When you ask people about humidity, they most often think of places that have high humidity in the summer that makes it feel sticky outside. Unfortunately, humidity does not just affect the weather outside but it can cause trouble inside too! When it is hot out the first place you want to go is inside where the air conditioner is turned on. This is the best way to escape the heat and cool off, but did you know that the amount of humidity in the air can have an effect on how well your heater and air conditioner actually work? The humidity can also cost you more energy usage and in turn cause your power bill go up.
Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning outlines how humidity can affect your heater and air conditioner.
Signs of Air Conditioning Humidity Level Problems: The air conditioner works to remove humidity and heat from your home while replacing it with cooler air that has been circulated through the return air system and duct work. Most HVAC systems are manufactured to remove the humidity and moisture in the air so that the room can feel cooler. The problem comes when the humidity levels are too high and the AC unit just cannot keep up. It will cause the unit to run more often and you will still end up with less than optimal results. The house will still feel warm and sticky if enough humidity is not removed. You can tell that the humidity is high in your house when you can smell a musty odor, if the windows start to fog up or if you just feel sticky and sweaty even while you are inside. No matter the size of your air conditioner if you don’t have an adequate dehumidifier it will not get better. Be sure to ask your air conditioning technician about installing an upgraded one if you are in an area that has some times of the year that get humid.
How Does Humidity Affect Your Heater & Temperature: While humidity in the summer makes you feel much hotter it has the opposite effect on you during the winter. It drops so low that you feel colder and the heating that you got from it in the summer is all but gone. The heater has to work harder to get the house up to temperature and stay there. You can have a humidifier installed as part of your heating unit to ensure that you get the most out of your winter and heater.