Is High Humidity Ruining Your Indoor Comfort? How AC Maintenance Helps

Does your home still feel damp and uncomfortable, even though your air conditioner is cooling properly? Do not shrug the issue off as insignificant—scheduling routine AC maintenance can prevent these harmful long-term consequences.

• Good air movement can mask warm indoor temperatures, but it does not eliminate the discomfort from high humidity.
• High relative humidity can leave surfaces excessively moist, potentially degrading painted, stained, and sealed finishes on walls, furniture, and flooring. It can also leave surfaces feeling sticky to the touch.
• Moist, dark cool spaces promote mold and mildew growth. When they release spores, the spores trigger allergies and spread the problem around the home.

The ideal indoor humidity level should remain between 30% and 50%, even when outdoor humidity consistently reaches 70%, 80%, or higher.

Why Your AC Is Cooling but Failing to Dehumidify Your Home

If high humidity has been a reality in your home over the years, the most common reasons include:

• An improperly sized air conditioning system. Installation contracts gather information about the home and enter the data into a J-Load Calculation to determine the right-sized system for the home. An undersized system runs all the time and often cannot adequately cool or dehumidify a home. An oversized system cools the space so quickly that the evaporator coil does not have sufficient contact with humid air to remove the moisture. If your system runs too long or too short, request a J-Load Calculation during your next professional AC maintenance visit from Doctor Cool.
• Leaky ductwork. Summer outdoor humidity can hover between 90% and 100% for long stretches. If this air is entering the home via gaps in the ductwork, the dehumidification process cannot keep up with the constant flow of moist air from outdoors.
• Improper thermostat setting. If a thermostat is miscalibrated, it can create humidity issues by creating short cycles. However, keeping the FAN setting set to ON will also bring moisture back into the home. Here is how it happens. Warm, moist air is blown across the cool tubes of the evaporator coil and condensation happens naturally. The system is designed to let this condensation drip down to a collection pan and it drains away. When the fan is left ON continuously, this moisture can evaporate again and re-enter the home. Turn the FAN setting to AUTO to avoid this issue.

From Leaky Ducts to Dirty Filters: Surprising Causes of Indoor Moisture

If high humidity is a relatively recent occurrence, the common reasons are likely different.

• Inadequate airflow. Dehumidification and cooling require lots of airflow. The blower motor is designed to move the entire volume of air inside the home across the evaporator coils every 2 minutes or so. Anything that interferes with this airflow can reduce the amount of humidity that can be removed. Regular AC maintenance helps ensure dirty air filters are replaced before they clog and restrict essential airflow. Covering supply vents or return air vents will also reduce the amount of air that moves through the system. If the blower motor is old and weakened, it will produce similar results. The solution might be an easy fix or a bigger problem.
• Mechanical problems. Preventative AC maintenance catches wear on electrical sensors or switches before it impairs your system’s dehumidification power. A larger issue is the loss of refrigerant. Because refrigerant is under pressure, even a small pinhole can result in a leak. The loss of refrigerant is often accompanied by ice buildup on the evaporator coil, but this doesn’t always happen.

Doctor Cool’s service process may include:

• Data collection and testing
• Analysis of findings
• Recommendation of a solution
• Repairs
• Post-repair performance testing

How Professional AC Maintenance Solves Sudden Indoor Humidity Spikes

Don’t let high indoor humidity damage your home’s finishes or compromise your indoor air quality. The experienced team at Doctor Cool can accurately test your system, pinpoint the exact cause of your moisture issues, and provide targeted repairs. Call Doctor Cool at (281) 516-5935 today to schedule your comprehensive AC maintenance appointment and restore cool, crisp comfort to your home.