The warm summers in Eugene, Oregon, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature. The AC begins running 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 comfortable. If your rooms feel humid but thermostat says cool, you're not alone. It happens a lot.
Why? Temperature and humidity are two different factors in indoor comfort. Your temperature only tells you how hot or cold the air is within the space. It doesn't measure the amount of moisture in the air. When moisture 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 right and easy troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your Eugene, Oregon, home. That way, you’ll know when you should reach out to experts like the team at Home Comfort for expert assistance.
Why a Home Can Feel Humid Even Though the Temperature Is Right
Indoor temperature is only part of what makes your home comfortable. Indoor humidity is also an equally important consideration. Most homes are the most comfortable when indoor relative humidity stays in the 30-50% range. When a home has high indoor humidity, the air feels hotter, heavier and stickier—even if the actual air temperature is cool.
Excess moisture can also encourage 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 chilling the air without pulling out enough moisture.
8 Common Reasons Your Home Feels Humid
Residing in Eugene, Oregon, muggy conditions can be a frequent concern.
Plenty of area homeowners ask the same question: Why does my house feel humid?
There are a variety of common explanations. Determining what's creating excess humidity is the best place to start toward resolving the problem.
Below are several common reasons for elevated indoor humidity in Eugene, Oregon:
AC is Too Large
1. Oversized Air Conditioning
An AC unit that's too big for your home cools down 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. Blocked Air Filter
A blocked air filter reduces airflow throughout your heting and cooling system. This makes it harder for your equipment to remove moisture while cooling your home.
3. Clogged Condensate Drain
Your air conditioner removes moisture from your home’s air and and then it drains from the equipment through a condensate line. If that drain becomes blocked, moisture can't exit the system properly, contributing to increased humidity levels.
4. Icy Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil extracts both heat and moisture from your home's indoor air. Dirt and grime on the coil decreases 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 pull warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other unused areas into your HVAC system. This extra moisture makes it more challenging to maintain comfortable humidity conditions.
6. Thermostat Fan Set to “On” Change setting to “Auto”
If your thermostat fan is set to "On" instead of "Auto", the blower keeps running after the cooling cycle is finished. 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 especially humid and hot summers, your HVAC system has to work harder 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 Heating and Cooling Equipment
As heating and cooling systems age, they often become less effective at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance enhances performance, boosts efficiency and helps find worn-out parts. Putting off regular air conditioning maintenance can decrease performance, including your system's ability to reduce moisture.
Simple Checks to Make Before Calling an HVAC Technician
If your house feels humid, there are several simple things you can check before scheduling service. These strategies are easy ways to improve indoor comfort by helping your HVAC 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 effectively.
- Verify the thermostat fan is set to Auto. This allows moisture to leave the system after each cooling cycle instead of being blown back into your living spaces.
- Make sure supply and return vents are open and unobstructed. Furniture over the vents or closed vents can reduce airflow throughout your home.
- Check for water around the indoor unit. Water near your AC equipment may signal a clogged condensate drain or another drain problem.
- Know how your air conditioning should run. If the AC is short cycling or turning on and off continuously, 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 try repairs involving refrigerant, electrical components or system components. Handling these repairs yourself 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 the right choice. Unlike portable units that only work in one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier works alongside your HVAC system to reduce humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Home Comfort'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 a great choice for homes in humid climates or properties that struggle with humidity even with a properly functioning air conditioner.
When It's Time to Schedule HVAC Service
Persistent HVAC humidity issues often point to an underlying problem that requires professional repair. The technicians at Home Comfort will inspect refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to identify why your system isn't controlling humidity effectively. They can also check ductwork, condensate drainage and overall system sizing to pinpoint the root cause.
We also can get you set up with an HVAC tune-up. Routine seasonal tune-ups help find small problems before they become potentially expensive repairs. That's why Home Comfort offers an HVAC maintenance plan that makes regular inspections cost-effective and hassle-free.
If basic troubleshooting doesn't fix your indoor humidity problems, trust Home Comfort for dependable HVAC service in Eugene, Oregon.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 541-345-2838 today to fix your indoor humidity issues once and for all.