Volusia County’s Humidity Blues: How Your AC System Can Help

Tired of suffering from the extreme humidity of Volusia County, Florida?

Excessive humidity can attract pests, encourage mold, damage your home much like a leaky pipe, and leave you feeling miserable even when the temperature isn’t exceptionally high. Fortunately, an air conditioner in good working order can help extract moisture from the air and keep your home protected.

Let’s look at how your AC system can help with humidity and why it’s important to keep your system well-maintained and your humidity in a safe range.

Understanding Humidity

Humidity, put simply, describes the amount of water stored in the air. At 100% humidity, the air can’t hold any more water — which means it shows up as rain. But well before that point, high humidity can become a serious issue.

With high humidity, your sweat can’t evaporate properly, leading to difficulty regulating your temperature and staying comfortable. For similar reasons it can lead to trouble with your lungs and skin — and that’s before considering the way that high humidity can lead to mold growth, which brings its own set of potential hazards to people and property.

The ideal humidity will vary from person to person and with the temperature, but you generally want somewhere between 40% and 60% humidity, with some experts recommending a narrower range closer to 50%.

How Air Conditioners Reduce Humidity

Your air conditioner works by condensing heat from the air into refrigerant to produce cold air, transferring that heated refrigerant outside, then cooling it back off.

Condensation forms on your evaporator coils as part of this process, in the same way that condensation forms on a cold glass of water or a window with a high temperature difference — the colder air can’t hold as much water, and your evaporator coil and the air with heat extracted from it are very cold indeed, just above freezing.

This condensation is then removed from your air conditioner when it drips onto a drip pain and then drains through a condensate line, barring any issues. This line could terminate in any number of ways, leading directly outside or into plumbing, but the result is the removal of water from your home.

Benefits of Dehumidification by Air Conditioners

By dehumidifying the air on your home with an air conditioner, you’ll be far more comfortable — even if you only aim to reduce the temperature by a few degrees.

Reduced humidity will lead to reduced risk of mild and mildew and other water damage to delicate furniture, paint, or other belongings. You’ll also use less energy operating a central air conditioner than you would trying to use per-room dehumidifiers throughout your home.

Proper AC System Maintenance for Efficient Dehumidification

Of course, an efficient and effective air conditioner needs regular maintenance. While you can clean or replace your own air filters, and probably should instead of waiting for annual visits, a professional should be:

• Checking refrigerant levels
• Cleaning evaporator and condenser coils
• Ensuring proper airflow
• Keeping drain lines clear and free flowing

Signs Your AC System Needs Attention

If your air conditioner shows these signs, it probably needs attention — the sooner the better, since delays tend to lead to more damage:

• Reduced cooling capacity
• Increased humidity levels inside the home
• Strange noises or odors
• Running constantly
• Higher energy bills

Choose Jacob Heating & Air Conditioning for All Your HVAC Needs

Don’t let high humidity leave your Volusia County home miserable, sickly, and at risk of serious damage. Keep your AC in good working order, don’t hesitate to use it when you need it, and contact professionals like the team at Jacob Heating & Air Conditioning if something seems wrong or it’s time for an annual tune-up.

Schedule air conditioning service in Volusia County with the experts from Jacob Heating & Air Conditioning today. Call us at (386) 337-3502 to get started.