Dear Jane,
After years of denying we ever needed one, we finally gave in this summer and bought our first window air conditioner. We're running it all the time, yet the room never seems to get cool enough. And to make matters worse, it always seems humid now. The unit is brand new; any ideas on what might be wrong?--Pat D., San Diego, California
Dear --Pat D., San Diego, California,
There could be a number of things going on here. The first thing to consider is whether your air conditioning unit is large enough for the room it's cooling. Now, we're not referring to the actual size of the air conditioner, but more to its cooling power.
The cooling power of an air conditioner is measured in British Thermal Units, more commonly known as BTUs. An air conditioner's job is to remove the heat from a room. The unit is constantly battling heat generated indoors from appliances and people and outdoors from the sun. You'll need to take into account not just the size of the room, but how much sun it gets, the number of windows it has, the shape of the room and whether is has high ceilings.
Some people are surprised to find out that a typical automobile air conditioner has 20,000 BTUs. But when you consider that your car is made of metal and is often in direct sunlight, that kind of power is mandatory to keep things cool and dry.
However, you don't want to install an air conditioner that's too big, either. If the unit is too big, it will turn off and on constantly, costing you more money in the long run. The easiest formula to help you determine the number of BTUs you need is to multiply the length of the room by the width to get the area. Multiply the area by 30 and add 2,000. That's the number of BTUs you need.
Now, onto the second part of your question. Humidity occurs when the cool air mixes with the warm air but the variance isn't enough to keep the air dry. Again, the right number of BTUs will help resolve this.
You'll also want to make sure the unit is mechanically sound. Start by checking the outside portion of the air conditioner. Make sure there is no leakage of any internal fluids. Air conditioners generate water as they work; a small puddle of water is normal.
Also, check to make certain the fan inside the unit is functioning properly. Be careful when doing so.
If it turns out your air conditioner is working okay, and is just overworked, you're stuck upgrading to a larger unit (you can always put the old in a smaller room), or trying to disperse heat in other ways. Reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the room with curtains, blinds or window film is a good start. You could also cool things off with a ceiling or standing fan used in conjunction to your A/C unit, or upgrade your home's overall energy efficiency by upping your insulation and/or replacing windows.
We hope this helps - stay cool!
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at any time. We're here for you!
We hope this helps!
Hugs 'n hammers,
Jane
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