The blower will automatically run at different speeds, giving you the benefits of lower electrical bills and increased comfort. So in one sentence, the difference between dehumidifier and air conditioner is that the dehumidifier decrease the humidity level by drying the air making it warmer and air conditioner similarly removes humidity by cooling the air. It is important to remember that you should never use the "fan" mode for a central air conditioning unit the same way you use a regular room fan. An air conditioner that’s only capable of running at one speed— basically, on or off—can have the same problems as one that’s too large when it comes to HVAC humidity control. Homesense was by far the most professional, respectful and seasoned HVAC company I have ever worked with. Talk to your AC professional to see if this might work for you. Your furnace filter will clog up quicker (even though that means it’s working), but you will have to adjust your filter more frequently. Related article: New York HVAC Systems: 8 Reasons Bigger is Not Always Better. It’s just one more reason (beyond comfort) to keep humidity between about 40 and 60 percent for most spaces. Here’s a resource that can help you decide: Repair or Replace? When the temperature reaches 77ºF, the a/c will still kick on and cool and reduce the humidity. You may think you’re getting rid of more humidity by using your thermostat’s FAN ON setting. By running your ventilation fans while you are showering and cooking, you can help reduce humidity at the source and let your air conditioner worry about the natural humidity that’s already present in your home. Air conditioners cool homes by removing heat and moisture from the air. Use fans and air conditioning to stay cool. Running the fan for a long period of time with any system (central air or window box) will also increase the humidity in the room. Then it turns off until the temperature once again goes above the thermostat threshold. Up north that may work, circulating warm dry air. Get a preventative maintenance planCleaning only the coils may not be enough to restore performance and better HVAC humidity control if the rest of the system hasn’t been properly maintained. When it is warm, and you are looking for an effective yet inexpensive way to … The increased circulation of air will do wonders for reducing humidity and evenly distributing the cooler air from your air conditioner. This results in healthier indoor air … Doing so keeps it running as efficiently as possible to provide better HVAC humidity control. Setting your fan to AUTO instead of ON better dehumidifies your home. Since the basement is cool already, decide whether you want the basement as part of your AC … By keeping your fan on in the winter, you may feel cold air coming out of your vents. I believe I had mistaken the low stage cooling mode for the fan being stuck on. Improve Air Quality. Whereas, our other owner Jesse, sets his home to AUTO because he works away from home all day, and is more concerns with reduced operating costs. A guide to making an informed choice when your HVAC system is down. Related article: 8 Ways AC Preventative Maintenance Keeps the Repairman Away. Courteous. A guide to making an informed choice when your HVAC system is down, 8 Ways AC Preventative Maintenance Keeps the Repairman Away, COVID-19 & Your HVAC System: Your Questions Answered, COVID Prevention & Air Quality Technology Shown 99.9% Effective, Is HVAC Maintenance Really Worth It? Although the air temperature will be similar to the space temperature, your house will feel cold. Fix Any Leaking Pipes. You can end up blowing the moisture your AC has removed back into the space before it has a chance to drain away. It’s not uncommon for an air-conditioned home to still feel humid at times; this comes down to the thermostats setting. That often means the unit doesn’t run consistently enough to remove humidity. When you set your fan to “ON,” you’re telling it to keep running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of the heating or cooling setting. If you cannot stay cool, seek shelter elsewhere. “Should I set my HVAC fan to auto or on” is a question we commonly receive from Homesense customers — along with “does running the fan on my air conditioner use a lot of electricity?” It’s a debated topic throughout the industry, so we’re going to give you the pros, the cons, and our recommendation. On the dry setting, the air conditioner will be working to remove the uncomfortable humidity and not trying to cool the air as much. The cooling effect of the air conditioner is the main reason these machines are used. If set to “on,” one may still have high humidity levels even if temperatures are lowering. That can happen, for example, in a restaurant with a powerful kitchen exhaust system. Clean the coilsThis is the easiest thing to try first for getting better HVAC humidity control from your older system. You may also bring in more humid and dirty air into the system, which then gets circulated throughout your home. This is how your AC unit works. Unmatched Integrity | Homesense Heating | Cooling – Indianapolis HVAC, Furnace Repair | Air Conditioning Service | Furnace Installation, Homesense Heating and Cooling – Indianapolis HVAC Repair Installation | Unmatched Integrity | Homesense Heating | Cooling – Indianapolis HVAC, Furnace Repair | Air Conditioning Service | Furnace Installation. In this article, we examine the issues caused by changing humidity levels when running air conditioning units. When your evaporator coil (indoor) is covered in dust and dirt, it can't remove … Controlling humidity