In southern Indiana, summertime humidity can make you uncomfortable even at moderate temperatures. Excess moisture indoors encourages mold and mildew growth and makes it difficult to stay cool without spending a fortune on electricity.
Werner Van Kleef of Van Kleef Heating and Air Conditioning, a company that specializes in furnace and AC repair in New Albany, IN, says that lowering the humidity in your home can do more than just make you more comfortable; it can also save you money and improve your family’s health.
Why It Matters
Excess humidity in indoor air is a problem for a number of reasons. When the air inside your home is particularly moist, it can make you feel uncomfortably warm, even when your thermostat is set to a moderate temperature. In response, you may lower the temperature in your home, which means increased energy usage and higher utility bills.
Excess moisture can also pose a health hazard. Mold and mildew growth in your HVAC system, which can be spurred by humidity, sends mold spores into the air inside your home. Those mold spores can cause allergic reactions, respiratory problems and asthma attacks – in some people, those reactions can even be severe.
Getting It Under Control
In general, your air conditioner acts as a dehumidifier for your home. Van Kleef explains that the air conditioner you choose and the way you use it plays a big role in effectively removing excess moisture.
First, he says, it’s essential to ensure that your air conditioner is sized properly for your home. If it is, it will run in long cycles. Short cycle times (as are common with over-sized air conditioners) are inefficient and provide inconsistent cooling and dehumidification. In contrast, long cycles allow the air conditioner more time to remove humidity from the air before shutting down.
You can further improve cycle times by choosing a two-stage air conditioner and a variable-speed motor. This type of equipment runs in stages, which provides a more efficient, more consistent temperature and moisture level for the best humidity control.
“There are some pins on the equipment that you can set so that the air conditioner comes on and a blower starts for the first two minutes at 50 percent of the airflow that you need,” Van Kleef explains. “So you get a big temperature drop and dehumidification. Then it runs for another two minutes at 70 percent, and then finally kicks in to its maximum airflow.”
Homeowners in the New Albany area can learn more about variable speed cooling systems from the HVAC experts at Van Kleef Heating and Air Conditioning. The local experts in high-performance, high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, Van Kleef Heating and Air can help you find ways to keep cool and control moisture while cutting your total energy costs.