Air conditioners are interesting systems. Many people believe that they cool by blowing cool air into warm air, but this isn’t actually what’s happening. Yes, cool air blows in, but more importantly, air conditioners remove the heat and humidity from your living spaces and release it, then use this air to cool your home. It’s all part of the heat release/cooling cycle, and one of the benefits of this cycle is that humidity is also removed. How does your Lake City air conditioning system do this? Let’s take a look.
How Humidity Is Removed
Air conditioners use refrigerant to help facilitate the transfer of heat to the outside. The cycle starts with the heat from your return ducts being absorbed by the refrigerant. The refrigerant travels to the compressor where it is pressurized; as the pressurized refrigerant leaves the compressor to enter the condenser, the heat is released and the refrigerant starts to cool. The refrigerant travels from the condenser to the evaporator, where warm air from your home is blown over the evaporator coils that now contain cooled refrigerant. When hot air meets cool air, condensation is formed, and this condensation is removed via the condensate array of your air conditioning system. This is how your air conditioning system helps remove the excess humidity in your home.
Benefits of Removing Humidity
Humidity holds heat, which is why a humid day at 70 degrees feels much more uncomfortable than a dry day at 70 degrees. But excess humidity does more than make you feel uncomfortable – it can lead to mold and mildew development, dust mite populations and create rot. When you install a whole-home air conditioner, you gain the benefit of dehumidification along with improved comfort.
Get Ahead of Humidity with a Whole-Home Air Conditioner
Today’s air conditioners are some of the most energy efficient around, and can offer your home cool, comfortable air for years to come.
If you’ve been struggling with indoor comfort because of heat and excess humidity, call the experts at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., today.