The hot and humid summers in Chester, Illinois, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature. The AC starts up right away. But, even after your cooling system cycles, your home still feels humid and uncomfortable.
Not a great feeling.
It can be annoying when the air conditioner seems to operate normally, 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. The temperature only tells you how warm or cool the air is within the space. It doesn't measure how much moisture is in the air. When moisture levels are 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 home comfort, common reasons your home feels humid even when the temperature is correct and basic troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your Chester, Illinois, home. That way, you’ll know when to contact experts like the team at Korando Heating & Cooling, Inc. for professional help.
Why Your Home Can Feel Humid Even Though the Temperature Is Nice and Cool
Indoor temperature is only part of what makes your house pleasant. Indoor humidity is an extremely important consideration. Many homes are typically more comfortable when indoor relative humidity is between 30% and 50%. 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 promote 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.
8 Common Reasons Your Home Feels Humid
Residing in Chester, Illinois, high humidity can be a frequent concern.
Plenty of area homeowners wonder the same question: Why does my home feel so humid?
There could be multiple reasons. Determining what's creating high idoor humidity is a good first step toward resolving the problem.
Here are several common reasons for high indoor humidity levels in Chester, Illinois:
Oversized Air Conditioner
1. Oversized Air Conditioning
An air conditioner that's bigger than your home needs cools your home too quickly. The problem is an oversized AC often doesn’t reduce humidity effectively because it turns off before completing a complete cooling cycle.
2. Dirty Air Filter
A clogged air filter reduces airflow throughout your HVAC system. This makes it harder for your equipment to control humidity while cooling your home.
3. Obstructed Condensate Drain
Your AC removes moisture from your home’s air and that excess water drains from the unit through a condensate line. If that drain becomes blocked, moisture can't drain from the system properly, contributing to higher indoor humidity.
4. Dirty Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil pulls both heat and moisture from your home's air supply. Dirt buildup on the coil reduces its effectiveness and often requires professional AC repair services to restore performance.
5. Leaky Ductwork
Ductwork carries cool air throughout your home. Openings in ductwork can allow warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other unconditioned areas into your HVAC system. This added 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 set to "On" instead of "Auto", the blower continues running after the cooling cycle is finished. This can circulate moisture collected on the evaporator coil back into your home instead of letting it to drain away.
7. Exceptionally Humid Weather
During the area’s very humid summer weather, your HVAC system has to work harder to remove moisture from the air. Even when your air conditioning is functioning as designed, sometimes your home feels muggy because outdoor humidity keeps entering your home through doors, windows and normal air leakage.
8. Older Heating and Cooling Equipment
As heating and cooling systems wear out over time, they often become less effective at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance optimizes performance, boosts efficiency and helps find worn-out parts. Skipping regular air conditioning maintenance can reduce performance, including your system's ability to remove moisture.
What You Can Check Before Contacting an HVAC Technician
If your home feels humid, there are some simple things you can check before requesting service. These simple troubleshooting steps are easy ways to improve indoor comfort by helping your AC or heating system remove moisture more efficiently.
- Replace or inspect the air filter. A clean HVAC air filter allows proper airflow, helping your system condition and dehumidify your home more efficiently.
- Confirm the thermostat fan is set to Auto. This allows moisture to leave the system after each cooling cycle instead of being sent back into your living spaces.
- Check that supply and return vents are open and unobstructed. Furniture over the vents or closed vents can reduce airflow throughout your home.
- Inspect for water around the indoor unit. Water by your AC equipment may suggest 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 frequently, 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 system components. Do-it-yourself fixes may be tempting, but these repairs require specialized training and should always be left to a qualified HVAC technician.
Does Your Home Need a Whole-Home Dehumidifier?
If you have humidity in your house during summer or year-round moisture problems, a whole-home dehumidifier may be a good option. Unlike portable units that only work in one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier works alongside your HVAC system to manage humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Korando Heating & Cooling, Inc.'s indoor air quality solutions, a whole-home dehumidifier keeps your home more comfortable while lowering the risk of mold, musty odors and excess moisture. It can be especially helpful for homes in humid areas or properties that continue to have humidity even with a properly functioning AC.
When You Need to Schedule HVAC Service
Ongoing HVAC humidity issues often point to an hidden problem that requires professional repair. The technicians at Korando Heating & Cooling, Inc. 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 identify the root cause.
We also can get you on the schedule for a heating and cooling tune-up. Seasonal seasonal tune-ups help find small problems before they become major breakdowns. That's why Korando Heating & Cooling, Inc. offers an HVAC maintenance plan that helps make regular inspections easy and affordable.
If simple troubleshooting doesn't fix your home’s humidity issues, trust Korando Heating & Cooling, Inc. for dependable HVAC service in Chester, Illinois.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 618-826-2151 today to fix your indoor humidity issues once and for all.
