Are you suffering from high humidity levels in your home? You’re probably wondering, “Does air conditioning reduce humidity?” Keep reading to discover everything you should know about how your air conditioner moderates your home’s humidity levels.
As the trusted provider of air conditioning installation services in Bowie, S&L Air Conditioning and Heating helps homes stay comfortable year-round. Let us match yours with the perfect air conditioner.
The Problems With Extreme Humidity Levels
Whether too high or too low, extreme humidity levels are more than just uncomfortable; they can pose serious problems to your health and property.
High Humidity
Experts characterize high humidity as anything over 50%. Over time, exposure to high humidity can cause the following health problems:
- Dehydration: It seems counterintuitive that more moisture in the air can dehydrate you, but it forces your body to work harder to keep you cool. Because your body sweats to cool itself, you’ll lose water faster in high humidity, leading to dehydration.
- Heat stroke: As your body loses valuable electrolytes and becomes dehydrated, you become increasingly vulnerable to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
- Insect infestation: Areas of high humidity attract insects like chiggers, mosquitos, lice, and bed bugs, all of which carry risks for infections and health issues.
- High blood pressure: As your body works harder to cool itself, your blood pressure rises.
- Increased allergies and infection: High humidity levels increase the growth of mold, spores, and other fungi and allow viruses and bacteria to thrive. If your home suffers from high humidity levels, you’ll notice decreased indoor air quality and more severe allergies and illnesses.
High humidity also warps your wood furniture, floors, and walls and could lead to other water damage.
Low Humidity
Low humidity is moisture in the air below 30% saturation. Low humidity can cause the following problems:
- Some viruses thrive in low humidity, leading to increased rates of infection.
- Arid weather can decrease tear production and lead to more frequent dry eyes.
- Low humidity causes skin irritation, such as eczema, itching, and chapping.
While most air conditioners don’t lower the humidity to this extreme, if you’re already experiencing low humidity levels, consider avoiding using your air conditioner.
How an Air Conditioner Removes Excess Humidity
Does air conditioning reduce humidity? Yes, because as air conditioners cool your home, they reduce humidity levels through refrigerant, which transports hot air and condensation outside to evaporate or drain. Because your air conditioners cool the air by removing condensation, they naturally lower humidity and help keep your home comfortable.
If the humidity in your home is high even though you’re running your air conditioner, repairing your air conditioner and restoring its refrigerant levels normally helps.
Other Ways To Control Humidity
Your air conditioner can have trouble keeping up in areas with excessive humidity, even with the proper refrigerant levels. You can ease the burden on your air conditioner by using other dehumidification methods.
Increase Ventilation
Your shower and kitchen are the two biggest sources of increased humidity in your home. Always run your vent fans when showering, bathing, or cooking with boiling water. In temperate weather, open your windows to produce a cross-breeze and further remove moisture from the air.
Remove Standing Water
You probably don’t think of the water that remains in your shower after you use it or the condensation that forms on your windows, but these all add to humidity levels.
Use a Dehumidifier
You can use individual or whole-home dehumidifiers to decrease the humidity in your home. In general, running a dehumidifier costs less than constantly running your air conditioner. If it’s humid but not excessively warm, a dehumidifier presents a more affordable option than excessively running your air conditioner.
Moderate Your Fan Use
If you’re constantly running the fan on your air conditioner, you’re actually increasing your home’s humidity. The water on your device’s condenser coil needs time to evaporate to leave your home. When you run your fan, it blows the moisture back into your home before it can evaporate.
If you have high humidity levels, change your fan setting to auto.
Contact S&L Air Conditioning and Heating To Keep Your Home Comfortable
Does air conditioning reduce humidity? Yes, your air conditioner effectively lowers humidity to moderate levels. Whether you’re asking, “How much does it cost to run an air conditioner?” or want more knowledge about our heating, air conditioning, and HVAC services, S&L Air Conditioning and Heating is standing by to take your call.To book an appointment, call 301-835-1676.