Here in Westlake, dehumidifier technology is often as important as air conditioning technology in keeping your home comfortable. Relative humidity can be a killer in the summertime, and while your air conditioning unit can help, it can’t always do the job alone. Here’s a quick breakdown on why excessive humidity is a problem, and how air conditioners sometimes need a little help in dealing with it.
Humidity basically measures the amount of moisture in the air, which has a direct impact on our body’s ability to keep cool. When we heat up, we sweat, and the moisture on our skin evaporates into the air: making it feel cooler than it is. That helps keep the body’s temperature down and helps us feel comfortable. When the humidity is too high, however, the moisture produced by our sweat has nowhere to go. We don’t stay cool, the sweat stays on our skin and we end up feeling soaked and gross. Generally speaking, the relative humidity needs to be between 30% and 50% for us to feel comfortable. Otherwise, it gets a little muggy.
Air conditioners help with that as they cool the air in their system. The act of lowering the temperature causes the ambient moisture to solidify as beads of condensate in the system. The condensate drips into a pan, which can then be carried out of the system via a drain line. That helps lower the humidity and keep your home more pleasant. But the energy spent doing that detracts from the air conditioner’s ability to lower the temperature, and if it removes too much moisture, it could overflow the pan and short out electrical components in the AC.
That’s where a dehumidifier can help: taking the load off of the air conditioner and keeping your home dry and comfortable. Dehumidifier systems and other indoor air quality products in Westlake can be installed by the experts at Westland Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ll explain why excessive humidity is a problem, then work with you to find the right combination of components to make your home as cozy as it can be. Pick up the phone and give us a call today. You’ll be glad you did!
