The hot and humid summers in Streamwood, Illinois, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You set the thermostat to a pleasant temperature. The air conditioning starts up as expected. But, even after your AC runs, your home still feels moist and clammy.
Now, you’re cool and damp.
It can be disappointing when the air conditioner appears to work properly, 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 things. Your temperature only tells you how warm or cool the air is within the space. It doesn't measure how much humidity is in your home. When moisture levels are too high, your home can feel several degrees warmer than the thermostat indicates, due to indoor humidity problems.
In this guide, you'll learn how humidity affects your home 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 Streamwood, Illinois, home. That way, you’ll know when it’s time to call experts like the team at Pure Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning for expert assistance.
Why a Home Can Feel Humid Even When the Temperature Is Nice and Cool
Your home's temperature is only part of what makes your living space enjoyable. The amount of moisture in the air is also an equally important factor. Most homes are generally more 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, bad smells and other indoor air quality issues. That's why your house feels humid but the AC is running—your system may be lowering the temperature of the air without pulling out enough moisture.
Reasons Your Home Feels Humid Even with the AC Running
Living in Streamwood, Illinois, muggy conditions can be a problem.
Plenty of area homeowners ask the same question: What's making my house feel humid?
There are a variety of common explanations. Determining what's creating excess humidity is a good first step toward resolving the problem.
Let's look at several common reasons for high indoor humidity levels in Streamwood, Illinois:
AC is Too Large
1. AC is Too Large
An air conditioner 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 proper cooling cycle.
2. Dirty Air Filter
A blocked air filter reduces airflow throughout your HVAC system. This makes it harder for your equipment to extract humidity while cooling your home.
3. Clogged Condensate Drain
Your AC collects moisture from your home’s air and and then it drains from the equipment through a condensate line. If that drain becomes clogged, moisture can't leave the system properly, contributing to excess moisture indoors.
4. Dirty Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil pulls 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. Loose Ductwork
Ductwork moves cool air throughout your house. Openings in ductwork can draw warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other unused areas into your HVAC system. This added moisture makes it harder to maintain comfortable humidity conditions.
6. Thermostat Fan is on “On” Setting Switch to “Auto”
If your thermostat fan is set to "On" instead of "Auto", the blower keeps running after the cooling cycle completes. This can blow moisture collected on the evaporator coil back into your home instead of giving it time for it to drain away.
7. Extremely Humid Weather
During the area’s especially humid summer weather, your HVAC system has to run longer 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 HVAC Equipment
As heating and cooling systems age, they often become less efficient at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance optimizes performance, improves efficiency and helps detect worn-out parts. Putting off regular air conditioning maintenance can reduce performance, including your system's ability to control moisture.
Simple Checks to Make Before Scheduling an HVAC Technician
If your house feels humid, there are a few simple things you can check before booking service. These simple troubleshooting steps are easy ways to improve indoor comfort by helping your HVAC system remove moisture more efficiently.
- Check your HVAC air filter. A clean HVAC air filter allows proper airflow, helping your system condition and dehumidify your home more efficiently.
- Make sure 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. Rugs or household furnishings over the vents or closed vents can restrict airflow throughout your home.
- Check for water around the indoor unit. Water near your AC equipment may suggest a clogged condensate drain or another drainage-related issue.
- Know how your AC 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 checked by a professional.
Even if your thermostat still says cool but house feels humid, do not perform repairs with refrigerant, electrical components or internal HVAC parts. Handling these repairs yourself may be tempting, but these repairs require professional training and should always be performed by 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. As opposed to portable units that only work in one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier connects to your HVAC system to manage humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Pure Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning's indoor air quality solutions, a whole-home dehumidifier makes your home more comfortable while reducing the risk of mold, musty odors and excess moisture. It can be extremely beneficial for homes in humid climates or properties that continue to have humidity even with a properly functioning AC.
When You Need to Schedule HVAC Service
Home HVAC humidity issues often trace back to an hidden problem that requires professional repair. The technicians at Pure Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning will check refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to identify why your system isn't removing humidity effectively. They can also inspect 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. Routine seasonal tune-ups help identify small problems before they become complicated, costly repairs. That's why Pure Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning offers an HVAC maintenance plan that helps make regular inspections budget-friendly and stress-free.
If basic troubleshooting doesn't fix your indoor humidity problems, trust Pure Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning for dependable HVAC service in Streamwood, Illinois.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 630-948-4591 today to restore your comfort.