Humidity and Air Conditioning

Does humidity have any effect on your air conditioning system? After all, once you are out of the heat and into an air-conditioned space, humidity’s effects pretty much cease…don’t they?

Not quite. In addition to adding an air of oppression to the atmosphere, which can sometimes be intense, elevated humidity levels also make machines work harder. If you’ve installed equipment that doesn’t have enough power to cool a home your size, the extra effort to combat the effects of humidity could mean that you will never quite enjoy the comfort level you’d like. And humidity can find its way into your home from several different sources.

As the American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE) explains, the reality is that many air conditioning systems have a hard time removing all of the humidity in the atmosphere – even though air conditioning was invented, in part, as a way of controlling humidity.

These machines can help with temperature and humidity, but can’t independently mitigate both at the same time. As a result, if your home has higher humidity levels—as evidenced by windows that mist up, a feeling that your skin is clammy or an overall musty odor – the partial dehumidification that an air conditioner can provide may not be enough to solve your temperature woes.

In order to reduce the need to run a separate dehumidifier, air conditioning users should follow these tips:

Don’t have the thermostat to run in “fan-only” mode, in which the blower fan runs continuously regardless of whether the AC unit is on. If you do, much of the humidity that the system was able to take out of the air will likely recirculate in the house, defeating the purpose of running the fan.

When moisture levels are high in your house due to certain activities such as washing, bathing and cooking, use exhaust fans to eliminate as much moisture as possible.

And keep the opening and closing of windows and doors at a minimum when outdoor humidity levels are high.

To learn more about humidity control, contact AC World today!