The warm summers in York, Pennsylvania, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature. The AC begins running automatically. But, even after your AC runs, your home still feels humid and uncomfortable.
Not a great feeling.
It can be annoying when the air conditioner appears to work properly, yet your home doesn't actually feel pleasant. If your rooms feel humid but thermostat says cool, you're not the only homeowner. Local homeowners often have this experience.
The reason is simple: Temperature and humidity are two different measurements in your home. Your temperature only tells you how comfortable the air is within the room. It doesn't measure the amount of moisture in the air. When moisture levels are too high, your home can feel warmer 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 correct and simple troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your York, Pennsylvania, home. That way, you’ll know when you should reach out to experts like the team at Strine's for expert assistance.
Why Your Home Can Feel Humid Even If the Temperature Is Right
Indoor temperature is only part of what makes your house pleasant. Humidity is an extremely important factor. The majority of homes are typically more comfortable when indoor relative humidity falls 30-50 percent. When a home has high indoor humidity, the air feels hotter, more oppressive and stickier—even if the actual air temperature is cool.
Excess moisture 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 pulling out enough moisture.
Reasons Your Home Feels Humid Even with the AC Running
Making your home in York, Pennsylvania, high humidity can be a challenge.
Countless area homeowners deal with the same question: Why does my home feel so humid?
There are a variety of common explanations. Identifying what's creating excess humidity is a key first step toward resolving the problem.
Below are several common reasons for high indoor humidity levels in York, Pennsylvania:
1. AC is Too Large
An air conditioner that's bigger than your home 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 proper cooling cycle.
2. Clogged Air Filter
A clogged air filter restricts airflow throughout your HVAC system. This makes it more difficult for your equipment to control 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 restricted, moisture can't leave the system properly, contributing to higher indoor humidity.
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 fix.
5. Loose Ductwork
Ductwork transports cool air throughout your living space. Openings in ductwork can allow warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other unused areas into your HVAC system. This additional moisture makes it more difficult to maintain comfortable humidity throughout your home.
6. Thermostat Fan Set to “On” Change to “Auto”
If your thermostat fan is set to "On" instead of "Auto", the blower keeps running after the cooling cycle completes. This can circulate moisture collected on the evaporator coil back into your home instead of giving it time for it to drain away.
7. Extremely Humid Weather
During the area’s especially humid and hot summers, your HVAC system has to operate more to remove moisture from the air. Even when your air conditioning is working properly, sometimes your home feels muggy because outdoor humidity continues to seep into your home through doors, windows and normal air leakage.
8. Older Heating and Cooling Equipment
As heating and cooling systems get older, they often become less efficient at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance improves performance, increases efficiency and helps detect worn-out parts. Putting off regular air conditioning maintenance can decrease performance, including your system's ability to reduce moisture.
Things to Check Before Calling an HVAC Technician
If your house feels humid, there are several simple things you can check before booking service. These DIY tips 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 cool and dehumidify your home more efficiently.
- Confirm the thermostat fan is set to Auto. This allows moisture to flow out after each cooling cycle instead of being blown back into your living spaces.
- Check to ensure your supply and return vents are open and unobstructed. Furniture over the vents or closed vents can restrict airflow throughout your home.
- Check for water around the indoor unit. Water by your AC equipment may suggest a clogged condensate drain or another drain problem.
- Monitor how your air conditioner 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 inspected by a professional.
Even if your thermostat still says cool but house feels humid, do not attempt repairs with refrigerant, electrical components or internal parts. Handling these repairs yourself 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 the right choice. Compared with portable units that only remove humidity from one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier works alongside your HVAC system to control humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Strine's's indoor air quality solutions, a whole-home dehumidifier helps keep your home more comfortable while lowering the risk of mold, musty odors and excess moisture. It can be a great choice for homes in humid areas or properties that struggle with humidity even with a properly functioning AC.
Signs It's Time to Book HVAC Service
Ongoing HVAC humidity issues often are caused by an underlying problem that needs professional repair. The technicians at Strine's will evaluate refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to find why your system isn't managing humidity effectively. They can also evaluate 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 Strine's offers an HVAC maintenance plan that makes regular inspections cost-effective and hassle-free.
If basic troubleshooting doesn't fix the problem, trust Strine's for dependable HVAC service in York, Pennsylvania.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 717-864-4554 today to take care of high indoor humidity issues for good.