The humid summers in Pella, Iowa, can get muggy and uncomfortable. You adjust the thermostat to a comfortable temperature. The air conditioning kicks on right away. But, even after your cooling system runs, your home still feels moist and clammy.
Now, you’re cool and damp.
It can be frustrating 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.
Why? Temperature and humidity are two different measurements in your home. A temperature only tells you how comfortable the air is within the space. It doesn't measure the amount of moisture in the air. When indoor moisture is extremely 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 home comfort, common reasons your home feels humid even when the temperature is comfortable and basic troubleshooting steps you can try to reduce humidity in your Pella, Iowa, home. That way, you’ll know when to call experts like the team at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating for support.
Why Your Home Can Feel Humid Even Though the Temperature Is Right
Your home's temperature is only part of what makes your house enjoyable. Humidity is an extremely important factor. Many homes are generally more comfortable when indoor relative humidity stays in the 30-50% range. When a home has high indoor humidity, the air feels less comfortable, heavier and stickier—even if the actual air temperature is cool.
Too much indoor 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 lowering the temperature of the air without extracting enough moisture.
Home Feels Humid? Here are 8 Common Causes
Living in Pella, Iowa, high humidity can be a frequent concern.
Plenty of area homeowners ask the same question: Why does my house feel humid?
There are several common causes. Understanding what's creating excess humidity is a key first step toward fixing the problem.
Below are several common reasons for elevated indoor humidity in Pella, Iowa:
1. Oversized Air Conditioner
An AC unit that's larger than your home actually needs cools your home too quickly. The problem is an oversized AC often doesn’t eliminate humidity effectively because it shuts off before completing a complete cooling cycle.
2. Dirty Air Filter
A blocked air filter reduces airflow throughout your HVAC system. This makes it challenging for your equipment to remove moisture while cooling your home.
3. Obstructed Condensate Drain
Your air conditioner collects moisture from your indoor air 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. Icy Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil removes both heat and moisture from your home's air supply. Ice formation or excessive dirt on the coil limits its effectiveness and often requires professional AC repair services to fix.
5. Loose Ductwork
Ductwork transports cool air throughout your home. Leaks in ductwork can pull warm, humid air from attics, crawl spaces or other unconditioned areas into your HVAC system. This additional moisture makes it more challenging to maintain comfortable humidity conditions.
6. Thermostat Fan Running on “On” Change to “Auto”
If your thermostat fan is running on "On" instead of "Auto", the blower continues 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 and hot summers, your HVAC system has to operate more to remove moisture from the air. Even when your air conditioner is operating correctly, sometimes your home feels muggy because outdoor humidity continually enters your home through doors, windows and normal air leakage.
8. Aging HVAC Equipment
As heating and cooling systems get older, they often become less effective at controlling humidity. HVAC maintenance improves performance, boosts efficiency and helps detect worn-out parts. Putting off regular air conditioning maintenance can decrease performance, including your system's ability to remove moisture.
Things to Check Before Calling an HVAC Technician
If your home feels humid, there are a few simple things you can check before requesting service. These simple troubleshooting steps are easy ways to improve indoor comfort by helping your HVAC system remove moisture more effectively.
- Replace a dirty air filter. A clean HVAC air filter allows proper airflow, helping your system cool 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 that supply and return vents are open and unblocked. Furniture over the vents or closed vents can limit 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.
- 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 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 parts. Do-it-yourself fixes may be tempting, but these repairs require specialized training and should always be performed by a qualified HVAC technician.
Could You Benefit from a Whole-Home Dehumidifier?
If you struggle 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 work in one room or area, a whole-home dehumidifier connects to your HVAC system to control humidity throughout your entire house.
Just one of Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating'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 a great choice for homes in humid areas or properties that struggle with humidity even with a properly functioning air conditioner.
When You Need to Schedule HVAC Service
Ongoing HVAC humidity issues often point to an underlying problem that requires professional repair. The technicians at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating will evaluate refrigerant charge, airflow, blower performance and evaporator coils to identify why your system isn't removing 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 an HVAC tune-up. Regular seasonal tune-ups help catch small problems before they become potentially expensive repairs. That's why Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating offers an HVAC maintenance plan that makes regular inspections cost-effective and hassle-free.
If basic troubleshooting doesn't solve the indoor humidity problems, trust Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating for dependable HVAC service in Pella, Iowa.
Schedule HVAC service online or call 641-628-3621 today to take care of high indoor humidity issues for good.
