Why Switching Your AC to ‘Dry Mode’ Today is the Only Way to Survive Mumbai’s 80% Humidity

The issue with 80% humidity isn’t just the heat rather it is the amount of moisture in the air. For your body to cool itself off by sweating the sweat needs to evaporate which is difficult when the surrounding air is already saturated with moisture.

As a result, the heat that builds up in your body will stay there making what feels like 32-35 degrees feel like over 40 degrees; therefore, Mumbai’s climate has a sticky and exhausting feel to it and makes it hard to deal with, even if the temperature is not very high.

Why ‘Dry Mode’ Works Better Than Cooling

Many people turn down the temperature on their AC because they are uncomfortable due to the humidity but lowering the temperature on the AC is not the correct way to treat humid conditions because the issue is more about the humidity level than it is about the temperature.

The Dry Mode (the droplet symbol on an air conditioner) of your air conditioning system has been created to help dehumidify the living environment, not to cool it down quickly. To do this, between cycles of dehumidifying the compressor there are breaks where the compressor is tried again and will perform differently. This creates a cooling environment (not quickly) because it takes less energy to cool the room than it does to heat it.

The outcome:

• The air will not be heavy and sticky
• Your body will cool itself down more effectively because your sweat evaporates more quickly
• Your body will remain cool even if the temperature is in the range of 24-26 degrees

To simplify, dry mode solves the cause of being too hot instead of just curing the symptom.

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How to Use Dry Mode Effectively

To be effective:

• Switch to Dry Mode in the afternoon and evening when humidity is at its highest
• Keep your windows and doors shut to prevent the entrance of additional moisture
• Use a fan in conjunction with your AC to help circulate additional air.

Health and Comfort Benefits

By dehumidifying your area using Dry mode on your AC, you will experience the following health, comfort and wellbeing benefits:

1. Reduced heat stress levels, fatigue and risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps or heat stroke (in addition to many other physical symptoms).

2. Improved quality of sleep and more restful nights; many studies have shown a correlation between improved sleep and decreased humidity; dry, restful nights lead to improved overall health and well-being.

3. Prevention of mould, dampness and dampened air quality, which are frequently experienced in humid climates where air conditioning is used; removing moisture reduces the risk of mould growth.

Final Words

In conclusion, the discomfort caused by the combination of high temperature and high humidity in Mumbai is not only due to heat, but also due to extra humidity. If you are relying solely on lowering the temperature, you are not resolving the true issue; the quickest way to obtain relief is to eliminate moisture, rather than just having additional cool air pass through your AC.

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