Your bathroom is an important part of your house, and because it is a small space, it tends to accumulate a lot of moisture.
While a small moisture level is ideal for keeping the air from becoming too dry, excess causes molds and mildew problems.
That is why most folks install AC in the house.
But, Can You Put An Air Conditioner In The Bathroom?
Yes. Because bathrooms are susceptible to moisture buildup and the mildew and molds that often form in a moist environment, your bathroom needs a good ventilation system to remove excess moisture. A simple and quick way to deal with ambient humidity in the bathroom is to have an air conditioner in place.
A bathroom air conditioner will help lower moisture levels and improve the air quality in your bathroom. A well-ventilated bathroom is more comfortable, and the appliances you use inside will likely last longer when humidity is low.
Importance Of Reducing Humidity In The Bathroom
You use a lot of water in the bathroom, which generates plenty of water vapor. As a result, humidity is always high inside.
You must have noticed after a hot shower that your bathroom mirrors, walls, and windows are covered in steam.
This causes the inconvenience of having to wipe off the foggy mirror whenever you want to use it. Having an AC in your bathroom will prevent a lot of vapors from condensing on your mirror.
Another reason you need to put an air conditioner in your shower room is to deal with the growth of molds and mildew.
They can be hazardous to your health. Lingering moisture due to lack of ventilation promotes the growth of molds in your bedroom walls.
Exposure to moldy and damp air may affect your health. It can trigger allergies or cause breathing problems.
Some people develop symptoms like stuffy noses, skin irritation, or itchy eyes when exposed to molds.
Excess water vapor can also damage the surfaces such as drywall, bathroom cabinets, including appliances in your bathroom.
Trying to repair them can be costly and time-consuming. Therefore, it only suffices to put in place an adequate ventilation system to minimize moisture buildup in your bathroom.
Three Challenges Of Installing An Air Conditioner In The Bathroom
1. Installation Problem
It is a common thing nowadays to have sinking structures in the bathroom.
This has resulted in low indoor space, and installing additional electrical appliances in the bathroom, will certainly have some limitations.
For instance, installing a ducted AC in your bathroom ceiling will significantly reduce the height of the toilet.
Fortunately, modern AC manufacturers consider the challenge of limited bathroom space.
The unit’s height is compressed, and the panel plus the indoor unit are combined into one body.
Therefore, it becomes possible to hide it in a bathroom ceiling with standard height.
2. Excess Moisture
In the absence of adequate ventilation, the humidity in the bathroom will always be high. The water vapor buildup around the air conditioner will corrode the metallic parts.
This lowers the lifespan of the unit.
In light of these problems, bathroom air conditioners are always designed to maintain a dry state inside the unit.
Moreover, its components are water-resistant materials to reduce the effects of high humidity.
3. Dry Problem
The high humidity in the bathroom affects the walls and the appliances inside, as well as towels and other linens in the cabinet.
Therefore, you need a bathroom AC that dehumidifies and dries the air.
Portable Bathroom Air Conditioners
A portable air conditioner is a great alternative if you do not want to install a full air conditioner.
Portable AC comes with a vent hose exhausts the warm air out of your bathroom.
However, you can safely run a portable air conditioner without one,
Switch it to a dehumidifier mode whereby the AC drip the captured water straight to the catch tank instead of releasing it back into the air.
The only challenge is that the catch tank is very small, and you will have to dump it out often.
Four Things To Avoid When Installing Air Conditioner
When it comes to indoor air conditioners, these are installation mistakes that you should avoid:
1. Buying An Oversized Air Conditioner
Only buy an AC that is a manageable size for your bathroom. A bigger air conditioner translates to less efficiency in a small space bathroom.
An oversized air conditioner will run inefficiently by generating inconsistent temperatures. It also runs short cycles that are ineffective in reducing humidity.
Before you buy one, always check that it is properly sized for your bathroom.
2. Ignoring Maintenance
Bathroom AC is one of the most ignored appliances in the house regarding maintenance.
Proper and timely maintenance improves the efficiency and lifespan of your AC.
You should clean and replace the filters after every two months. Also, as your service, please pay attention to the drain channels to ensure they are not blocked.
3. Running AC All-Day
You should only leave your air conditioner running during the day. Use a unit timer or a programmable thermostat.
Once you are done showering, leave it running for some time before you turn it off. Timers and auto switches are cheaper and more efficient.
4. Sharing Circuits
A bathroom is where you use a lot of water, with a lot of water vapor.
Air conditioners use much power and should be plugged into a different circuit from high-energy appliances like washing machines or refrigerators.
Final Words
Having a bathroom air conditioner is an ideal setup to lower the moisture levels in your bathroom.
As noted, moisture buildup promotes the growth of bacteria, molds, and mildew on your bathroom walls. It makes sense to put an air conditioner in the bathroom.
