Humidity can have a huge impact on your indoor comfort level through the summertime. Temperature doesn’t directly influence humidity, but when the temperature increases and the air is humid, it feels hotter. That’s because we are designed to sweat. When we perspire, as the dampness on our skin evaporates, our bodies cool down. It’s the evaporation, not the actual sweating that cools us off. When the humidity level is excessive, it doesn’t enable the dampness to evaporate.
If you’ve heard of a “heat index” that’s a measurement of how hot people feel relative to temperature and humidity together. For instance, a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 65% will seem like 103 degrees. Basically, when the temperature is below 53 degrees Fahrenheit, excessive humidity makes it seem more frigid than it actually is. When the weather is above 53 degrees Fahrenheit, humidity can make the temperature feel hotter than it actually is. That’s why you want to add humidity to your residence in the the winter season and remove it during the summer.
High humidity in your house makes your air conditioner work harder. Your air conditioner pulls humidity out of the air by pushing the air past a chilled evaporator coil and then sending it throughout your home. Higher humidity levels cause moisture to condense within your air conditioning unit. When water vapor condenses, it creates heat and this raises the temperature of the air in the air conditioner. Your air conditioning unit will run longer and more often as it attempts to get the temperature down again. That results in increased energy expenses.
There are some simple methods to decrease indoor air humidity. When you’re preparing food, turn on the exhaust fan and put lids on pots and pans whenever possible. Take brief showers and use the exhaust fan in the bathroom whenever you take a shower or bathe. Don’t hang your clothes to dry inside and check to make sure your dryer is vented to the outside of your house, not the inside. Resist the temptation to turn off your air conditioner on cool nights and open the windows. Your system will spend the rest of the next day attempting to eliminate the humidity to get the temperature inside down to the desired degree. Also, you can improve your air conditioner’s efficiency by ensuring the coils are clean and your ceiling fans are running to help move the cool air. Just experiencing moving air on the surface of your skin will make you feel cooler. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, look into buying one. It’s an excellent way tolower energy bills too. Simply by bumping up the temperature when you’re not home or while you are asleep, you can save a significant amount on energy bills.
