High Humidity and the "Summer" of 2007
 

         Central Texas has really seen a very unusual summer in 2007.  We have already had more rain than in many a normal year and record low, high temperatures.  The way an air conditioning system works and how it makes your home feel in this unusual summer is different than most past summers.  So, what does this mean to you?  It probably means that in order for your home to feel comfortable you have to turn down the thermostat even more, the house may still feel sticky and your utility bill is going up.  The air conditioning simply can not run enough at the settings you may have used every other summer.

         
         Air conditioning systems remove humidity to cool the air but the thermostat only measures the dry bulb temperature, not the humidity.  The thermostat does not care what the humidity is in the home as long as the temperature setting is satisfied.  If the system is not on it can not remove humidity.  Turning the system thermostat setting down may lower the humidity some but it will probably get the house too cold.  What can you do to make the house more comfortable without freezing the occupants and running up the utility bill?

          
          First, make sure your doors and windows are closed and the weather stripping is in good condition.  Make sure the fireplace damper is closed.  Keep your filters in your dryer clean so moist air from the dryer has no problem going outside.  If you can easily get to the damper on the dryer outside make sure it opens and closes easily.  Run the exhaust fan in bathrooms and utility rooms when moisture is being created.  Sometimes after showers you may need to run the exhaust fan for 30 or more minutes after the water is off.  If you have a vented stove hood run your stove hood when cooking so you can pull the steam out of the house.  If you have an older home have your duct system checked for leakage and your system maintenance done for peak operation.  Older duct systems leak more and you could be pulling in excessive outside air (no duct system is 100% air tight).  If you are a City of Austin (Austin Energy) customer rebate programs exist to help upgrade duct systems, equipment and other items that contribute to higher electrical and gas consumption.  Stan’s is a registered participant in those programs and would be happy to help you determine if you need help in those areas.

            
          If you have reviewed the suggestions above and have determined that the home is still too humid what else can you do as a homeowner?  Stan’s recommends to homeowners along the Highland Lakes that the high humidity that comes with Lakeside living can be reduced with the addition of an optional dehumidifier to the home.  Depending on the number of systems and the size of the home more than one may be required.  This summer we have expanded that recommendation to all of Central Texas.  The normal opening and closing of doors in this high humidity is letting in unacceptable levels of humidity and creating situations where the supply registers that bring cold air to a room are hitting dewpoint and causing condensation on the face of the cold grille.  There is nothing wrong with the system but too much outside moist air combined with the cold system temperature causes condensation.  It is just like a glass of ice water that sweats on the outside when it hits dewpoint or the frame of an aluminum window causing puddles on the window sill when the first cold front of winter hits your home after a mild fall. 

       
          We would suggest you add an Aprilaire dehumidifier to your central system.  The Aprilaire 1700 (or larger 1720) has a control that measures wet bulb temperature and only operates to control wet bulb.  Unlike the central air conditioner it will not get the house colder and colder to try to reach the goal of lower humidity.  According to Aprilaire literature running their dehumidifier in conjunction with the central system can lower your total utility bill when you raise the central system thermostat.  The home will absolutely feel colder when the humidity drops regardless of any change to the central system thermostat.  It removes much more humidity in a larger area than portable dehumidifiers and operates on the entire area served by the system.  Portable dehumidifiers will help, especially with proper placement, but they can not do what a dehumidifier tied to a central system can accomplish.  Not all systems will accept, because of space considerations, a dehumidifier tied to a central system.  To read more about the Aprilaire dehumidifier please click here or look under the Product tab on our website.  Go to Product, Aprilaire and dehumidifier.  You can read about the job done by Aprilaire.  If you would like a quote to have an Aprilaire dehumidifier installed in your homes or office give us a call.  We appreciate your business and consideration.

Stan Johnson