Humidity plays a huge role in how you perceive the temperature around you and how comfortable you feel.
Sometimes the heat is unbearable because of excess moisture in the air not allowing your sweat to evaporate. Fortunately, your air conditioning unit can be set to act as a dehumidifier, making the indoor air bearable.
We will learn how to set the AC unit to dehumidify the air and what are more complex options if your indoor air is constantly close to saturation.
Choose the Right Sized Unit for Your Space
First of all, it is important to choose the right sized air conditioning unit for your space. A unit that is too small will not be able to process the indoor air quickly enough to get rid of the excess moisture. The cooling capacity is measured in British Thermal Units (BTU,) and it should be chosen based on the size of the closed space where the air conditioning will be used.
By taking the volume of the room into account, you can calculate the minimum BTU capacity of your AC unit (around 25 BTU per square foot.) If your unit is too small for your space, it will run continuously without being able to cool the air efficiently. If you go with a bigger unit, you can also make a mistake, as a big unit will cool the air too quickly, not having enough time to remove moisture from the air.
Choosing the Right Settings for Your Unit to Dehumidify the Air
Your air conditioning unit generally does not have a built-in dehumidifier because it already can have that function. By cooling the air, it can collect moisture from it through condensation, then get rid of it by running the fan. Your AC unit might already have a dehumidifying mode (usually it is marked with a water drop symbol.)
If your unit does not have the preset mode for collecting excess moisture, you can just run the fan on the automatic position and cool the air as much as you can (set the temperature on the lowest setting.)
Use a Third– Party Dehumidifier
If your air conditioning unit is not powerful enough to dehumidify the air to a comfortable level, you can use a third party appliance for it. You can opt for a whole house dehumidifier that will connect to your HVAC unit, or you can use portable dehumidifiers, according to your own needs.
Replace Air Filters on Your Unit Regularly
If you are using the dehumidifying function often, make sure you replace the air filters regularly, so that the air flows undisturbed and also to prevent the growth of bacteria or mold.
For a better evaluation of your space, contact an HVAC expert that can recommend the best solution for your space. Give Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning and Heating a call today at (314) 471-7625!
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