The humid summers in Wilkes Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You adjust the thermostat to a pleasant temperature. The air conditioning starts up as expected. But, even after your air conditioner cycles, your home still feels humid and uncomfortable.
Now, you’re cool and damp.
It can be annoying when the air conditioner seems to be doing its job, yet your home doesn't actually feel comfortable. If your rooms feel humid but thermostat says cool, you're in good company. Local homeowners often have this experience.
The reason is simple: Temperature and humidity are two different things. Your temperature only tells you how comfortable the air is within your home. It doesn't measure the amount of moisture in the air. When indoor moisture is extremely high, your home can feel warmer than the thermostat indicates, due to indoor humidity problems.
In this guide, 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 Wilkes Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania, home. That way, you’ll know when you should contact experts like the team at GLR Mechanical for support.
Why Your Home Can Feel Humid Even If the Temperature Is Nice and Cool
The temperature is only part of what makes your home 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 falls in the 30-50% range. When a home has high indoor humidity, the air feels warmer, denser and stickier—even if the actual air temperature is cool.
Too much indoor 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 cooling the air without extracting enough moisture.
Reasons Your Home Feels Humid Even with the AC Running
Making your home in Wilkes Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania, excess moisture can be a problem.
Countless area homeowners wonder the same question: Why does my house feel humid?
There are a variety of common explanations. Determining what's creating high idoor humidity is a good first step toward resolving the problem.
Let's look at several common reasons for indoor humidity problems in Wilkes Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania:
1. AC is Too Large
An air conditioner that's too big for your home 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 full cooling cycle.
2. Clogged Air Filter
A dirty air filter reduces airflow throughout your HVAC system. This makes it more difficult for your equipment to extract humidity while cooling your home.
3. Clogged Condensate Drain
Your AC removes moisture from your home’s air and drains it outside through a condensate line. If that drain becomes blocked, moisture can't drain from the system properly, contributing to higher indoor humidity.
4. Icy Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil extracts both heat and moisture from your home's air. Ice formation or excessive dirt on the coil decreases its effectiveness and often requires professional AC repair services to restore performance.
5. Loose Ductwork
Ductwork transports cool air throughout your house. Leaks in ductwork can pull warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other unconditioned areas into your HVAC system. This extra moisture makes it more challenging to maintain comfortable humidity conditions.
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 allowing it to drain away.
7. Unusually Humid Weather
During the area’s extremely humid and hot summers, your HVAC system has to run longer 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. Older Heating and Cooling Equipment
As HVAC systems age, they often become less effective at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance improves performance, increases efficiency and helps detect worn-out parts. Putting off regular air conditioning maintenance can limit performance, including your system's ability to reduce moisture.
What You Can Check Before Contacting an HVAC Technician
If your house feels humid, there are a few simple things you can check before booking service. These strategies are easy ways to improve indoor comfort by helping your AC or heating system remove moisture more effectively.
- Check your HVAC air filter. A clean heating and cooling system air filter allows proper airflow, helping your system circulate air through 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 unobstructed. Furniture over the vents or closed vents can limit airflow throughout your home.
- Look for water around the indoor unit. Water by 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 frequently, 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 attempt repairs involving refrigerant, electrical components or system components. Handling these repairs yourself may be tempting, but these repairs require professional training and should always be left to 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 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 GLR Mechanical's indoor air quality solutions, a whole-home dehumidifier keeps 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 areas or properties that continue to have humidity even with a properly functioning cooling system.
When It's Time to Request HVAC Service
Ongoing HVAC humidity issues often are caused by an hidden problem that requires professional repair. The technicians at GLR Mechanical will check refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to find why your system isn't controlling humidity effectively. They can also inspect ductwork, condensate drainage and overall system sizing to pinpoint the root cause.
We also can get you on the schedule for an HVAC tune-up. Seasonal seasonal tune-ups help identify small problems before they become major breakdowns. That's why GLR Mechanical offers an HVAC maintenance plan that makes regular inspections cost-effective and hassle-free.
If simple troubleshooting doesn't solve your problem, trust GLR Mechanical for dependable HVAC service in Wilkes Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 570-569-1873 today to fix your indoor humidity issues once and for all.