Remove Excess Humidity With Mini-Split Ductless Air Conditioning Systems
In this article, we will be discussing ductless air conditioning systems. We will explain the differences between these and other HVAC systems and why they offer the perfect alternative home cooling systems. We will also be discussing the energy efficiency of these units and how they can create a comfortable indoor climate.
Our discussion will also include how humidity is the enemy of indoor comfort. We will cover how ductless air conditioning systems help to control your home’s indoor humidity. You will also learn why unchecked humidity levels are dangerous to your health.
What Is Ductless Air Conditioning?
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Ductless mini-split air conditioners are unlike other HVAC systems because they do not use ductwork to deliver treated air to every room of your home. Additionally, they are nothing like window air conditioners that sit in an open window. The placement of a window unit obstructs the view while making it much easier for intruders to gain access to your home.
It takes little to install ductless systems since a tiny hole in the wall is required to connect the indoor unit to the outdoor unit. This small hole allows the conduit, which contains the air tubing and electrical line, to be attached. The tubing delivers the cooled air from the compressor/condenser to the unit indoors. Ductless installation is much easier since there is no ductwork.
Placement & Installation Of Ductless Air Conditioners
The flexibility of ductless air conditioners allows them to be used anywhere in your home. In other words, you can install them in any living space where extra cooling is necessary. You can even install them in room additions instead of adding ductwork, which can be expensive as well as difficult to accomplish. Also, you can use ductless systems in place of other cooling systems.
It is not necessary to invest in separate AC system condensers when using ductless air conditioners to cool multiple rooms. An HVAC contractor can attach a single outdoor unit to several indoor units to properly maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.
There are several situations in which traditional air conditioning units are not the best choice. Instead, a ductless AC system is the more logical choice. For instance, you can install them in freestanding workshops, garages, and other buildings that do not connect to your house. This makes it unnecessary to add ductwork to these structures to accommodate another type of HVAC system. Transforming these structures into appropriate working or living spaces is as simple as that. Also, they work well as supplementary AC systems. With a ductless air conditioner, you can cool rooms or zones that are in use, rather than cooling the entire home.
Homeowners who have ever had a room addition know that these are highly involved projects, and they come at no small expense. Often, when adding more rooms to the home, it is necessary to include air conditioning units to the new plans. This might involve replacing the entire home air conditioning system with one that will cover the larger space. However, the easiest solution would be to add a ductless heat pump to the extra space.
High Humidity Problems In Residential Homes
Maybe you have noticed an odd odor in your home. Maybe, you notice that the windows fog up. Then again, you may have experienced drops of sweat on you even when you are not active. The worst-case scenario with too much humidity is the appearance of mold accumulating on the shower or other places of the home. This happens at times of high humidity.
It can definitely be uncomfortable having the overwhelming presence of moisture in the air. However, more important than your comfort is the health effects it has on your family. Essentially, too much humidity can cause health problems. This is especially concerning when it comes to people with lung or respiratory problems. Those with COPD and other lung conditions don’t do well in high humidity. Excess moisture in the air can also cause bacteria and mold to grow, and that also contributes to breathing problems and allergies.
Along with health issues caused by high humidity is the condensation that builds up on windows blocking the view. Excess humidity, over time, also causes home damage, including peeling paint and wood damage. Repairing these issues is annoying and expensive. However, when it involves your family’s health, the situation is much more severe. Keeping your family’s indoor environment healthy is one of the most important elements of homeownership.
Common Causes For High Humidity Levels
The following are some ways humidity levels can increase in your home.
Shower
Whenever you shower, the warm water vaporizes, and the air absorbs it. You have probably noticed this as droplets collect on the mirror and other cooler surfaces. The instant you open the bathroom door, the humidity follows you out of the door where it collects on other surfaces such as condensation on windows, among other places. You might even see it on the walls and ceiling. Moist walls and ceilings begin to grow bacteria and mold.
Boiling Water From Cooking
You may have noticed this same effect while boiling water in a kettle or pot. Again, that water vaporizes into the air. Of course, you will still need to cook for your family. Nevertheless, it is important that you understand how extra moisture accumulates in your home. This humidity makes it uncomfortable, among other things.
Gas Heat
One of the byproducts of using gas as the fuel source for heating your home is water vapor. There’s not much danger of high humidity in your home if there is a flue to vent pollutants from the combustion of gas out. However, some gas heater models are not vented which means that the water vapor will certainly be released into the air along with other pollutants. This reduces your home’s indoor air quality.
