If you watch any weather at all during the summer, you probably hear the meteorologists refer to the heat index. It’s a measure of the “feels like” temperature, a combination of the actual air temperature and the humidity. Regardless of how hot or cold it is, humidity makes a difference in how comfortable we feel indoors and out.
How It Works
The human body uses evaporation to stay comfortable in warm weather, much like cool off by panting. When the humidity level increases along with temperature, it’s harder for the moisture to dry, and you feel warmer. When the air indoors is 75 degrees and the humidity is 30 percent, the air actually feels like 73 degrees. Conversely, 70 percent humidity makes the air feel like 77 degrees.
The process reverses in the winter. The air can’t hold as much moisture at lower temperatures, and as a consequence, air below 30 percent makes you feel cooler than it really is. Controlling indoor humidity in the summer is critical for a comfortable “feels like” temperature. Moisture in the air increases heat retention year-round, something you don’t want in the summer.
The ideal range in the summer lies between 30 and 50 percent. Central cooling systems remove some of the humidity, but sometimes the humidity in this region exceeds the ability of your cooling system to remove it. If the humidity gets too high, you run the risk of a frozen evaporator coil for the A/C, which can cause serious damage to your cooling equipment.
Managing Humidity
Dehumidifiers remove humidity independent of air conditioning, and you can find central and portable units. Unless your home is fairly small, it’s much simpler and more energy efficient to install a whole-house system that removes water vapor. A central system attaches to your HVAC system, is controlled by a humidistat, and automatically drains condensation into your home’s plumbing.
Excessive indoor humidity increases the “feels like” temperature of your home, and you’ll save money and wear on your cooling system by managing it. To learn more, contact Ace Hardware Home Services, providing HVAC services for Dayton-area homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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