Does Air Conditioning Dehumidify

Being a homeowner comes with many responsibilities. Ensuring that everything in your home is working properly becomes a daily chore. Going too many days without knowing what is working and what is not working could end up costing you a lot of money in repairs. Create a checklist to check and maintain all of the systems in your home. Also, get an understanding of what each system does. For example, can your air conditioner work effectively if your home has high humidity? Does air conditioning dehumidify? Yes, it can remove moisture from the air as it sucks in air and cools it for your home.

Let’s take a look below to see more details regarding dehumidifying your home.

What Does It Mean To Dehumidify

The term dehumidifies simply means to remove moisture from the air. Your air conditioner acts as a dehumidifier for some period of time. However, it does not completely remove all moisture from the air in your home. It is likely that you will need to invest in a dehumidifier unit in order to completely dry the air in your home.

Indoor air quality is predicated on your central air conditioner’s ability to reduce humidity levels in your home. The ac unit works to remove excess moisture by dehumidifying the air and blowing the warm air out of the outside air conditioning unit. The best way to remove water vapor is to run your air conditioner at a temperature that is consistent with the outdoor air. In some places, it might be difficult for your air conditioning system to remove the excessive amount of moisture.

Outside air handler pushed out hot air that is taken in and dehumidified by your air conditioner.

How Does It Work In An Air Conditioner

When the air conditioner is operating, it will push refrigerant through the pipes in the unit. This is the main component for removing excess heat from your home. Cool air is pushed into each room by the evaporator. The liquid refrigerant is converted into a gas as it passes through the expansion valve. As this occurs, the refrigerant is cooled as it is pushed through the evaporator coils. Fans then push the cool air from the evaporator into your air ducts and into the room. The refrigerant has absorbed the heat from the room and becomes a hot gas. Now, the refrigerant goes into the compressor where it becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure gas. Then the gas passes through the condenser coils and the heat that was absorbed by the refrigerant is now blown out through the outside unit.

Other Recommended Maintenance

Now that you understand how an air conditioner can become a dehumidifier, it might be a good idea to learn about how it could build up a smell. Musty smells in a home are caused by a few items. One of them could be your air conditioning. Make sure to read up on how to remove a musty smell from your air conditioner, before assuming you have a mold or mildew problem.

Next, get to know your home insurance. You might be surprised to learn what your home insurance does and does not cover. You might need your insurance one day if you have a major disaster. Keep in mind that your homeowner’s insurance will likely only cover your HVAC system if it is damaged by a major disaster.

Lastly, if you notice that your air conditioner is not operating as a dehumidifier as it should, have it checked. In some cases, a simple fix such as replacing the thermostat might be in order. Get to know the signs of a bad thermostat. This allows you to troubleshoot your system and have answers for your ac repair technician when you call them for an appointment.

The thermostat is the main control for whether or not your air conditioner can properly dehumidify.

When Do I Call A Professional

When it comes to anything related to your HVAC you will need to call a professional HVAC service technician. The HVAC system is not something that a homeowner can repair on their own. In fact, the main parts that a homeowner can do is replace the filter(s) or help clean the condensate line. Aside from those two areas of maintenance, the HVAC must be serviced by a professional. If you are having concerns about your HVAC, call on your local HVAC technician to service the system. Also, consider calling on your local home inspection team. They can inspect your system to ensure that it is working properly while doing a full home inspection. Additionally, they can refer a reputable HVAC system service technician.

Conclusion

Hiring a professional HVAC service technician is imperative if you want to keep your air conditioner working as a dehumidifier in your home. Also, maintaining the air conditioning unit twice a year is highly recommended. Saving money should be the priority for any homeowner and conducting proper maintenance is key. When it comes to dehumidifying your home, you can always assist your air conditioner with a stand-alone dehumidifying unit. Call on your local home inspection team to have your air conditioner inspected to ensure all of its parts are working efficiently. Reach out to Heartland Inspections services in greater Minneapolis St. Paul and surrounding areas for your home inspection needs.