How does humidity affect the cooling system in your home?
Most people are well aware of the fact that, when it’s humid out, the air feels warmer, particularly when it’s the middle of a hot, humid summer. It should come as no surprise to learn that the humidity not only affects how hot it feels outside but it can also affect the temperature in your home, as well as how effective your cooling system is.
Humidity and Air Conditioning
Contrary to popular belief, air conditioners don’t just work by pumping out cool air. Equally important as reducing the warm air in your home, air conditioners are also designed to reduce or remove the excess moisture from the air in your home. However, when humidity levels get too high, your system may not be able to keep up, and if your air conditioner cannot adequately remove the humidity from the air, it will cancel out the cooling effects of your system and cause it to feel warmer than it really is.
Is your home too humid?
Here are a few signs that indicate high humidity levels:
- The air feels clammy or moist.
- Your windows are often foggy.
- There’s a musty odor in your home.
If your home is too humid, what can be done about it? Should you invest in a bigger air conditioner?
When it comes to your air conditioner, bigger is not always better.
If high humidity levels in your home are making it more difficult and expensive to keep your home feeling cool and comfortable, you may be tempted to buy a bigger air conditioner that has a higher capacity. But contrary to popular belief, a higher capacity air conditioner is not the answer, and it can actually make your home even more humid. Because bigger, higher-powered air conditioners don’t have to run as often, they remove less moisture from the air. Additionally, if your air conditioner’s capacity is overly large, it won’t be able to dehumidify effectively.
How do you stay cool in a too-humid home?
The best way to fight the humidity that is plaguing your air conditioning system is to have a dehumidifier installed in your HVAC system. A dehumidifier can be paired with your air conditioner, and it will allow you to adjust both the humidity and temperature in your home at the same time. Dehumidifiers work by pulling moisture from the air before it’s forced through the air ducts.
Keeping the humidity levels in your home is important, especially when you want to ensure that your air conditioner is working as efficiently and effectively as possible. Installing a dehumidifier and keeping the humidity in check will not only make your home cooler and more comfortable, it could also help you save on your energy bills every month because your air conditioner won’t have to work quite as hard.
At Tri-Elite Advisors, we offer a variety of HVAC services in West Chester and the surrounding areas to keep you cool and comfortable, including whole house dehumidifiers. Find out if a whole house dehumidifier is right for your home when you contact us today.