Nobody likes a hot, sticky home. If you live in a humid climate, you know that dealing with muggy summers can often be far more unpleasant than heat. Even if air temperatures remain relatively cool, high humidity levels can make spending time outdoors (or indoors) an extremely uncomfortable experience.

A split-unit central air conditioning system is one of the best ways to combat this problem, and installing one in your home can be a substantial upgrade from basic window units. If you're dreading sweating through another hot and humid summer, here are three reasons why installing a central air conditioner might be the best move.

1. Mold Doesn't Require a Flood

Many people associate mold growth with major events, such as weather-related floods or burst pipes. While introducing a huge amount of moisture to your home is a great way to trigger mold growth, mold colonies can form without a sudden influx of water. Instead, mold can begin to form with as little as 60% relative humidity.

If you're relying on window air conditioners, there's a good chance they don't provide full coverage throughout your home. While these units might keep your living spaces cool and comfortable, they can leave other parts of your home moist and primed for mold growth. A central air conditioning system dehumidifies your whole home, lessening the risk of severe mold.

2. Heat Index Isn't Just For Outdoors

If you've ever watched a weather report, you've probably seen a meteorologist talk about the heat index. Humidity can make lower temperatures subjectively more uncomfortable, so higher humidity makes it feel as if it's hotter outside. Of course, this phenomenon doesn't just occur outside. If your home is humid, lower temperatures will feel warmer and less comfortable.

In addition to being less comfortable, you'll likely want to run your window unit air conditioners for longer to compensate for the excessive humidity. Without whole home cooling, it's much harder to control the humidity in one or two rooms. A central air conditioner will bring down the humidity, making you more comfortable and saving you money by allowing you to set your thermostat a bit higher.

3. You'll Get More Efficient Dehumidification

Air conditioners remove moisture from the air by removing heat energy and causing moisture to condense onto the evaporator coils. The larger the coil surface, the more moisture the system can remove from the air. Even a relatively large window unit contains only a very small evaporator coil relative to the large A-coils in split-unit central air conditioning systems.

Since these systems contain larger evaporator coils and move drastically more air through their ducting systems, you'll be able to remove much larger volumes of moisture. As a result, you'll get more efficient dehumidification and a much cooler and drier house. 

For more info about air conditioning, contact a local company.