Summer is here. Your air conditioner starts running, but your home still feels muggy. Family members keep lowering the thermostat temperature. Now, some rooms are still uncomfortably humid while others feel too cold. Meanwhile, energy bills continue rising.
This is a typical challenge during humid summers in Ellsworth, WI. Many homeowners believe the answer is lowering the temperature, but comfort depends on more than your home’s temperature. Humidity plays a big part in how your home feels.
Managing summer humidity in Ellsworth, WI, is often the key to creating a more comfortable home. When indoor humidity gets too high, your instinct may be to make your cooling system work harder. Unfortunately, that’s usually not the most effective solution. Knowing how to reduce indoor humidity in summer can keep you comfortable without straining your air conditioner.
Why Humidity Makes Your Home Feel Hotter
If you’ve ever wondered, “Why does my house feel sticky?” the answer is excess humidity. Humidity is moisture in the air. When air is extremely humid, sweat evaporates more slowly, which often makes you feel warmer than the actual temperature. This can create a damp and uncomfortable home. The air feels heavier, you may have trouble sleeping and your home isn’t comfortable.
Most experts say ideal indoor humidity levels range between 30% and 50%. When humidity levels are higher, indoor humidity problems can develop.
How to Tell if Your Home Has Excess Humidity
Many homeowners don’t know humidity is the problem until it becomes a big issue.
Frequent high indoor humidity symptoms in Ellsworth, WI:
- Moisture on windows from condensation
- Musty smell in the house during summer
- Damp-feeling rooms
- Visible mold and mildew
- Some rooms are comfortable and others are not
- Home feels humid with AC running
- Frequent thermostat changes
Why Constantly Lowering the Thermostat Isn’t the Best Solution for Indoor Humidity
Turning down the thermostat may make your home cooler, but it won’t solve humidity issues. Overcooling by running your air conditioner hard can increase utility bills, create cold spots and shorten the lifespan of your air conditioner. Often, running your AC hard leaves you with a cold, still-humid home.
While air conditioners remove some moisture from your home, they are primarily designed to manage temperature. That’s why lowering the thermostat doesn’t fix the real issue: excess humidity.
How Your HVAC System Helps Control Humidity
As your AC cools your Ellsworth home, it also removes moisture from the air. Warm indoor air passes over the cooling coil, causing water vapor to condense and drain away.
Some AC units remove moisture better than others.
A variable-speed air conditioner often provides better HVAC humidity control because it runs longer at lower speeds. Longer run times allow the system to remove more moisture from the air while maintaining a pleasant indoor temperature.
Smart thermostat provide additional benefits. Many models monitor humidity levels and provide better insight into your home’s comfort conditions.
Regular maintenance matters, too. Annual AC tune-ups help boost performance, maintain efficiency and optimize humidity control while reducing the risk of breakdowns.
Improper AC Sizing: Making Humidity Worse
An AC unit that’s too big for your home can actually cause moisture issues. Because oversized systems cool a home very quickly, they tend to run in short cycles. The temperature drops, but the system doesn’t stay on long enough to remove as much moisture as it should.
By comparison, a properly sized AC runs longer and provides better HVAC humidity control. This is an example of the many reasons professional sizing is so important during air conditioning installation.
Benefits of Installing a Whole-Home Dehumidifier
An air conditioning system remove some humidity, especially variable-speed air conditioners. However, a whole-home dehumidifier is often the best, most effective way to remove excess humidity from your home.
A whole-home dehumidifier operates with your HVAC system to remove excess humidity during hot, muggy summer weather. Then, during the cold months, whole-home humidity control systems add moisture to dry, uncomfortable winter air.
How a whole-home humidity control system increases home comfort:
- Reduces humidity throughout the home
- Makes the home feel cooler without lowering the thermostat
- Improves indoor air quality
- Decreases the risk of mold and mildew
- Protects wood flooring and furniture from dry winter air
- Minimizes stress on your air conditioner
- Prevents musty smells in your house during summer
- