The warm summers in Crown Point, Indiana, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You adjust the thermostat to a ideal temperature. The AC kicks on right away. But, even after your air conditioner operates, your home still feels humid and uncomfortable.
Not a great feeling.
It can be disappointing when the air conditioner seems to operate normally, yet your home doesn't actually feel comfortable. If your rooms feel humid but thermostat says cool, you're not the only homeowner. Local homeowners often have this experience.
Why is this? Temperature and humidity are two different things. Your temperature only tells you how comfortable the air is within the space. It doesn't measure the amount of moisture in the air. When moisture levels are very high, your home can feel much hotter than the thermostat indicates, due to indoor humidity problems.
In this article, you'll learn how humidity affects your indoor comfort levels, common reasons your home feels humid even when the temperature is right and basic troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your Crown Point, Indiana, home. That way, you’ll know when it’s time to reach out to experts like the team at Struven Heating & Cooling for professional help.
Why Your Home Can Feel Humid Even If the Temperature Is Cool
Indoor temperature is only part of what makes your living space comfortable. The amount of moisture in the air is an extremely important factor. Most homes are the most comfortable when indoor relative humidity is 30-50 percent. When a home has high indoor humidity, the air feels less comfortable, heavier and stickier—even if the actual air temperature is cool.
High humidity can also contribute to dangerous mold growth, mildew, bad smells and other indoor air quality issues. That's why your house feels humid but the AC is running—your system may be lowering the temperature of the air without removing enough moisture.
8 Common Reasons Your Home Feels Humid
Making your home in Crown Point, Indiana, excess moisture can be a problem.
Plenty of area homeowners wonder the same question: Why does my house feel humid?
There are several common causes. Determining what's creating excess moisture is a key first step toward solving the problem.
Here are several common reasons for indoor humidity problems in Crown Point, Indiana:
Oversized Air Conditioning
1. Oversized Air Conditioner
An AC unit that's too big for your home lowers the temperature in your home too quickly. The problem is an oversized AC often doesn’t reduce humidity effectively because it stops operating before completing a complete cooling cycle.
2. Blocked Air Filter
A blocked air filter restricts airflow throughout your heting and cooling system. This makes it harder for your equipment to extract humidity while cooling your home.
3. Clogged Condensate Drain
Your air conditioning removes moisture from the air in your home and and then it drains from the equipment through a condensate line. If that drain becomes clogged, moisture can't exit the system properly, contributing to increased humidity levels.
4. Icy Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil pulls both heat and moisture from your home's air supply. Dirt buildup on the coil decreases its effectiveness and often requires professional AC repair services to restore performance.
5. Loose Ductwork
Ductwork moves cool air throughout your home. Leaks in ductwork can allow warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other unused areas into your HVAC system. This extra moisture makes it harder to maintain comfortable humidity throughout your home.
6. Thermostat Fan Running on “On” Switch to “Auto”
If your thermostat fan is set to "On" instead of "Auto", the blower continues running after the cooling cycle completes. This can blow moisture collected on the evaporator coil back into your home instead of letting it to drain away.
7. Exceptionally Humid Weather
During the area’s very humid summers, your HVAC system has to work harder to remove moisture from the air. Even when your cooling system is functioning as designed, sometimes your home feels muggy because outdoor humidity keeps entering your home through doors, windows and normal air leakage.
8. Poorly Maintained Heating and Cooling Equipment
As home comfort systems age, they often become less capable at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance enhances performance, improves efficiency and helps detect worn-out parts. Neglecting regular air conditioning maintenance can decrease performance, including your system's ability to remove moisture.
Things to Check Before Contacting an HVAC Technician
If your house feels humid, there are some simple things you can check before scheduling service. These simple troubleshooting steps are easy ways to improve indoor comfort by helping your heating and cooling system remove moisture more efficiently.
- Replace a dirty air filter. A clean heating and cooling system air filter allows proper airflow, helping your system cool and dehumidify your home more efficiently.
- Make sure the thermostat fan is set to Auto. This allows moisture to leave the system after each cooling cycle instead of being sent back into your living spaces.
- Check to ensure your supply and return vents are open and unblocked. Rugs or furniture over the vents or closed vents can limit airflow throughout your home.
- Look for water around the indoor unit. Water near your AC equipment may indicate a clogged condensate drain or another drain problem.
- Monitor how your AC should run. If the AC is short cycling or turning on and off continuously, or it seems to run constantly without cooling your home, it's time to have the system evaluated by a professional.
Even if your thermostat still says cool but house feels humid, do not attempt repairs involving refrigerant, electrical components or internal parts. DIY repairs may be tempting, but these repairs require specialized training and should always be handled by a qualified HVAC technician.
Should You Get a Whole-Home Dehumidifier?
If you have humidity in your house during summer or year-round moisture problems, a whole-home dehumidifier may be a good option. Unlike portable units that only help reduce moisture in one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier works with your HVAC system to manage humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Struven Heating & Cooling's indoor air quality solutions, a whole-home dehumidifier helps keep your home more comfortable while reducing the risk of mold, musty odors and excess moisture. It can be extremely beneficial for homes in humid areas or properties that struggle with humidity even with a properly functioning air conditioner.
When You Need to Schedule HVAC Service
Home HVAC humidity issues often trace back to an larger problem that requires professional repair. The technicians at Struven Heating & Cooling will check refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to find why your system isn't controlling humidity effectively. They can also check ductwork, condensate drainage and overall system sizing to find the root cause.
We also can get you scheduled for a heating and cooling tune-up. Regular seasonal tune-ups help find small problems before they become potentially expensive repairs. That's why Struven Heating & Cooling offers an HVAC maintenance plan that makes regular inspections cost-effective and hassle-free.
If basic troubleshooting doesn't solve your home’s humidity issues, trust Struven Heating & Cooling for dependable HVAC service in Crown Point, Indiana.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 219-292-0956 today to fix your indoor humidity issues once and for all.
