Image: Assured Comfort
New South Wales is notorious for hot and humid summers.
Newcastle, in particular, is a hot-spot for scorching summers and thick, uncomfortable humidity. In fact, the average humidity per month in Newcastle is 70%, leaving the general population sweating all year ‘round.
Image: Weather & Climate
It’s no wonder most people spend their summers in front of their fans… but it’s near impossible to escape humid weather. Even on a cooler afternoon with a breeze, humidity can cause some serious sweat just walking down the street and it’s even harder to get to sleep at night.
So, what’s the solution?
How do we escape this hot, sticky situation?
Enter air conditioning and dehumidification technologies, stage left.
How do air conditioners reduce humidity indoors?
The idea that air conditioners just blow cool air around your home until a comfortable temperature is achieved is a common misconception. There’s much more going on in the cooling process!
Air conditioning units are gifted multitaskers. The unit blows cool air around the room or house but air conditioning also works to remove warm air and humidity through the evaporator or fan coils.
You might remember our blog on air conditioning insulation. We talked about the pipes and coils inside air conditioning units and how these work together to create the ideal temperature.
To recap: air conditioners recirculate air from the room through the cooling coils similar to a car radiator. This coil removes the heat from the air, lowering the temperature of the air and creating cool air. The heat is then absorbed into the refrigerant gas inside the radiator and transferred through the cooling pipes to another radiator in the outdoor unit. This is where the heat is dissipated.
During this process, the air conditioner is also extracting moisture (humidity) from the air which is due to the radiator being cool and creating condensation which drips into a tray and is drained away this is how the moisture and humidity is removed from your environment.
Voila, a cooler, crisper and cleaner atmosphere throughout the house!
Can I use my air conditioner as a dehumidifier?
Air conditioning units are an excellent form of dehumidifier.
While both air conditioners and dehumidifiers work to remove moisture from the air and create a more comfortable atmosphere indoors, the main goal of an air conditioner is not to dehumidify – their primary function is to cool down a room, or multiple rooms however this process also dehumidifies the room.
If you’re looking for a flawless solution to the humid weather, we recommend looking for air conditioning that includes a dehumidification function. All air conditioners work to remove moisture from the air but some are better than others.
At Air Conditioning Industries, we install and service air conditioners from brands such as Mitsubishi, Fujitsu and Hitachi. These brands offer a range of models and options targeted at eliminating humidity.
However, if you’re suffering from the humidity and aren’t getting the results you need from your air conditioning unit, talk about your options with an experienced air conditioning technician. We can help lower your discomfort and your power bill – just get in touch with the team from Air Conditioning Industries.
