What Extra Work Does an Air Conditioner Do in a Humid Climate?

Humidity

• Humidity is a measure of the evaporated water content in the air. When humidity rises, we perceive the temperature as being hotter in part because our bodies cool themselves by way of evaporative cooling. Sweat beads up on our skin and is evaporated in to the air, taking body heat with it. When the air is already filled with water condensate, meaning the humidity is high, this evaporation process takes significantly longer and we feel hotter.

Dehumidifying

• In a humid climate, an air conditioner has to run longer to reduce the indoor humidity to a comfortable level. Most modern air conditioners have thermostats that run the air conditioner when the temperature is above a certain threshold, or the humidity is above a certain percentage level. In humid climates, air conditioners need to cycle back on sooner, as the indoor humidity rises above the percentage threshold more rapidly.

Dumping Heat

• The portion of your air conditioner that is outside your home contains Freon coils that are designed to release heat from inside the home. In a humid climate, this is made significantly more difficult as humid air is less able to absorb heat. This means the air conditioner has to cycle the Freon through the coils more times than it would if the humidity was lower.

Energy Consumption

• When an air conditioner is made to run more frequently, and for more hours in the day, there is going to be an increase in energy usage. Even energy efficient air conditioners use large amounts of electricity and when high humidity forces the unit to run more often, an increase in the electric bill is sure to follow.