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Effects of Humidity on Your Indoor AC

Effects of Humidity on Your Indoor AC

As the summer months move into view, many of our San Diego customers are wondering about the effects of humidity on their indoor AC units. Because San Diego is near the ocean and we are in the midst of an El Niño season, humidity levels will likely be slightly higher than normal this summer. It’s best to know beforehand what effect humidity will have on your air conditioner and how you can best notice (and prevent) them.

  1. Your AC Bill Spikes

One big effect of humidity on your air conditioner is that your AC bill will spike. Why? This is because your AC will try harder to remove the increased moisture in your air, resulting in higher cooling bills. Your wallet might not be very happy about this, and your AC will suffer as well.

  1. Your Home Never Feels Cool

Another unfortunate effect of humidity on your indoor AC is that, although your AC is working harder and constantly turned on, your home will never feel quite cool enough. This is because at some point, your AC just won’t be able to keep up with the humidity. While your AC can remove some moisture from the air, it just can’t remove it all. This means that your indoor air will have more moisture, leading to the feeling of higher indoor air temperatures even with the AC at full blast.

  1. Your Indoor AC System Gets Overworked

You might have noticed a common theme here – your AC gets drastically overworked as your indoor humidity levels rise. This leads to excessive wear and tear on your AC, and could lead to a full-system breakdown if you don’t keep a good eye on your unit. Rather than cranking up the AC when you notice increased humidity levels, you should try another strategy to prevent high indoor air humidity in the first place.

Signs of High Indoor Humidity

Alright, so you suspect that you have high indoor humidity levels. But how can you tell for sure? Here are a few tell-tale signs of high indoor air humidity.

  • A musty smell. Humidity means moisture, which also means an increased chance of mildew or mold growth in your home.
  • Windows that fog easily. As your indoor humidity builds up, the water vapors cling to your windows and fog them up easily.
  • Your skin feels wet or clammy. This unpleasant feeling is one of the major complaints we hear about humid weather.

How to Combat High Indoor Humidity

  • Get a standalone dehumidifier. These can be purchased from a variety of department stores for $100-300 depending on your needs.
  • Install a dehumidifier on your central AC. If you want a more permanent solution, you can as your local HVAC technician about installing a dehumidifier on your central AC itself.

Invest in a Yearly AC Tune-up

If you suffer from high indoor air humidity, then it’s important to understand the importance of a yearly AC tune-up. This will help to combat the effects of humidity on your indoor AC, as well as allows your HVAC technician to spot any other underlying issues before they become disastrous. Annual AC tune-ups in San Diego are usually inexpensive and a great way to prolong the life of your air conditioner.  Give us a call for any San Diego HVAC needs.
 

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