Discover How an AC Lowers a Home’s Humidity

Finding a way to deal with humidity is crucial. Air conditioners can be a reasonably affordable and convenient method to achieve this goal, thus making the home safe and comfortable.

High humidity can make hot days unbearable and have numerous adverse effects on the human body. What’s more, humidity doesn’t just affect people, but it can also cause significant damage to a home. For example, it can lead to wooden floors warping, paint and wallpaper peeling, and harmful mold growing on the walls.

Therefore, finding a way to deal with humidity is crucial. Luckily, air conditioners can be a reasonably affordable and convenient method to achieve this goal, thus making the home safe and comfortable. Keep reading to learn how an AC lowers a home’s humidity.

How does an AC lower humidity?

Most modern HVAC units can regulate the humidity inside a home. This is thanks to a component called the evaporator coil. It absorbs the heat inside the house by condensing the water vapor from the air. As a result, the home becomes less humid.

The collected moisture travels into a condensate pan through a drain. Then, an automatic condensate pump or a gravity-feed pipe drains the pan, ensuring the water doesn’t overflow into the home.

These elements are essential for the AC unit to efficiently regulate a home’s humidity. However, they can become clogged with various deposits, increasing the moisture level.

How to avoid an increase in the house’s humidity

A clogged AC condensate line will prevent the unit from successfully dehumidifying a home. Luckily, this is among the easiest problems to solve and avoid in the future.

Hiring an HVAC tech to regularly clean and maintain the AC unit is the best solution. They’ll also clear out the AC condensate draining system, among other tasks. Besides regulating the humidity, maintaining this element is vital for avoiding water damage and potentially high repair costs.

The AC condensate cleaning process typically involves:

• Emptying and cleaning the condensate pan.

• Checking if the condensate pump is working correctly.

• Ensuring the drain line is open and clean.

• Servicing the drain line to prevent build-up in the future.

Why is the house still humid?

Even if all AC elements are working properly, homeowners may still experience problems with the humidity levels. A common reason is an incorrectly-sized AC unit.

An AC unit shouldn’t be too small or too big. If the unit is too small, it won’t be powerful enough to cool down the home and lower the humidity. On the contrary, an oversized AC can short-cycle, thus failing to run long enough to dehumidify the house.

Determining the correct size of any HVAC unit is a challenging task that includes many variables. For that reason, it’s best to consult an HVAC specialist who can accurately calculate the unit size a house needs.

Contact a professional

Whatever issues one might experience with the AC unit, the best option is to consult a professional service. They can help choose the correct unit based on the home’s specs, followed by proper installation and maintenance. This way, homeowners can ensure their homes remain comfortable and dry year-round.

When you need heating or refrigeration service, maintenance, or repair, call us at Affordable Comfort A/C and Heating at 602-574-1205.