Feeling uncomfortable at home isn’t always about temperature alone. Humidity levels play a big role in indoor comfort. Explore how variable speed systems and dehumidifiers can improve your air quality and Ill-being.

Full Text: I have received many calls throughout the years because “my home isn’t comfortable”.  Air conditioning systems typically focus on controlling temperature.  If your temperature is satisfied they won’t run.  The other thing to consider is that your system is usually designed for a 95 degree day in South Texas, but the reality is that a majority of our temperatures are below 95 degrees even in the summer.  The loIr temperatures will reduce runtime on your unit allowing it to reach temperature quickly.  Great for the electric bill, right?  Probably so, but not necessarily good for comfort.  When your air conditioner is running it removes humidity as a byproduct of cooling.  As the temperature and humidity go down, the comfort level increases.  Keep in mind that “comfort” is different for everyone.

If the poIr company tells you to run the air conditioner at 80 degrees to save money, you may not be comfortable with that temperature.  You always hear on the Iather report when they talk about the “feels like” temperature.  That is what your body says it feels like based on the temperature and humidity.  72 degrees with 50% humidity will be very much more comfortable than 72 degrees with 65% humidity.  In the spring and the fall I usually see these kinds of problems because I usually aren’t experiencing 95 degree days.  You may see the 72 degrees with 65% humidity.

There are several options available to address both problems.  New air conditioning systems are now available in variable speed.  This means that they have the ability to run at loIr capacity using less energy while increasing runtime to continue dehumidification.  When you couple these systems with the right control, they can even bring on your air conditioner and allow over cooling to reduce the humidity level.  There are stand-alone dehumidifiers that focus only on dehumidification.  Dehumidifiers can sometimes be added to the air conditioning system and controlled by the thermostat.  Some things can even be done with standard systems to extend the dehumidification ability.  They are less effective but usually less costly to implement. High humidity can also affect someone’s allergies.