Does this story sound familiar?
It’s midday in January. You’re walking along Levante Beach or through Benidorm town centre. The sun is shining, the thermometer shows a pleasant 16 or 17 degrees, and you don’t even need your jacket. “What wonderful weather we have,” you think.
But then you arrive home, step into the living room and suddenly feel a chill. The air feels heavy, the bedding is cold to the touch, and no matter how many blankets you use, the cold seems to seep into your bones.
How is it possible to feel cold inside when it’s so pleasant outside?
At Climática Instalaciones, we hear this question every winter. And the answer has nothing to do with temperature, but with the Costa Blanca’s invisible enemy: Relative Humidity.
The “Wet Towel Effect”
To understand why you feel cold in your Benidorm apartment, imagine stepping out of the shower. Even if the bathroom is warm, if your skin is wet, you feel cold.
Humid air behaves in a similar way. Water conducts heat 25 times faster than dry air. When the humidity in your home reaches 70% or 80% (very common here), the air “steals” heat from your body much faster than it would in a dry environment.
Result: A temperature of 19°C with high humidity feels the same as 14°C with low humidity.
The Problem with Traditional Heating on the Coast
Many homes in Benidorm, especially second homes, try to solve this with butane heaters or small electric heaters.
The problem with butane: combustion produces water vapour. In other words, you warm the room but increase the humidity, making the thermal sensation worse in the long term and encouraging mould and condensation on the windows.
The problem with electric radiators: they heat the air but do not dry it. They consume a lot of electricity for the limited real comfort they provide in coastal areas.
The Solution: Heating While Drying the Air
The most efficient, economical and comfortable way to heat a home in Benidorm is by using a heat pump (what we commonly call air conditioning in heating mode).
Why is it the leading system in our area?
- Active dehumidification: When operating, the system drastically reduces humidity levels. As humidity drops, your body stops losing heat so quickly and the feeling of comfort is immediate.
- Energy efficiency: Modern air conditioning systems are the most efficient on the market. For every €1 you spend on electricity, they deliver the equivalent of €3 or €4 in heat.
- Goodbye to stale smells: By circulating and filtering the air, you eliminate that “closed house” feeling typical of beach apartments in winter.
Restore Comfort to Your Home
Living on the coast doesn’t mean you have to spend winter wrapped in three layers of clothing inside your own home. If your property feels like a fridge despite the sunshine outside, it’s time to review your climate control system.
At Climática Instalaciones, we are experts in combating Benidorm’s humidity. Would you like to know which system best suits your living room or bedroom? Call or write to us. We visit your home with no obligation, offering personalised advice so you can start enjoying winter indoors just as much as outdoors.