Here in Texas, we’re no strangers to humidity. It can be seriously oppressive, and there’s nothing more satisfying than the refuge of a crisp, cold house during these hot, steamy, summer months.
However, a lot of us tend to find ourselves in the same predicament: our houses are feeling more like saunas.
What’s so bad about a humid house?
Apart from the fact that it can be quite uncomfortable, a chronically humid house can cause a host of issues. This can include things like sprouting mold problems and, if severe, can even cause wood rot. With a regularly moist space, mold is able to flourish and spread quickly and easily. Moisture can also seep into the wood, slowly causing it to rot, which can lead to dangerous situations in the integrity of your home, as well as costly repairs–all because of humidity.
Likewise, excessive humidity can become a problem for your health. Studies have found that too much humidity can up the number of airborne bacteria and fungus in the air, which can cause some serious internal issues. Too much humidity can also cause acne breakouts in those prone to acne, as well as cause respiratory issues in those already prone to issues, like those with asthma or COPD. The high humidity can make it even more difficult to breathe, as moisture can increase the amount of resistance in the airways that sensitive populations already struggle with.
Why is it humid?
Excessive humidity can be in your home for a number of reasons:
Geography. If your home is near water, like a beach or lake, you can bet that your home with naturally collect more humidity than one that’s not near water. However, a well-functioning HVAC system should be able to stand up to the job.
Too many people. If your space is small and overcrowded, your HVAC system may not be able to keep up with the number of warm bodies in the area. This can lead to more humidity as the system works overtime to cool down the space.
Cooking. Without good ventilation, cooking inside can inject a ton of humidity into the air. All the water evaporating from the food goes straight into the air and must be filtered out by the HVAC system. Using a ventilator hood is a good fix for this issue.
Poor air conditioning. This is the biggest culprit of them all. All of the above issues, ideally, should be quickly taken care of with a well-functioning HVAC system.
Your HVAC system
One of the main jobs that an HVAC system has is to dehumidify a home. Although there are plenty of reasons why your home is humid, it should never become a point of pain if your HVAC system is working properly.
Ideally, your HVAC system brings in warm, humid air and blows out dehumidified, cool air. When the system brings in the humid air, it passes through the evaporator coils which should do just that–evaporate! Using liquid refrigerant, the coils cool down the air and put it back into your home, while moving away all the liquid it’s extracted.
Why isn’t the A/C working properly?
The HVAC system may not be dehumidifying for a number of reasons–all of which eventually lead to the problem of frozen evaporator coils. Things like dirty air filters and clogged systems can cause cold air to stagnate in the machine, causing the evaporator coils to freeze up entirely, thus hindering their ability to dehumidify and cool the air being brought in.
Typically, easy precautions can be taken the avoid the freezing up of evaporator coils. These include regularly changing your air filter to avoid dust buildup, which can cause your evaporator coils to freeze, as well as making sure that your A/C has nothing that can obstruct its airflow.
Call us
Have issues with high humidity in your home? Call us here at Tri-Point Refrigeration to schedule one of our experienced technicians to take a look at your system. You and your equipment’s health and efficiency are important to us. Maintaining your HVAC system saves you headaches and cash, and putting your unit on a regular schedule with us here at Tri-Point can help ensure that you, your home, and your family stay comfortable. We’re happy to hear from you and are excited to help you along the way.
For a direct line to any of our employees ready on the line to help you, please call…(512) 651-4565 for our Austin, Texas community (806) 686-0050 for our Lubbock, Texas community. Or check out our website at https://www.tripointrefrigeration.com
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