The warm summers in Bishop, California, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You set the thermostat to a ideal temperature. The AC begins running right away. But, even after your air conditioner cycles, your home still feels humid and uncomfortable.
Not a great feeling.
It can be disappointing when the air conditioner seems to be doing its job, yet your home doesn't actually feel very 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 factors in indoor comfort. The 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 extremely high, your home can feel several degrees warmer 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 comfortable and easy troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your Bishop, California, home. That way, you’ll know when to contact experts like the team at Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning for professional help.
Why a Home Can Feel Humid Even When the Temperature Is Cool
Your home's temperature is only part of what makes your house pleasant. The amount of moisture in the air is also an equally important factor. Most homes are the most comfortable when indoor relative humidity falls 30-50 percent. 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 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 chilling the air without extracting enough moisture.
Reasons Your Home Feels Humid Even with the AC Running
Living in Bishop, California, high humidity can be a frequent concern.
Plenty of area homeowners deal with the same question: Why does my house feel humid?
There are a variety of common explanations. Identifying what's creating excess moisture is a good first step toward fixing the problem.
Let's look at several common reasons for indoor humidity problems in Bishop, California:
1. AC is Too Large
An AC unit that's bigger than your home needs lowers the temperature in your home too quickly. The problem is an oversized AC often doesn’t remove humidity effectively because it shuts off before completing a full cooling cycle.
2. Dirty Air Filter
A clogged air filter reduces airflow throughout your HVAC system. This makes it more difficult for your equipment to extract humidity while cooling your home.
3. Blocked Condensate Drain
Your air conditioning collects 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 increased humidity levels.
4. Frozen Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil removes both heat and moisture from your home's indoor air. Dirt and grime on the coil limits its effectiveness and often requires professional AC repair services to restore performance.
5. Damaged Ductwork
Ductwork transports cool air throughout your house. Openings in ductwork can pull warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other uninhabited areas into your HVAC system. This extra moisture makes it more difficult to maintain comfortable humidity levels.
6. Thermostat Fan is on “On” Setting Change to “Auto”
If your thermostat fan is running on "On" instead of "Auto", the blower continues to operate 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. Unusually Humid Weather
During the area’s very humid 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. Aging Heating and Cooling Equipment
As heating and cooling systems age, they often become less capable at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance enhances performance, boosts efficiency and helps detect worn-out parts. Putting off regular air conditioning maintenance can reduce performance, including your system's ability to control moisture.
Things to Check Before Scheduling an HVAC Technician
If your house feels humid, there are some 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 efficiently.
- Replace or inspect the air filter. A clean HVAC air filter allows proper airflow, helping your system condition and dehumidify your home effectively.
- Confirm the thermostat fan is set to Auto. This allows moisture to drain away after each cooling cycle instead of being sent back into your living spaces.
- Check to ensure your supply and return vents are open and unobstructed. Rugs or furniture over the vents or closed vents can restrict airflow throughout your home.
- Inspect for water around the indoor unit. Water near your AC equipment may indicate a clogged condensate drain or another drainage issue.
- Pay attention to how your air conditioner should run. If the AC is short cycling or turning on and off continuously, or it seems to run constantly without cooling your home like it should, it's time to have the system evaluated by a professional.
Even if your thermostat still says cool but house feels humid, do not try repairs involving refrigerant, electrical components or internal parts. 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 deal with humidity in your house during summer or year-round moisture problems, a whole-home dehumidifier may be worth considering. Compared with portable units that only remove humidity from one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier works with your HVAC system to reduce humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Bishop Heating & 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 a great choice for homes in humid areas or properties that still have humidity even with a properly functioning AC.
When You Need to Book HVAC Service
Home HVAC humidity issues often are caused by an underlying problem that needs professional repair. The technicians at Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning will check 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 find the root cause.
We also can get you scheduled for a heating and cooling tune-up. Seasonal seasonal tune-ups help find small problems before they become potentially expensive repairs. That's why Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning 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 Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning for dependable HVAC service in Bishop, California.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 760-938-9833 today to restore your comfort.