In our last post, we looked at ways to tell your home has too much humidity. We touched briefly on the question of whether the AC can deal with this or not. In this post, we’re going to take a deeper look at this question: “I have an AC in my house, so no worries about humidity, right?”
Having an AC does mean your home will enjoy cooler air. But if you think the air conditioner will also conquer high humidity, you’ve got the wrong device. An AC has some dehumidification properties, but you won’t be able to combat the discomfort from muggy air on the most humid days.
What an AC Does Do
An air conditioner’s main job is to pump heat out of a house and then blow around the cooler air that’s left behind. For example, on a 90° day, you can set the thermostat to make the AC lower the temperature indoors to 78°F. The humidity will still be there, making you feel warmer even in the cooler air, and that will require running the AC for longer.
While the AC is running, it will pull some humidity from the air. This is a side-effect of how it works, not its goal. To absorb heat from the air moving through it, an air conditioner evaporates refrigerant inside a copper coil. This evaporation also causes water vapor in the air to condense along the coil. This provides some dehumidification, but not much, and you don’t have any direct control over it.
How to Deal With Too Much Humidity
Now let’s move on to what you can do about excess humidity in your home on those hot summer days.
First, you may need to fix the HVAC system. If you haven’t had much trouble with humidity until now, it’s possible the reason it’s risen is because the HVAC system is malfunctioning. Poor air circulation, leaks in the ductwork, and the AC not absorbing any moisture as it works will all lead to humidity issues. We recommend calling for repair experts to check it out. You may also have an undersized HVAC system, which is just bad news all around and you’ll probably need to get a new one.
The most proactive way to conquer humidity is with a whole-house dehumidifier. This is an appliance our technicians can install for you. We’ll integrate it into the HVAC system where it works in conjunction with the AC to balance humidity levels without making the house too dry. You can control the humidity level from a special device called a humidistat. We recommend relative humidity of 45% as ideal for comfort.
Our Team Is Here to Help
When you need help with your air conditioning in Acworth, GA, or you’re interested in having a whole-house dehumidifier installed, reach out to Dayco Systems. We’re passionate about what we do, and everyone on our team is committed to providing exceptional service to our customers.
Dayco Systems has been Metro Atlanta’s choice for more than three generations. Schedule HVAC and indoor air quality service with us today.
