Quote:
Originally Posted by ithos
It is also beneficial for humidity control. On very humid days, the temperature may be at setpoint but the humidity may still be too high.
With single stage control the programming will bring on the heaters which will increase the compressor runtiime and raise your electric bill.
With variable speed it lowers the fan speed so that the air spends more time traveling through the cooling coils increasing the dehumidification rate. The heaters will probably never be used for dehumidification.
In other words:
Enhanced Dehumidification
When temperatures are at their highest outside, once your home is comfortable, it is more energy efficient for the HVAC system to dehumidify the air rather than air conditioning it and decrease the temperature. A variable HVAC option removes up to 400% more moisture than a standard system. This means less cycling, longer run times, and optimized compressor and blower speeds.
Why does variable speed air conditioning make sense? |
As I understand it, most units in The Villages do not have a reheat function for dehumidification. The only way to reduce the humidity is to use an optional thermostat setting that overcools the house (about 3 degrees below the temperature setting) when the humidity is too high. I never use this setting because I never really experience high humidity in the house, and I don't want to overcool the house. You are correct that, if the variable speed heat pump runs at a slower speed, it will reduce the humidity by running longer.