It’s no secret that excessive humidity makes people feel hotter during the summer months. Not only does this affect the outside temperature, but it also affects the efficiency of your air conditioning system. Anytime the humidity gets too high or even too low in the house, this affects how well your HVAC system runs.
Keep reading to learn more about how humidity affects your air conditioning, as well as some tips for keeping humidity levels balanced.
How Air Conditioners Work
To understand the correlation between humidity and your air conditioning system, it’s important to understand how your ac system works. Most people think the only job of the air conditioner is to keep the home cool. However, in order to do this, the system must get rid of moisture from the air. This moisture is what we know as humidity, and the only way to get rid of the heat is to cool the air. Unfortunately, your equipment must have sufficient cooling power to do this, especially when there’s extreme humidity. If your air conditioner can’t do this, you’ll never feel as cool as you could be in your home no matter what the temperature reads on the thermostat.
Signs Your Indoor Humidity Is Too High
How do you know if your home’s humidity levels are too high? You notice one or more of the following signs:
- The air feels clammy and moist and your skin may feel sticky
- Your home’s windows fog
- Your home smells musty, a sure sign there’s excessive dampness in the home
Why Your Air Conditioner Isn’t Keeping Humidity Levels Balanced
One reason your home may be humid is that your air conditioner isn’t the right size for your home. There’s an assumption that bigger is always better. Sometimes people install air conditioners that are too big for their home. Not only does this waste energy, but it makes it harder for the air conditioner to remove moisture. You’ll end up with a house that always feels sticky and you’re never comfortable.
Air conditioners that are too big or more powerful than you need don’t run as often. While you might think this is a good thing, it’s not when you’re trying to remove moisture from the air. The unit turns off before all the moisture is removed and this is what causes your house to feel sticky.
So, how do you fix the problem? Do you need to replace your air conditioner? Luckily, there’s a much cheaper solution.
Install a Dehumidifier
The fastest way to get rid of moisture in the air is to purchase a dehumidifier. This home appliance is an inexpensive way to pull moisture from the air before it enters your home’s duct system and travels through the house. Most people are familiar with portable dehumidifiers that plug into an outlet and use a hose that allows the moisture to drain into a floor drain. There are also models that have a storage area that collects the moisture and needs to be emptied regularly.
If you’re battling high humidity levels, call Cox Air at 727-442-6158 to make an appointment with one of our cooling specialists. We’ll help you explore your options for making your home cool and comfortable once again!
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