A/C Thermostat operation

And having a two stage is helpful in those cases, ie where you don't need or want a drop in temp, but want the humidity taken out. It can run longer, take more water out, circulate more air around, in low stage.

Reply to
trader_4
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It's been really hot here the last couple of weeks and one of our window AC's began acting up, so we went and bought a 2nd of those portable ac's on wheels. It works really well, too.

Reply to
Muggles

It will feel more comfortable, but according to my readings, humidity will immediately start to climb.

Most of the humidity in my house is in solid materials. At a given temperature, that water will have a certain vapor pressure. It will try to maintain a certain relative humidity in the air. When the AC dries the air a little, evaporation from wood, fabric, paper, and other materials will start bringing the relative humidity back up.

Yesterday the temperature reached 89 and the dew point was in the high

60s. In the morning, the house was cool, but I set the AC to run a little to control the humidity. Altogether, it ran under 3 hours from midnight to midnight.

That's an average of 7.5 minutes per hour. If the unit had been twice as big, it would have averaged under 4 minutes per hour at the same temperature settings. Humidity would have felt worse.

Reply to
J Burns

Yeah, that's what I want! (Now I feel guilty for coveting. Thou shalt not covet they neighbor's wife, nor his ass, nor his two-stage AC.)

Reply to
J Burns

If the RH is high enough, my AC may use 75% of its energy to wring out moisture and 25% to cool the air. It would condense moisture better if I could bring the blower down to the recommended 400 cfm per ton, but it's the furnace air handler and can't be set that low. (I've read of variable-speed air handlers. That sounds dandy for humidity control.)

I didn't know it was available. You've shattered my dream of inventing it, someday when I got smarter!

Reply to
J Burns

I had visions of sugar crystals and chunks of salt in the air, as the humidity was solid materials.

That sure was a bit strange.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I think nylon is one synthetic fiber that will absorb lots of moisture at high humidity. I have lots of carpet. I don't know what it's made of. If I could reduce the stuff in the house that absorbs moisture, the AC could give me a quicker drop in humidity.

Moisture-absorbing content can be an advantage. If I can get a good day to dry by venting, the absorbent fibers will help reduce indoor humidity on subsequent humid days.

Cotton will absorb an enormous amount of water at high humidity. Before AC, I wonder if southerners took advantage of that. Hang a lot of quilts in the sun to dry, then bring them in to hold the humidity down.

Venting before dawn, I used to let the indoor humidity go to 80% and above sometimes. (I didn't know it was that high because my mechanical gauge was faulty.) In terms of temperature, that wasn't a disadvantage; in pulling moisture out of the air, the AC was causing interior cooling by evaporation from humid material. Letting it get that high even temporarily caused trouble with sugar, salt, and the digital timer on the side of my refrigerator.

Reply to
J Burns

I'll bite. How does the heat from the compressor get disposed of to the outdoors if the a/cs are on wheels?

Reply to
Rebel1

I was curious so I went to Amazon. From there, I went to Honeywell for an owner's manual.

It has a 5" flexible hose and a flattened window nozzle with an adapter to adjust to your window width. Amazon customers say you can leave your screen in.

There doesn't seem to be a hose to bring in outside air to cool the condenser. If it sucks hot, humid outside air into the room to replace the exhaust air, it sounds like it wouldn't cool the room very well.

Reply to
J Burns

That's my general impression. What's the point of dumping hot air out the hose in the back, if the room needs to draw in replacement hot air?

I've heard the "on wheels" units also have a condensate pan that needs to be dumped out, like a dehumidifier.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

The refrigerant goes through the compressor, picks up the heat. Then, the heat goes out the vent tube. Out the window.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

That's it! :)

Reply to
Muggles

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