indoors is now more important than ever due to COVID, because the virus thrives in both very high and very low humidity conditions. As a result, the AC does not operate as efficiently and may have more trouble removing humidity from the air inside. Fortunately, modern technology provides us with a convenient method to reduce humidity - the air conditioner. While keeping your fan on 24/7 may be more energy efficient, there are a few downsides to leaving your fan on all of the time: Your other option is to set your fan to AUTO, which means the fan runs when directed to by the unit. Switch on Ceiling Fans. The moist air is then blown into the room by the fan so that you can enjoy a cooler environment. Bathrooms and kitchens are two rooms that can produce a lot of excess humidity. You guessed it, all that muggy air is being drawn into the building. I made a post on here a few months back asking if it was normal for my blower to be running non stop even with the t-stat fan control set to auto. If you have a split system AC, you actually have two fans in your AC unit: one fan for your outdoor unit and one fan for your indoor unit. It’s an ages-old debate: does it do any good to run your blower fan in your home without turning on the air conditioner itself? Wouldn’t a bigger system be able to provide better HVAC humidity control as well as cooling? Isn’t air conditioning supposed to remove humidity? Better dehumidification. The fan’s “AUTO” setting works with your heating + cooling system, so your fan is running the least amount of time needed, at the slowest speed. Thank you for a good explanation on humidity and AC’s! But until it does, the fan is blowing humid air throughout the house. Reduce the smoke that enters your home. The fact is, an oversized AC system does a poor job of controlling both temperature and humidity. How Humidity Affects Air Conditioning. ON—This setting runs your fan constantly, even when your AC isn’t actively producing cool air. This is one of the most effective ways to increase humidity in any part of your house. And the culprit is likely humidity. 4. This can cause problems with your thermostat and overall HVAC system. When the fan is set to On, it blows continuously, circulating and filtering air regardless of whether the air conditioner is in cooling mode. When it’s time for a new AC system, think about investing in a modulating HVAC system such as a VRF system. This option is much more cost effective, because you are using less energy. Positive customer relationships and experiences are the cornerstone of their business. So why is yours not doing the job? Keep Plants. At Homesense owner Brian’s home, he has it set ON all day because he has young children that are home and he has allergies, so the improved comfort and air quality are benefits that outweigh the costs. Although the air temperature will be similar to the space temperature, your house will feel cold. Add a dehumidifier. Latent heat, think heat gain related to moisture in the air… Humidity; Air conditioners remove both types of heat, but not equally. Your AC size needs to be carefully calculated using a load calculation process. That’s how many homes and businesses end up with oversized units that provide poor HVAC humidity control. Then we’ll tell you 4 ways you can get an older unit to remove more moisture so your space doesn’t feel like a tropical jungle. Therefore, you may end up running your AC even more, to counterbalance the extra heat. We call this the sensible heat ratio (SHR). Leaving the fan on 24/7 ensures cleaner air, as the air is pulled through the filtration or UV light system. A well-functioning air conditioner essential acts as a dehumidifier for your home. This seems like a very simple solution, but less than 20% of homes in the United … AUTO—This setting runs your fan only when your AC is blowing cold air. When you invest in a preventative maintenance plan for your air conditioner, you get a regular inspection, tune-up and cleaning of system components. An AC thermostat fan typically has two settings: On and Auto. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night sweating with the A/C running? As your air conditioner ages, parts wear and it may not run as efficiently as it used to. First of all, when we talk about AC size, it’s about cooling capacity, not the physical size of the unit. While it may make sense since it helps to circulate air and keep things from getting stuffy, it may actually be costing you more money in the end. When you switch on your system at the beginning of the summer season, knowing how humidity affects the air is a great way to both keep your interiors comfortable and keep your air conditioning unit running smoothly for years to come. Related article: 7 Reasons to Choose VRF Technology for Your New Air Conditioning. Summer Humidity Is Scarier Than You Think, Commercial Refrigeration Service & Repair, HVAC Humidity Control: 5 Reasons Your AC Is Ineffective, Controlling humidity indoors is now more important than ever due to COVID, New York HVAC Systems: 8 Reasons Bigger is Not Always Better, 7 Reasons to Choose VRF Technology for Your New Air Conditioning, Repair or Replace? But if one day you notice a musty odor, moist air, or foggy windows, you may have a problem. As your AC unit cools your home, it also removes moisture from the air. Charlie’s Tropic Heating and Air Conditioning offers these tips for using your AC system to reduce indoor humidity: Leave your thermostat fan setting on the auto position. If you have a window air conditioner, close the outdoor air damper. A VRF system can run longer at a lower capacity, so it does a much better job of HVAC humidity control (and providing more consistent temperatures). The fact is, an oversized AC system does a poor job of controlling both temperature and humidity. 