The warm summers in Fresno, California, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You change the thermostat to a ideal temperature. The AC kicks on as expected. But, even after your cooling system operates, your home still feels damp and sticky.
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. Many area homeowners have this problem.
Why is this? Temperature and humidity are two different measurements in your home. Your temperature only tells you how warm or cool the air is within your home. It doesn’t measure how much humidity is in your home. When humidity levels are too high, your home can feel several degrees 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 comfortable and easy troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your Fresno, California, home. That way, you’ll know when to call experts like the team at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning for professional help.
Why Your Home Can Feel Humid Even If the Temperature Is Right
The temperature is only part of what makes your home pleasant. Indoor humidity is also an equally important element to consider. Most homes are generally more comfortable when indoor relative humidity is between 30% and 50%. When a home has high indoor humidity, the air feels hotter, heavier and stickier—even if the actual air temperature is cool.
Too much indoor moisture 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 cooling the air without pulling out enough moisture.
Home Feels Humid? Here are 8 Common Causes
Residing in Fresno, California, excess moisture can be a challenge.
Many area homeowners wonder the same question: Why does my home feel so humid?
There could be multiple reasons. Understanding what’s creating high idoor humidity is the best place to start toward resolving the problem.
Below are several common reasons for indoor humidity problems in Fresno, California:
1. AC is Too Large
An air conditioner that’s too big for your home cools your home too quickly. The problem is an oversized AC often doesn’t remove humidity effectively because it shuts off before completing a complete 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 remove moisture while cooling your home.
3. Blocked Condensate Drain
Your air conditioner pulls out 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 higher indoor humidity.
4. Dirty Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil extracts both heat and moisture from your home’s air supply. Ice formation or excessive dirt on the coil limits its effectiveness and often requires professional AC repair services to fix.
5. Leaky Ductwork
Ductwork carries cool air throughout your living space. Leaks in ductwork can allow warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other unconditioned areas into your HVAC system. This additional moisture makes it more difficult to maintain comfortable humidity levels.
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 ends. This can blow 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 extremely humid summer weather, 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 keeps entering your home through doors, windows and normal air leakage.
8. Aging HVAC Equipment
As HVAC systems get older, they often become less capable at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance enhances performance, improves 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 simple troubleshooting steps are easy ways to improve indoor comfort by helping your heating and cooling system remove moisture more effectively.
- Replace a dirty air filter. A clean HVAC air filter allows proper airflow, helping your system condition 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 blown back into your living spaces.
- Make sure 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 around your AC equipment may signal a clogged condensate drain or another drainage issue.
- Pay attention to 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 inspected by a professional.
Even if your thermostat still says cool but house feels humid, do not attempt repairs involving refrigerant, electrical components or internal HVAC parts. Do-it-yourself fixes may be tempting, but these repairs require advanced training and should always be left to a qualified HVAC technician.
Could You Benefit from a Whole-Home Dehumidifier?
If you have humidity in your house during summer or year-round moisture problems, a whole-home dehumidifier may be worth considering. 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 Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning’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 especially helpful for homes in humid climates or properties that still have humidity even with a properly functioning AC.
When It’s Time to Book HVAC Service
Home HVAC humidity issues often are caused by an underlying problem that needs professional repair. The technicians at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning will inspect refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to find why your system isn’t controlling humidity effectively. They can also evaluate ductwork, condensate drainage and overall system sizing to identify the root cause.
We also can get you on the schedule for an HVAC tune-up. Regular seasonal tune-ups help catch small problems before they become potentially expensive repairs. That’s why Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning offers an HVAC maintenance plan that helps make regular inspections cost-effective and hassle-free.
If basic troubleshooting doesn’t solve your home’s humidity issues, trust Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning for dependable HVAC service in Fresno, California.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 559-255-1644 today to fix your indoor humidity issues once and for all.
Whether you require installation, repair, or maintenance, our technicians will assist you with top-quality service at any time of the day or night. Take comfort in knowing your indoor air quality is the best it can be with MOE heating & cooling services Ontario's solution for heating, air conditioning, and ventilation that’s cooler than the rest.
Contact us to schedule a visit. Our qualified team of technicians, are always ready to help you and guide you for heating and cooling issues. Weather you want to replace an old furnace or install a brand new air conditioner, we are here to help you. Our main office is at Kitchener but we can service most of Ontario's cities
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