For a while, I lived in Santa Rosa, San Francisco with my family. As you know, Santa Rosa is very close to the sea and you can basically call it a coastal area, weather-wise. This one time, a friend of mine came to visit me from Kansas. He was a high college friend of mine so I wanted to catch up with him. I decided to take him to the shore. So, while we were talking, he remarked how uncomfortable he felt there. He was sweating a bit because it was summer and we were walking under the sun at noon. But after he complained, I realized that he is not supposed to be uncomfortable cause Kansas is much hotter than here. Then it hit me – it was the humidity. As the humidity level in the seashore tends to be a lot higher, we feel sweaty and uncomfortable.

We often forget that sweating is not a result of temperature only. The humidity level also affects how much we sweat or how uncomfortable we feel. That’s why sometimes we can’t think but wonder why does it feel hotter even though we just turned down the temperature 4-5 degrees. We forget that controlling the temperature using our HVAC system is not enough. We need to adjust or control the humidity level using our air conditioning units to ensure the maximum comfort in our home. But this is not something you would do manually. You cannot increase or decrease the humidity level with an AC remote instantly, you will need to wait and let the HVAC system in your house do it gradually.

How An HVAC System Controls The Humidity Level Of Your House?

Most of the modern HVAC systems like Trane systems, Carrier systems, GoodMan systems, etc. are equipped with the technology to control the humidity in a room. These HVAC systems have the evaporator coils and these coils condense the water vapor that it collects from the air. This phenomenon is very common in our day to day life. It works the same way as a glass of cold water collects water droplets.

So, the moist air in the controlled environment comes in contact with the chilled evaporator coils. Then the water vapor is condensed and made liquid. The condensed liquid is then collected in a pipeline that connects to a drain. The collected liquid is drained out there. This way, the evaporator collects the vapor, turns the vapor into water and makes the house less humid. But this process takes some time. It’s not like switching a light on or off. However, if you have a humidifier or dehumidifier in your house, you will have better control over the humidity level.

Note that if you have an old HVAC system then you might find it difficult to regulate the humidity level.

Can All HVAC System Regulate The Humidity Level Efficiently?

Whether or not the HVAC system in your house will be able to regulate the humidity level efficiently depends on the size of the window of your HVAC system. If your HVAC system, more specifically your air conditioner is not the right size for your home or room, it will not do its job properly which is controlling the humidity level and temperature. That’s why a small unit that was meant to be set up in a small room or home library won’t be sufficient for the living room or your master bedroom.

Your air conditioner will only be efficient at controlling the humidity level in the house if the size is capable of doing the right amount of work needed. Also, if you have a central air conditioner system in your house, it needs to have enough power that can move the cool air through space. A professional HVAC specialist can give you the exact size of the HVAC system that will be capable of efficiently controlling the humidity level after inspecting your house and your neighborhood climate.

Remember, it is important to ensure the air conditioner is neither too big nor too small. If it is too small, your HVAC system won’t be able to provide the comfort you are looking for and you might think that you need to call the AC repair guys. Then again, if the HVAC system is too large for space or room, the heating and cooling system will tend to the shorter cycles. In this situation, the compressor would not be able to run the duration that is needed to dehumidify the entire controlled space. In this certain situation, you might even need to call for an AC services & repair company.

Do I Need To Adjust The Humidity Level In My House?

The short answer is YES.

Let me remind you why.

The first reason is – without the proper humidity level, you and your guests will feel uncomfortable. In summer, you will sweat more and in winter, your home will be colder – the discomfort is imminent.

Also, if the humidity is not at a comfortable level and if the air duct cleaning is not done frequently, there are high chances of the growth of molds in duct. Unless you hire AC maintenance & repair company for mold removal, these molds will pose a threat to your health, especially to children. Apart from these molds, a humid environment can accelerate the growth of any harmful germ. So, there is no way you should take the humidity level in your home lightly.

The Summary

Let’s sum it up.

To ensure you have a controlled humidity level in your home, you need to make sure your central ac unit or any other HVAC system is equipped with the features. Then you need to ensure you are getting the right size for your home. If you have done both of them, now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the cozy environment in your house.