The warm summers in Plover, Wisconsin, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You set the thermostat to a pleasant temperature. The AC kicks on automatically. But, even after your cooling system cycles, your home still feels moist and clammy.
That’s not very comfortable.
It can be disappointing when the air conditioner seems to operate normally, yet your home doesn't actually feel very comfortable. If your rooms feel humid but thermostat says cool, you're not the only homeowner. Many area homeowners have this problem.
Why? Temperature and humidity are two different things. A temperature only tells you how warm or cool the air is within the room. It doesn't measure how much moisture is in the air. When indoor moisture is too 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 comfort, common reasons your home feels humid even when the temperature is correct and easy troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your Plover, Wisconsin, home. That way, you’ll know when you should contact experts like the team at Point Heating & Cooling for professional help.
Why Your Home Can Feel Humid Even If the Temperature Is Nice and Cool
The temperature is only part of what makes your house enjoyable. The amount of moisture in the air is an extremely important factor. The majority of homes are the most comfortable when indoor relative humidity stays in the 30-50% range. 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 encourage dangerous mold growth, mildew, musty odors 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 extracting enough moisture.
8 Common Reasons Your Home Feels Humid
Residing in Plover, Wisconsin, high humidity can be a problem.
Many area homeowners deal with the same question: What's making my house feel humid?
There are several common causes. Understanding what's creating excess humidity is a good first step toward fixing the problem.
Here are several common reasons for high indoor humidity levels in Plover, Wisconsin:
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 eliminate humidity effectively because it turns off before completing a proper cooling cycle.
2. Clogged Air Filter
A dirty air filter reduces airflow throughout your heting and cooling system. This makes it harder for your equipment to remove moisture while cooling your home.
3. Obstructed Condensate Drain
Your air conditioning removes moisture from the air in your home and that excess water drains from the unit through a condensate line. If that drain becomes blocked, moisture can't exit the system properly, contributing to higher indoor humidity.
4. Frozen Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil removes both heat and moisture from your home's air. 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 house. Openings in ductwork can pull warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other unused areas into your HVAC system. This extra moisture makes it more difficult to maintain comfortable humidity throughout your home.
6. Thermostat Fan is on “On” Setting Change setting to “Auto”
If your thermostat fan is running on "On" instead of "Auto", the blower continues running after the cooling cycle is finished. This can blow moisture collected on the evaporator coil back into your home instead of giving it time for it to drain away.
7. Exceptionally Humid Weather
During the area’s especially humid summer weather, your HVAC system has to run longer to remove moisture from the air. Even when your cooling system is working properly, 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 wear out over time, they often become less capable at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance optimizes performance, increases efficiency and helps identify worn-out parts. Putting off regular air conditioning maintenance can decrease performance, including your system's ability to remove moisture.
Simple Checks to Make Before Contacting an HVAC Technician
If your house feels humid, there are some simple things you can check before booking service. These strategies 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 that supply and return vents are open and unobstructed. Rugs or furniture over the vents or closed vents can limit airflow throughout your home.
- Check for water around the indoor unit. Water by your AC equipment may signal a clogged condensate drain or another drainage-related issue.
- Know how your air conditioning 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 checked by a professional.
Even if your thermostat still says cool but house feels humid, do not perform repairs involving refrigerant, electrical components or internal HVAC parts. DIY repairs 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 worth considering. As opposed to portable units that only help reduce moisture in one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier works alongside your HVAC system to control humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Point Heating & Cooling's indoor air quality solutions, a whole-home dehumidifier makes your home more comfortable while helping reduce 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 cooling system.
When You Need to Request HVAC Service
Ongoing HVAC humidity issues often trace back to an larger problem that requires professional repair. The technicians at Point Heating & Cooling will evaluate refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to determine why your system isn't removing humidity effectively. They can also check ductwork, condensate drainage and overall system sizing to find the root cause.
We also can get you set up with a heating and cooling tune-up. Routine seasonal tune-ups help find small problems before they become major breakdowns. That's why Point Heating & Cooling offers an HVAC maintenance plan that makes regular inspections budget-friendly and stress-free.
If basic troubleshooting doesn't solve your home’s humidity issues, trust Point Heating & Cooling for dependable HVAC service in Plover, Wisconsin.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 715-814-9741 today to fix your indoor humidity issues once and for all.