Not Enough Ventilation
The intended purpose of a home’s ventilation system is to send the extra humidity out of the home and into the outdoor environment. Nonetheless, inadequate ventilation cannot handle this problem effectively. This means that humidity will build up as well as other pollutants. The worst part of this is that the family can get sick when allergies and respiratory disorders are aggravated.
Location
Coastline living and other areas provide an added opportunity for the oversaturation of indoor humidity. Of course, there is nothing anyone can do about preventing excessive outdoor humidity. However, we can do something about indoor air quality. Improving your home’s air quality should be one of the most important things on your mind, but that does not mean you have to move.
Improving Indoor Air Quality With Air Conditioning Systems
Reducing the amount of humidity at home will create a healthier and more comfortable environment for you and your family.
The majority of people think that air conditioners maintain comfortable conditions inside the home because they cool the air. While this is certainly part of it, there is much more that they do. AC units filter out pollutants and moisture also. The indoor air quality will certainly improve when an air conditioning system removes contaminants like bacteria and mold.
HVAC Air Filters
Another way an air conditioning system can improve indoor air quality is via their air filtration system. However, it is vital to clean or replace the air filters in the unit regularly. Completely cleaning or replacing the filters with new ones will remove the particles that have become trapped within the fibers. A clean filter makes it easier for the air to move through the vents, which in turn improves the energy efficiency of the system.
Air Conditioner Size
One way you can improve the comfort of your home and the unit’s energy efficiency is to choose the right size of air conditioning system. Size is important, especially for air conditioners. Choosing an air conditioning system that is too large or too small will create discomfort and high energy costs.
For example, an AC unit that is too small will constantly run. This issue adds up to higher energy bills. One that is too large will cycle on and off frequently, consuming more energy as well. Also, it will not cycle for long enough to remove the humidity in your home. Your home will feel cool, but humid.
Furthermore, the best indoor air quality is produced by AC systems that have higher SEER ratings because they maintain great airflow. Those with variable speed modes are capable of maintaining a constant temperature throughout the home while eliminating excess humidity.
When you choose the right home air conditioning system, it will serve the family’s needs for several years to come.
Removing Home Humidity With A Ductless Cooling System
Your home is affected in numerous ways when the humidity levels are high. It can be harder for people with lung problems to breathe. However, even the average person cannot breathe in muggy conditions. We can feel uncomfortably sticky. It is even harder to get or stay cool even with the air conditioner blowing cold air.
We are more comfortable when excess humidity is removed from our homes. There is no need to have the air conditioner set lower to keep us cool. Instead, an air conditioner should do its job of keeping your home at a comfortable temperature and removing excess humidity. The lower the humidity, the less likely it is that mold and bacteria can get a foothold. Families with respiratory issues and allergies will remain healthier and more comfortable as well.
Ductless Air Conditioners Offer A Dry Mode
When you compare ductless cooling systems with traditional air conditioners, you can see that mini-split systems remove humidity more effectively. Also, they are just more efficient to operate. It can remove moisture from the air with more flexibility than other types of cooling systems. Ductless air conditioners offer a “dry mode” which operates separately from the cooling mode. You will not find this option on other air conditioning systems.
Warm air is moved over a coil filled with coolant in a mini-split ductless system. This coolant absorbs heat from the air and dramatically reduces its temperature. Moisture is not as concentrated in cool air. This is most obvious during the wintertime when the air is drier. As the moisture is cooled on the coil, it condenses and flows out of the unit through a drain. The drier air then returns to the room.
Mini-split systems have a “dry mode,” as we mentioned previously. While the unit is in this mode, the air moves more slowly, allowing it to remain on the coil longer. That means it can remove more moisture from the air. Even though this setting continues to cool the environment indoors, it will not get too cold like it does when the thermostat is set lower on conventional AC units.
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Call Townsend Energy Service For All Your Home Comfort Needs
Keeping the family as comfortable as possible should be the goal of every homeowner. By conditioning the air, we create a more favorable environment in which to live. Choosing the best air conditioning system to remove excess humidity is the best way of doing this.
When searching for quality air conditioning, don’t fail to take a closer look at ductless air conditioners.
When you want reliable HVAC services and solutions, call Townsend Energy. Our expert team of NATE-certified techs can work with all heating and cooling system brands and models, as well as ductless heat pumps from Fujitsu. We offer superior services that are affordable, reliable, and fast. We specialize in the provision of HVAC replacements, maintenance, tune-ups, and repairs. Get in touch with Townsend Energy today for your free, in-home estimate.
Contact us now at (800) 722-4101 to find out more!