Why is my AC hardly cooling and not dehumidifying?
Josh C
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Josh C
last yearlast modified: last yearRelated Discussions
why would older A/C cool better than new ones?
Comments (20)Sorry, I get so much to reply to I don't usually get back to these posts. You need to e-mail me because I may never see your replies & questions. If my memory is correct, around 35 years ago occassionally the compressors had higher BTUH ratings than the condensing units. Laxer49 I just checked your page & my birthday is on Dec 8th, too, I will be 73. Those 10-SEER condensers' used to do real well. If the E-Coil has a leak it should be replaced anyway. Laxer49, If it were me, I would put a New half ton larger BTUH rated Coil in there with a TXV refrigerant control. If you can get a real good deal on a new 10-SEER with that combination & the correct tightly sealed ducts & airflow it should cool okay in the hottest weather. If you want the most cost-effective payback I would do all I could to reduce the radiant & other heat gain as the insulation will also reduce the heating bills. The Installation is the most important thing, it has to be done right! Read & learn allyou can. Funkeruski, I suppose they replaced the evaporator with a matching TXV controlled coil? Everything has to be performed just right & even then if it is real hot & the indoor load is also heavy it may not equal the old unit which would have a larger BTUH capacity compressor on that 4-ton condenser. Those high SEER tests are performed under rather light load conditions. The SEER of a system is determined by multiplying the steady state energy efficiency ratio (EER) measured at conditions of 82°F Outdoor Temperature, 80°F Dry Bulb and 67°F Wet Bulb (near 50%RH) indoor entering air temperature by the Part Load Factor (PLF) of the system. (The PLF is supplied by the government.) IMO, they ought to be tested at 95 or 100-F outdoor temperature. Which SEER do you think will perform better at 100-F plus ambient temperatures, the one with the larger capacity compressor or the smaller one? You could slow the blower CFM down to keep the suction pressure & E-Coil temp somewhat lower, but that also drops sensible capacity some. At 82-F outdoors, the 15 should do real well against the 10. Just my viewpoint. udarrell _ 2007 Here is a link that might be useful: udarrell.com...See MoreCarrier Infinity a/c UV light and dehumidifier questions
Comments (13)Saltidawg, "So why does your thermostat even have a Humidity setting- with a Maximum setting of 65%?" That was EXACTLY what I was wondering. What I learned is this: The maximum setting tells the system to go to work - if the maximum setting of 65% were ever reached, it would cause the system to work more to pull the humidity down. By turning the thermostat humidity setting to OFF, I removed simply the maximum setting from the equation. My misconception was in thinking I could set the humidity to 60 or 65% and it would go UP to that level. Not so. And now that I understand just a bit better about the setting and what it's for, I will turn the Humidity setting to ON, and not concern myself about it as long as it's comfortable in here. And, yes, the temperature was controlled just fine as the humidity went from 45 to 50%. The Carrier Infinity brain controls so much of what goes on, it's hard for mere mortals to know what it's doing and why. I think the biggest thing I learned is that service techs are trained as sales people, too, (at least where this Carrier Infinity system is concerned) and to question whatever advice they give before purchasing anything. I would have spent more than $1000 on an unnecessary UV system if I had listened to the tech without question. Caveat emptor! Buyer beware!...See MorePortable ac/heater/dehumidifier
Comments (4)Thanks for the responses. It would be continous use in the summer for cooling as we are in the mojave desert, but primarily only when they have guests. The problem is that the second story bedrooms are above the garage, so routing the lines to a condensor would be involved.I guess if only to be used when guests are using the space, it wouldn't be too bad w/ the portable. She also wants to use the area for arts and crafts type projects when not in use as a guest bedroom. Thanks again!...See MoreRunning AC + Dehumidifier saves energy?
Comments (15)OP, if you want to run a dehumidifier to improve comfort and health, by all means, go ahead. There is nothing wrong with that. I expect that you want one during shoulder seasons when little heat or cooling is needed in the house. A high end dehumidifier will make less heat and use less electricity than a typical store-bought brand as Mike suggested. They make less noise too and can be made "central". The EPA rates them for efficiency. On a purely theoretical basis, a system that has two condensing coils, one outside as normal, and a second in your air handler would be the the most energy efficient way to do this. When more cooling is needed, condensing of hot refrigerant gas would happen outside as normal. When only drying is needed, condensing would happen in your air handler in the coldest air flow after the evaporator coil just as it does in a stand-alone dehumidifier. You would not have the waste heat and annoying noise associated with running a portable dehumidifier. These would be custom systems rather than off the shelf, and you'd never come close to recovering the costs in a home. This is how it is done every day in commercial systems. With a well-designed cooling system and a well-sealed home, you should not need a dehumidifier in hot-humid weather. If you have an oversized system or the blower capacity is mismatched to the evaporator, or you have a very leaky house, you might have excess humidity. Dry indoor air in the winter is also indicative of a leaky house. If you can tighten up your house envelope, you will be more comfortable. In my humid climate, there will always be a desire for a dehumidifier for some days out of the year no matter how tight my house envelope is. you might find this case study enlightening: Conditioning Air in the Humid South—Creating Comfort and Controlling Cost Research Report - 0214 November-2002 Building Science Corporation...See Moresktn77a
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