidification is the missing piece.
What We Install
Dehumidification Done as HVAC Work
A whole-house unit touches the ducts, the drain and the controls. It is a job for a licensed HVAC technician.
- Ducted whole-house units Connected to the return and supply so dried air reaches every room, with the unit out of sight in the attic or closet.
- Load-based sizing Square footage, construction, occupancy and how humid your part of the region runs. Undersized units run constantly and never catch up.
- Condensate drain and safety Plumbed to a proper drain with a float switch, so a clog shuts the unit off instead of soaking the ceiling.
- Humidity controls A dedicated humidistat or integration with a compatible thermostat, set to a target that keeps the house comfortable.
- Duct and return check first Return leaks pull in humid attic air. We test for them before sizing, because sealing may shrink the unit you need.
- AC sizing review If short cycling is the root cause, we say so. Sometimes the honest fix at replacement time is a properly sized system.
How It Works
Installing a Whole-House Dehumidifier
One visit to measure and quote, and most installs finish in a day.
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Measure the humidity
Actual readings in the house, a look at the ducts and the AC run pattern, and a conversation about when the house feels worst.
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Size and quote
The unit that matches your load, the ducting and drain work it needs, and one written price. Honored 72 hours.
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Install and connect
Mounted near the air handler, ducted in, drained, wired and fitted with its control.
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Set and verify
We set the humidity target, confirm it drains properly and show you how to read and adjust it.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Cold, Sticky and Tired of It?
Get a humidity check and a written dehumidifier quote for your Austin or San Antonio home.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
Our 18 year old HVAC system finally gave out this past week, so we reached out to Radiant to see what could be done. They sent a tech out named Bryan the same day, and he did a great job looking over the entire HVAC system. He was friendly and helpful in explaining everything that he saw, and our options moving forward. We decided to replace the entire system, so we met with Jacob (same day thankfully) to find the best HVAC system for our needs. Jacob was friendly, professional, and did a great job explaining the different options on offer. Radiant was able to set-up next day install, which was much appreciated, because the temps were still going to be cold in the coming days.
The install team consisted of Carlos and Pablo, who were very courteous and professional, and were kind enough to answer any questions I had regarding the install. They did a great job installing our new HVAC system, and were tidy which is always appreciated! Before they left, they explained everything that had been done, and showed me photos of the work.
Our entire experience from start to finish was great. I appreciate that they send photos of who is coming to your home too. Friendly, kind, professional team members, and good work all the way around. Thanks Radiant!
The install team consisted of Carlos and Pablo, who were very courteous and professional, and were kind enough to answer any questions I had regarding the install. They did a great job installing our new HVAC system, and were tidy which is always appreciated! Before they left, they explained everything that had been done, and showed me photos of the work.
Our entire experience from start to finish was great. I appreciate that they send photos of who is coming to your home too. Friendly, kind, professional team members, and good work all the way around. Thanks Radiant!
★★★★★
This is the first time I’ve used radiant my neighbor recommended them…. I called them today and they set me up an appointment on the same day. I was totally shocked at that and the service call was only $39!!…. Highly recommend them Danielle showed up and he was a great guy and he put up with all my wishy-washiness and I had to hurry him because I was heading to church and he got caught in a lot of traffic getting here he even would’ve installed the part that broke but I Didn’t have the time tonight….. He was patient with me and just told me to call the office first thing in the morning and get a service call set up…. Thank you so much Radiant!!….
With another cold front coming in tomorrow now I just hope they can get me scheduled for a separate call tomorrow but I have a feeling they will. They are such a great company!!😊😊
With another cold front coming in tomorrow now I just hope they can get me scheduled for a separate call tomorrow but I have a feeling they will. They are such a great company!!😊😊
★★★★★
Alex performed the winter service on my unit. This business along with Alex, are very professional and upfront about everything. To be transparent, this is the maintenance included with the purchase of a unit from them. I was informed about everything to include pictures as proof. I was told that my unit is 100% and very clean and again pictures to prove it. I was reccomended this business by a friend and glad he did. The initial purchase experience was also amazing. I had contacted 5 other businesses to get quotes about a new unit as my upstairs unit failed. 2 were outrageous quotes and I am technically still waiting on the other 3. On every instance of getting a quote, I waited about 1 week. Luckily my house has two units but still, un acceptable especially during the summer. I guess they all had so much business they did not care for mine. When I called this business not only did they come out the same day, I had the new unit installed with in 48 hrs. Oh and let's not forget the quote they gave me was the lowest of all. I can say enough good things about this business. Keep up the great work.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Dehumidifier Questions
My air conditioner already removes humidity. Why would I need a dehumidifier?
It does, but only while it is cooling, and only when it runs long enough for the coil to pull water out of the air. On a 100-degree day that is most of the time. On a damp 80-degree day in May or October, the thermostat is satisfied quickly, the system shuts off, and the moisture stays. Oversized air conditioners, which are common in Central Texas, make this worse by cooling so fast they barely dehumidify. A whole-house dehumidifier runs on its own humidity control, so it dries the house on exactly those days the AC has no reason to run. Homes on the humid side of the region, San Antonio and east of I-35 especially, feel the difference most.
What indoor humidity level should I aim for?
A common comfort range is roughly 30 to 50 percent relative humidity, and in our climate the practical goal for summer is keeping it under about 50. Above that, the house feels sticky at any temperature, wood swells, and damp corners start to smell. Below 30, which is rare here outside of a hard freeze with the heat running, air feels dry and static builds up. An inexpensive hygrometer from the hardware store tells you where your house sits. If you are reading in the high 50s or 60s with the AC running, the air conditioner is not keeping up and a dehumidifier is worth a conversation.
Where does the water go?
A whole-house unit is plumbed to a drain, so there is no tank to empty. Most often it ties into the same condensate drain the air conditioner uses, with a trap and a float switch so a clog shuts the unit down rather than overflowing into the ceiling. On a humid week the unit can pull a surprising amount of water out of the house, which is exactly why the portable bucket-style units never keep up: they fill and stop. Our technician verifies the drain runs freely at the install and checks it again at Care Club tune-ups, the same as the AC drain line.
Will a dehumidifier raise my electric bill?
It uses electricity, so yes, it adds something. But it usually takes some back. Dry air feels cooler than damp air at the same temperature, so most homeowners find they are comfortable with the thermostat set a few degrees higher once the humidity is under control, and the air conditioner runs less. The unit also only runs when humidity calls for it, not continuously. The net effect depends on the house and how you use the thermostat. We will be straight about that during the estimate rather than promising savings we cannot see.
Does the dehumidifier run in winter too?
Rarely, and it does not need to. Central Texas winters are mostly mild and dry indoors, especially when the heat is running, so the humidity control simply does not call for it. The exception is the stretch of warm, wet weather that often shows up in late winter and early spring, when the AC is not needed yet and the house can turn damp. The unit handles those weeks on its own without you touching anything. If a hard freeze like February 2021 has the furnace running for days, indoor air tends to go the other direction and get too dry, and the dehumidifier stays off.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
