The warm summers in Port Orchard, Washington, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature. The AC kicks on right away. But, even after your air conditioner cycles, your home still feels humid and uncomfortable.
That’s not very comfortable.
It can be disappointing when the air conditioner seems to be doing its job, yet your home doesn't actually feel pleasant. If your rooms feel humid but thermostat says cool, you're not alone. Local homeowners often have this experience.
The reason is simple: Temperature and humidity are two different factors in indoor comfort. The temperature only tells you how comfortable the air is within your home. It doesn't measure how much humidity is in your home. When indoor moisture is extremely high, your home can feel warmer than the thermostat indicates, due to indoor humidity problems.
In this blog, you'll learn how humidity affects your comfort, common reasons your home feels humid even when the temperature is right and simple troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your Port Orchard, Washington, home. That way, you’ll know when it’s time to contact experts like the team at Air Masters Heating & Cooling for professional help.
Why Your Home Can Feel Humid Even Though the Temperature Is Right
The temperature is only part of what makes your house pleasant. Humidity is also an equally important element to consider. Many homes are generally more comfortable when indoor relative humidity falls between 30% and 50%. When a home has high indoor humidity, the air feels hotter, denser and stickier—even if the actual air temperature is cool.
Too much indoor moisture can also encourage dangerous mold growth, mildew, unpleasant odors 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 extracting enough moisture.
Home Feels Humid? Here are 8 Common Causes
Making your home in Port Orchard, Washington, high humidity can be a problem.
Many area homeowners wonder the same question: Why does my house feel humid?
There are several common causes. Understanding what's creating high idoor humidity is the best place to start toward solving the problem.
Let's look at several common reasons for high indoor humidity levels in Port Orchard, Washington:
1. AC is Too Large
An AC unit that's larger than your home actually needs cools down your home too quickly. The problem is an oversized AC often doesn’t remove humidity effectively because it turns off before completing a full cooling cycle.
2. Clogged Air Filter
A dirty air filter limits 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 conditioner pulls out moisture from your home’s air and drains it outside through a condensate line. If that drain becomes clogged, moisture can't exit the system properly, contributing to excess moisture indoors.
4. Dirty Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil removes both heat and moisture from your home's air. Dirt and grime on the coil decreases its effectiveness and often requires professional AC repair services to fix.
5. Loose Ductwork
Ductwork moves cool air throughout your home. Gaps in ductwork can allow warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other uninhabited areas into your HVAC system. This added moisture makes it harder to maintain comfortable humidity levels.
6. Thermostat Fan Running on “On” Switch to “Auto”
If your thermostat fan is set to "On" instead of "Auto", the blower continues to operate after the cooling cycle is finished. This can circulate moisture collected on the evaporator coil back into your home instead of allowing it to drain away.
7. Unusually Humid Weather
During the area’s especially humid summers, your HVAC system has to work harder to remove moisture from the air. Even when your air conditioner is operating correctly, sometimes your home feels muggy because outdoor humidity continues to seep into your home through doors, windows and normal air leakage.
8. Aging Heating and Cooling Equipment
As heating and cooling systems get older, they often become less efficient at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance enhances performance, boosts efficiency and helps identify worn-out parts. Putting off regular air conditioning maintenance can reduce performance, including your system's ability to reduce moisture.
Simple Checks to Make Before Contacting an HVAC Technician
If your house feels humid, there are several simple things you can check before requesting service. These simple troubleshooting steps are easy ways to improve indoor comfort by helping your HVAC system remove moisture more efficiently.
- Check your HVAC air filter. A clean heating and cooling system air filter allows proper airflow, helping your system cool and dehumidify your home more efficiently.
- Verify the thermostat fan is set to Auto. This allows moisture to drain away 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. Rugs or furniture over the vents or closed vents can restrict airflow throughout your home.
- Check for water around the indoor unit. Water around your AC equipment may suggest a clogged condensate drain or another drainage issue.
- Know how your AC should run. If the AC is short cycling or turning on and off repeatedly, 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 try repairs with refrigerant, electrical components or system components. Handling these repairs yourself may be tempting, but these repairs require specialized training and should always be handled by a qualified HVAC technician.
Could You Benefit from a Whole-Home Dehumidifier?
If you deal with humidity in your house during summer or year-round moisture problems, a whole-home dehumidifier may be a good option. Compared with portable units that only remove humidity from one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier connects to your HVAC system to control humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Air Masters Heating & Cooling's indoor air quality solutions, a whole-home dehumidifier makes your home more comfortable while reducing the risk of mold, musty odors and excess moisture. It can be a great choice for homes in humid climates or properties that still have humidity even with a properly functioning AC.
When You Need to Schedule HVAC Service
Persistent HVAC humidity issues often point to an hidden problem that requires professional repair. The technicians at Air Masters Heating & Cooling will evaluate refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to determine why your system isn't controlling humidity effectively. They can also check ductwork, condensate drainage and overall system sizing to pinpoint the root cause.
We also can get you set up with a home HVAC tune-up. Routine seasonal tune-ups help identify small problems before they become potentially expensive repairs. That's why Air Masters Heating & Cooling offers an HVAC maintenance plan that helps make regular inspections budget-friendly and stress-free.
If basic 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.