3. A common misconception is the idea that your air conditioning unit's only purpose is to continually blow cool air into your home continually until your house has reached the temperature you've set on your thermostat. When the unit can only run at one speed, it turns on and runs full blast until the air reaches set temperature. Keeping the fan on creates a more even distribution of heating and cooling, circulating the air if you have cold or hot spots in your house, like a bedroom above a garage. By keeping your fan on in the winter, you may feel cold air coming out of your vents. Negative air pressure is the result of a poorly designed ventilation system. Anyone who lives in an area that is prone to high temperatures and muggy weather knows that relief is imminent when you have a properly functioning air conditioning … While air conditioners already remove some water vapor from the air, that is not their main job. If you have an efficient filter and a UV light, you are constantly filtering and cleaning the air. Myth: Upgrading to a bigger air conditioner will give you better results. When the fan runs continuously, it picks up the condensed water droplets and circulates them back inside the house. Ask a knowledgeable HVAC professional to recommend a dehumidifier that’s compatible with your air conditioning system. When humidity levels are excessive, they need to work a lot harder. After our first call, we never looked back. I have fresh new air filter, the AC is about 25 years old and it blows cold but still muggy. However, as you know, thanks to humidity the actual temperature and the … 2. At this point, you may be facing a repair or replace decision. If you’re not quite ready to replace your air conditioner yet, you can try these measures to boost your system’s ability to fight that indoor mugginess. But in south Florida, it circulates warm moist air, which can spawn mold growth. If your AC was chosen and installed by a builder rather than a qualified HVAC company, there’s a good chance that it was done incorrectly. That’s because the powerful compressor turns on and off frequently, so the system never runs long enough to remove humidity from the air. I believe trust is the foundation of a refreshingly different customer experience. Air Conditioner Vent • Does running the fan on my air conditioner reduce humidity? Seal Leaks – Leaking seals around your windows and doors can make your home more humid! To better understand how a fan affects indoor humidity, let’s first look at what the AC fan does and where it’s located. You will notice that the dry setting will cause the air conditioning unit to cycle more often and the fan speed will be noticeably lower as well. 1. If you’re sweating your way through another muggy August, read on to learn more about HVAC humidity control and why your AC might not be up to the task. Responsive. If you have any other questions about your HVAC fan, send us a tweet! That can result in more moisture removal and better HVAC humidity control. A dehumidifier removes excess moisture from the air before it travels through your ductwork and into your space. In addition to inconsistent temperatures and inadequate cooling, you’ll start to notice poor HVAC humidity control. If the equipment doesn’t have sufficient cooling capacity, it may be unable to cope with extreme humidity. There are a few positives to this feature. That’s because the powerful compressor turns on and off frequently, so the system never runs long enough to remove humidity from the air. Actually, all the air conditioners have temperature sensor, but most of them do not have one for humidity. Humid air outdoors is rough on your AC’s condenser coils, and they can get grimy in a hurry. So, their working process depends entirely on the measured temperature at home. Professional. Running the fan continuously makes the humidity worse and your home less comfortable. Your air conditioner's fan operates independently from the cooling unit, circulating air throughout your home. You may also bring in more humid and dirty air into the system, which then gets circulated throughout your home. It is a must in order to get through the high temperature days where a fan just won’t cut it. I am running a dedicated dehumidifier and it mad the humidity higher at 42%. This can be better for people with allergies. In a nutshell, it means that you are venting too much air from the space. My air conditioner is not getting the humidity lower than 40% and that’s with the outside humidity around 10%. The last thing you want to do when you’re trying to reduce indoor humidity is … The average unit has a 500 watt fan, which uses almost as much energy over the course of the year as a refrigerator, resulting in a $50/month bill. Another plus: you’ll notice lower energy bills as well. How To Fix – Fixing the problem is as simple as changing the thermostat setting to … Hot air can hold a lot more humidity, so on a hot day, outside air that is below 50% relative humidity enters your cold basement and becomes air that is over 50% relative humidity. If you’re not an HVAC expert, it may seem counter-intuitive to say that your air conditioner is too big to do the job effectively. Unfortunately, the answer is no. That’s not the only part that people misunderstand about AC size. While it is true that your air conditioner blows cool air into your home, it is also multi-tasking and removing warm air and