I have an older central a/c unit? With the cost of electricity going up all the time, some of us in Canada have gone to TOU (time of use) with our hydro, summer cooling could get costly.
My central air is an older unit and I don't have the money to replace it. I live in a mobile home that gets very hot in the summer. Does anyone know if I can use a dehumidifier to help? I know they are mainly used in basements but was just wondering if it would help.
Thanks for any help that I can get.
By Judi
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My understanding of ac is that it cools not only by removing heat from the air but also humidity which makes your body cool itself more efficiently through evaporation (perspiration). To add more humidity would make the ac work harder by adding what it is designed to remove but also in lowering the efficiency of your body's own cooling system you will feel warmer.
He's right, what we do here in the south and my ac has a dehumidifier on it is to work the thermostat and use ceiling fans in the room or if you don't have ceiling fans floor or counter to feel cooler in the room. This way I keep my bill where I want it and don't stay hot either.
Dehumidifyers use a lot of electricity, and throw off a bit of heat of their own, so I am not sure it would help you. A fan to circulate the air in the room you are in would be much more efficient.
Some things that can help:
Close the curtains and pull down any shades on the sunny side(s) of your home during the day. I have even seen people put aluminum foil in windows to block the sun.
If the air cools in the evening and it gets cooler outside than in, open your windows and, if you have fans, get them in the windows to either pull the cool air in, or blow the warm air out--whichever seems to work more efficiently for you.
Don't set your thermostat too cold. For every degree below 75 (fahrenheit) (22 or 23 C?) you use a LOT more energy. My family sets the thermostat at about 78 F, and if one of us is too warm, we use a fan. I avoid using the oven on hot days, and try to use my crockpot, which I put in a covered porch, as much as possible. I try not to run the dryer any more than necessary.
We drink a lot of cold water, too. It helps quite a bit.
Judi, I don't know if a dehumidifier would work for you. If you live in a very damp area, it might, but an AC already does that. You have a battle keeping a mobile home cool as they do not have good insulation in the roof. Ceiling fans are a good investment. I live in a house, but we have one in the living room, one in the kitchen, and one in each of the upstairs bedrooms. At night, I set up large window fans, one or two are set up in front of a window to suck cool air in from outside and then another at the other end of the house blowing out, to suck hot air out, and this sets up an air flow.
Be very sure you seal up the house in the morning to keep the cool air in. Cover your windows with heavy drapes & tin foil, as well if you think you need it. Keep the fans running to circulate the air, and that keeps you feeling cool. You want to keep the hot air out, but a person thinks open windows+cool, even though it is hot outside. Resist this!
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