Unwanted聽humidity can聽create聽many聽problems,聽such as聽mold聽spores, musty聽rooms, structural聽issues, and聽an uncomfortable聽muggy feeling. That’s why it’s聽necessary聽to聽manage聽humidity if you聽hope聽to聽improve聽indoor air quality聽and home comfort.
The聽perfect聽relative humidity level is聽about聽30 to 50 percent. Summer is聽generally聽the聽hardest聽time of year to聽stay聽within聽this range.聽Thankfully,聽running聽the air conditioner can help.
After all, air conditioning doesn’t聽only聽cool your home—it also聽reduces聽humidity. Here’s聽a look at聽how this works,聽coupled聽with聽recommendations聽to聽control聽indoor humidity levels.
How Air Conditioning聽Lowers聽Humidity
Contrary to聽what you might think, your air conditioner doesn’t聽increase聽cool, dry air in your home—it聽eliminates聽heat and humidity. The process聽requires聽refrigerant, which聽soaks up聽heat and moisture effectively from the indoor air. Here’s聽how it works:
- Indoor air聽rushes聽through the ductwork and聽all聽over the evaporator coil聽that contains聽cold refrigerant.
- The refrigerant聽soaks up聽heat, and the moisture in the air聽condenses聽on the coil.
- The condensation聽falls聽into the condensate pan聽below聽the evaporator coil and drains聽out of the system.
- Cooler, dehumidified air聽flows back聽into your home.
Ways to聽Decrease聽Humidity
Turning on聽the air conditioner聽may聽be聽adequate聽to聽push聽the relative humidity聽below聽50 percent in dry climates. But if high humidity聽continues to be聽a problem in your home,聽try again with聽these tips.
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Use聽the exhaust fan in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry room when you shower, cook and wash clothes.聽This form of聽ventilation聽Lowers聽humidity at the source to keep these rooms聽cool. You can also open a window when it’s聽milder聽outside to聽draw in聽fresh air.
Clean Up聽Standing Water
Wet聽shower tiles, kitchen counters and laundry room floors聽increase聽indoor humidity and聽may聽stimulate聽mold聽spores.聽Dry any聽standing water promptly to聽protect against聽these problems.
Use聽a Dehumidifier
If you聽dislike聽extreme聽humidity in the summer,聽think about聽installing a whole-house dehumidifier that聽runs聽in tandem with your air conditioner to make聽your entire home聽more comfortable. A whole-house聽system聽can even聽run聽separately from聽the AC to聽remove聽humidity on聽mild聽days without聽Turning on聽the air conditioner. This聽approach聽saves you money and聽prevents聽that “cool but clammy” feeling.
Adjust聽the AC Fan to Auto
The condensation that聽forms聽on the evaporator coil needs time to聽build up聽and聽trickle聽away. If you聽use聽the air conditioning fan聽continually, the moisture聽will blow back into聽your home. That’s why it’s聽more efficient聽to聽Adjust聽the fan to “auto” so it聽is only on聽when the AC compressor聽switches on. You should be able to聽change聽this setting easily on your thermostat.
Replace聽the Air Filter聽Regularly
A clogged聽filter traps dust and debris and聽may聽harbor聽mold聽spores聽if it聽gets聽wet. This聽sends聽moisture and mold spores into your home聽each聽time the AC聽starts.聽Replace聽the air filter聽once a聽month or as聽suggested聽by the manufacturer to聽Decrease聽indoor humidity and聽improve聽air quality.
Fine Tune聽the Fan Speed
Optimizing聽the fan speed can be tricky.聽Strong聽airflow helps the AC聽meet your聽cooling demand on聽particularly hot聽days, but this聽could聽result in聽shorter cycles that聽prevent聽effective dehumidification.聽Coordinate聽with an HVAC technician to help you聽choose聽the聽right聽fan speed for your comfort聽preferences.
Check the Cleanliness of the Evaporator Coil
A聽filthy聽coil can’t cool and dehumidify聽effectively. If your聽air conditioner聽is having trouble聽sustaining聽the聽desired聽temperature,聽call聽our HVAC specialists to聽inspect聽your cooling system and check the cleanliness of the evaporator coil. Cooling and dehumidifying聽efficiency聽should improve as a result.
Check聽the Refrigerant Charge
Low聽refrigerant can聽impair聽your air conditioner’s ability to聽do聽its job. Left聽ignored,聽severe聽issues聽including聽a frozen evaporator coil or compressor failure聽can聽happen. Only a聽certified聽HVAC technician聽can聽resolve聽refrigerant leaks and聽replenish聽the system as聽required,聽lending聽you another reason to聽arrange聽an AC tune-up.
Exchange聽Your Air Conditioner
If your home has聽continuous聽comfort聽trouble聽and your air conditioner is聽wearing down, it聽could聽be time聽for a replacement.聽Select聽a new AC聽system聽with聽innovative聽features,聽such as聽a thermal expansion valve (TXV) and variable blower motor. A TXV聽offers聽the聽exact聽amount of refrigerant聽determined by聽the air temperature, and a variable blower motor聽increases or decreases聽the fan speed to聽suit聽demand. Both features聽enhance聽cooling and dehumidifying聽effectiveness.
Balance聽Indoor Humidity with 黑料社区
If you聽believe聽it’s time to聽get聽a whole-house dehumidifier or聽replace聽your聽air conditioning, v can help. Our聽HVAC services聽are聽structured聽to聽improve聽home comfort and energy efficiency for your long-term satisfaction. To聽raise聽questions or聽arrange聽a visit from one of our聽qualified聽heating and cooling technicians, please聽give us a call聽today.
