Why Your Air Conditioning Drops the Temperature but Not the Humidity

Humid air is like a sponge that's loaded down with water and simply can't absorb any more moisture. This means the body's natural "AC system" which relies on sweat evaporation for cooling stops working, which leaves you feeling hot and uncomfortable.

Humidity does other things besides cause discomfort. It promotes mold growth and increases the levels of dust mites in your home, which can adversely affect your health, especially if you have allergies or respiratory problems such as asthma. This is why your air conditioning system must remove humidity as well as lower the temperature. But what if you’re otherwise perfectly functioning AC lowers the temperature but not the humidity? Below are two possible reasons why you have a humidity problem with your AC system:

Your Air Conditioner Is Too Large

An oversized air conditioner can quickly cool down your home well before the temperature of its cooling coil (evaporator coil) gets cold enough to remove the humidity in the air. It normally takes 10 to 15 minutes of continuous running for the coil temperature to drop low enough to condense water vapor. An oversized AC never runs long enough for this to happen. Instead, it runs in short bursts. To find out if your AC is short-cycling, pull out a stop watch and time it. If your air conditioner has always run this way, it's probably oversized.

Your High-Efficiency AC Unit Can't Handle the High Humidity in Your Area

According to the Consumer Protection Division of the Comfort Institute, some of the high-efficiency air conditioners cut cooling bills by trading off the unit's ability to remove humidity. That is, they can drop the temperature but can't remove humidity like the old units could.

If you live in a dry area such as Arizona, then this won't affect you. However, consumers living in areas with high humidity will find that their air conditioners fail to remove enough of it. The humidity can get high enough to even promote mold growth. The manufacturers of these units failed to understand that there's more to comfort than air temperature. The consumer is also forced to buy a separate dehumidifying system which consumes the energy saved by these high efficiency air conditioners.

If the above doesn't apply to you, then your air conditioner in Danville, IL may have issues requiring adjustment or repair. If so, give Blackie's a call today!

Can Your Furnace Pass the “Confidence” Test?

Is your furnace good for one more season, or can you expect a collapse at the most inopportune (AKA coldest) moment possible? This is what a lot of homeowners wonder when they’ve been patching the same system for several years now. But here’s another question to consider: what could you expect if you made the decision to upgrade to a new furnace now?

Confidence is the main answer. There’s just something very “worry-free” about feeling that chill in the air and knowing that your thermostat is about to trigger all those wonderful operational sounds you’ve come to recognize as heat on its way. And pretty soon you’re wrapped in warmth and comfort.

You’ve also got the confidence that hidden problems in an old furnace aren’t about to create very real trouble in your indoor air – especially through dangerous carbon monoxide leaks.

Then there’s improved energy efficiency. Instead of cautiously keeping your thermostat set just outside your comfort range – in order to save energy dollars – a new system keeps you comfortable and saves on your energy bills.

Time takes a toll on our household systems. If you’d like to know how to make a good decision on when to upgrade, take a look at this report.

Making Sense of Maintenance

Being the intelligent reader that you are, I know you know that it makes sense to maintain a piece of equipment that represents a sizeable investment on your part. You wouldn’t let anything you value sit idle, untouched, uncared for – and then expect it to perform for you year after year.

That’s why maintenance of your furnace or heater makes so much sense. It preserves your investment, increases comfort and improves safety. And the way maintenance makes the very most sense is to tie the energy-saving, repair-reducing perks of a tune-up with the priority service and discounts that come from being part of a regular maintenance agreement program.

Hope you’ll find out more about how you can save year after year on regular maintenance (and lots of other things). Start by taking a look at this report, The Mechanics of Furnace Maintenance.

Is a Clean House Bad for Your Health?

Keeping air pollution out of your home is not just a matter of cleanliness. Just think about it. You could scrub your floors and countertops, light a perfumed candle – even add a new coat of paint and new carpeting – and while the look will improve, your indoor air could actually be even more compromised.

Household cleaners, perfumes, paint, new carpeting, some types of furniture… any of these can contain chemicals known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that enter your air and, as a result, could soon enter your family’s respiratory system.

There are a number of other very ordinary, common sources of indoor air pollution. You’ll see more about them if you’ll take a moment to read this report, Sources of Air Pollution in Your Home.

What About My Warranty

Most heating and cooling systems will come with a warranty whenever you purchase a new system. The length of coverage ranges depending on the system and you can even extend them sometimes when your coverage is almost up. Warranties are great for those unforeseen repair needs, especially if your system is only a few years old.

But did you know that your warranty could be voided if the manufacturer determines that neglect of maintenance was the cause? Just like you would get an oil change or tune-up on your car, your heating and cooling system needs this same attention. You don’t want your car’s transmission to blow up just like you don’t want your heater to stop working this fall. Especially if you’ll be stuck with the full bill because it could have been prevented with a tune-up.

Unfortunately sometimes, we’ve just got to learn, but we have come up with a few ways to help you avoid this trouble with “The Importance of Your Annual Tune Up.” Take a look; it could save you a lot of money in the future.

Cost of Comfort

With the economy the way it is and rising natural gas costs, we have to try and find a balance of cost over comfort. That’s why being energy efficient is so important these days because it can save you a lot of money on your energy bills.

At Blackie's Heating and Air Conditioning, we have several ways to check your system to make sure it is running at optimal performance and keeping more money in your pocket. There are also some small things that you can do to cut down on energy costs. Change your HVAC filters monthly during peak heating and cooling seasons. They only cost a few bucks to replace and a dirty filter makes your system work harder and longer. You can also look for any leaks around your windows or doors that could be letting the heat escape.

If you want to know more about what to expect come this cold season, read our free report “Predicting the Cost of Your Home Heating.” You can see more about the costs of natural gas and a way to cut down your energy usage by 20% from last year.

Season of Change

Fall is quite the season of change. The weather is cooler and the leaves are changing; it’s a sight to see. Sweaters and jackets are becoming a must and pretty soon we’ll be breaking out the scarves and gloves. Holidays are just around the corner and things are about to get busy.

During this busy season it’s easy to forget things you have to do. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was someone who could just come in and do it all for you? Do the grocery shopping, the cleaning, the yard work and anything else you can think of. While we may not be able to do all of those things for you, we can get your home comfort system ready for this weather change.

It may not even be something that crossed your mind, but it’s something that you should get checked off your list. If your system has given you trouble in the past, or you just want to get it tuned up, we want to help. Just call or email and let us know.