humidity. Therefore, you may end up running your AC even more, to counterbalance the extra heat. That tendency is increased when the system hasn’t been regularly maintained. PRO TIP: Many newer thermostats will have a variable speed blower or “circulate” option, that allows you to set the fan on for a certain amount of time every hour. When you use this setting, the fan runs continuously even when the AC is not running. Think of how a glass of ice water beads up and “sweats” when you place it in the sun. By running the furnace fan all the time, you are also running air through your furnace filter constantly. Changes to your ventilation system design may be needed to correct this issue. … We’d love to hear from you. Ever since we have been having excessive humidity issues. You may feel a less even distribution of heating and cooling, because once the thermostat is satisfied, the fan stops moving air to other spaces in the home. Just three words I would use to describe my experience with Homesense. During all this, the cool, moist air is saturating the air, which increases the humidity level. Unfortunately, the answer is no. As summer stretches into … Why? Before & After Photos Tell All, HVAC System Cleaning: Banish These 5 Nasty Things From Your AC, Prevent Airborne Illness: Maintain Your Commercial HVAC Systems, The Inside Scoop on the Central Air Humidifier. You may actually need to install a smaller capacity AC system to fix this problem. This is possible only for certain types of AC systems, and it does carry some risk of ending up with a frozen evaporator coil. There is a reason you see so many ceiling fans all over the south! More frequent starts and stops will make the fan wear out faster. Add a dehumidifier to your systemIf all else fails, and you’re not ready for a complete new air conditioner, you can add a dehumidifier to your air conditioning system for better HVAC humidity control. 2201 E. 46th St. Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN 46205, Homesense Heating and Cooling – Indianapolis HVAC Repair Installation | Central air conditioners do a good job at the sensible removal; 70-80%+ , but only 20-30% of latent removal. To make sure your AC unit is running as efficiently as possible, perform routine maintenance on it … Get tune-ups and change your filter. Instead, it blows back into your house, and, as a result, your AC then has to work ever harder to suck that extra moisture out of the air. It could cost you hundreds of dollars a year. Read on to learn more. Your AC size needs to be carefully calculated using a load calculation process. There was a certain confidence and professional casualness about Homesense that made me feel both comfortable and happy with every step of the process. But you’re making the humidity conditions worse. For example, whenever someone opens an outside door, a gust of wind seems to enter the room. Your tech will also be able to spot and fix impending problems before they worsen and cause the system to fail completely. All you need is a working air conditioning system and a little know-how. Most systems offer two fan settings: On and Auto . A little back story: had a dead blower, motor replaced. Proper Thermostat Settings. Eventually, the process is no longer going to be effective because the air in the room has reached max – 100% – humidity. Adjust the airflowIt’s sometimes possible for a qualified HVAC technician to adjust your system’s air flow in a way that makes the evaporator coil colder when humidity levels increase. I'm a fan of spectacular - Homesense is changing how the Indianapolis community views HVAC companies. A Love Affair. If you have an HVAC system with a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode, or close the outdoor intake damper. Can some system tweaks be enough to restore adequate performance, or is it time to bite the bullet and invest in a new one? Here are the pros and cons to this approach: When keeping your air conditioner fan on or auto, there’s no boilerplate recommendation that we make to home owners, because everyone has different needs. Less frequent starts and stops of the fan can reduce the stress from startup, and potentially help extend it’s lifespan. Our team goes the extra mile to deliver it every day. Keep your coil clean. So what happens when the relative humidity outside gets into the 70’s, 80’s and above? That’s especially true at times when the temperature isn’t too high, but the air is very humid. Hence, the humidity is almost the status quo. Outside air is also drawn in through every little opening in the building. If the problem is bad enough, your AC may not be able to keep up, and HVAC humidity control is compromised. Excessive indoor humidity could be the culprit. Running the 300-watt fan continuously in the “on” position will increase your monthly energy bill. When the fan is running 24/7, that moisture doesn’t have a chance to drip outside. When you have negative pressure, the air tries to balance itself by drawing in more outside air any way that it can. In between cooling cycles, the fan shuts off. As a result, the home may never feel truly comfortable. ----- Our mission is informing people properly. When your fan is on “AUTO,” moisture is able to drip from the cold cooling coils and drain outside. That layer of dirt and debris hurts the unit’s ability to release heat. The fan does move air even without the AC running, so you might feel like you’re getting some cooling benefit. During the summer months, the ducts in your attic and close to your walls can fill with warm air, resulting in the fan blowing hot air into your house. Run the AC.