The humid summers in Port Orchard, Washington, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You adjust the thermostat to a pleasant temperature. The air conditioning kicks on right away. But, even after your cooling system runs, your home still feels humid and uncomfortable.
Not a great feeling.
It can be frustrating when the air conditioner seems to operate normally, yet your home doesn't actually feel pleasant. If your rooms feel humid but thermostat says cool, you're in good company. Local homeowners often have this experience.
Why is this? Temperature and humidity are two different factors in indoor comfort. Your temperature only tells you how hot or cold the air is within the space. It doesn't measure how much moisture is in the air. When humidity levels are very high, your home can feel several degrees warmer than the thermostat indicates, due to indoor humidity problems.
In this guide, you'll learn how humidity affects your home comfort, common reasons your home feels humid even when the temperature is right and easy troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your Port Orchard, Washington, home. That way, you’ll know when you should call experts like the team at Air Masters Heating & Cooling for professional help.
Why Your Home Can Feel Humid Even Though the Temperature Is Cool
The temperature is only part of what makes your living space comfortable. Humidity is an extremely important consideration. Many homes are the most comfortable when indoor relative humidity stays between 30% and 50%. When a home has high indoor humidity, the air feels less comfortable, more oppressive 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 chilling the air without removing enough moisture.
Reasons Your Home Feels Humid Even with the AC Running
Living in Port Orchard, Washington, excess moisture can be a frequent concern.
Plenty of area homeowners deal with the same question: Why does my house feel humid?
There are a variety of common explanations. Identifying what's creating excess humidity is a key first step toward resolving the problem.
Let's look at several common reasons for indoor humidity problems in Port Orchard, Washington:
AC is Too Large
1. Oversized Air Conditioner
An air conditioner that's larger than your home actually needs cools down 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. Dirty Air Filter
A dirty air filter limits airflow throughout your heting and cooling system. This makes it more difficult for your equipment to control humidity while cooling your home.
3. Obstructed Condensate Drain
Your air conditioner removes moisture from the air in your home and and then it drains from the equipment through a condensate line. If that drain becomes blocked, moisture can't drain from the system properly, contributing to higher indoor humidity.
4. Dirty Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil pulls both heat and moisture from your home's air. Dirt and grime on the coil limits its effectiveness and often requires professional AC repair services to fix.
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 levels.
6. Thermostat Fan Running on “On” Change setting to “Auto”
If your thermostat fan is set to "On" instead of "Auto", the blower keeps running after the cooling cycle completes. This can push moisture collected on the evaporator coil back into your home instead of allowing it to drain away.
7. Exceptionally Humid Weather
During the area’s very humid summer weather, your HVAC system has to work harder to remove moisture from the air. Even when your AC is functioning as designed, sometimes your home feels muggy because outdoor humidity continually enters your home through doors, windows and normal air leakage.
8. Aging HVAC Equipment
As heating and cooling systems age, they often become less capable at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance improves performance, improves efficiency and helps detect worn-out parts. Skipping regular air conditioning maintenance can reduce performance, including your system's ability to remove moisture.
Things to Check Before Scheduling an HVAC Technician
If your house feels humid, there are some simple things you can check before booking service. These simple troubleshooting steps are easy ways to improve indoor comfort by helping your heating and cooling system remove moisture more effectively.
- Replace or inspect the air filter. A clean HVAC air filter allows proper airflow, helping your system circulate air through and dehumidify your home better.
- Confirm the thermostat fan is set to Auto. This allows moisture to flow out after each cooling cycle instead of being circulated back into your living spaces.
- Check to ensure your supply and return vents are open and not covered up. Furniture over the vents or closed vents can restrict airflow throughout your home.
- Check for water around the indoor unit. Water near your AC equipment may indicate a clogged condensate drain or another drainage-related issue.
- 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 improving comfort, it's time to have the system inspected by a professional.
Even if your thermostat still says cool but house feels humid, do not try repairs involving refrigerant, electrical components or internal parts. Handling these repairs yourself may be tempting, but these repairs require advanced training and should always be performed by a qualified HVAC technician.
Should You Get a Whole-Home Dehumidifier?
If you struggle with humidity in your house during summer or year-round moisture problems, a whole-home dehumidifier may be a good option. As opposed to portable units that only remove humidity from one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier works with your HVAC system to reduce humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Air Masters Heating & Cooling's indoor air quality solutions, a whole-home dehumidifier keeps your home more comfortable while lowering the risk of mold, musty odors and excess moisture. It can be especially helpful for homes in humid areas or properties that struggle with humidity even with a properly functioning air conditioner.
Signs It's Time to Request HVAC Service
Ongoing HVAC humidity issues often point to an larger problem that requires professional repair. The technicians at Air Masters Heating & Cooling will check refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to identify why your system isn't managing humidity effectively. They can also evaluate ductwork, condensate drainage and overall system sizing to identify the root cause.
We also can get you set up with an HVAC tune-up. Seasonal seasonal tune-ups help identify small problems before they become complicated, costly repairs. That's why Air Masters Heating & Cooling offers an HVAC maintenance plan that makes regular inspections easy and affordable.
If simple troubleshooting doesn't solve your problem, trust Air Masters Heating & Cooling for dependable HVAC service in Port Orchard, Washington.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 360-233-2573 today to fix your indoor humidity issues once and for all.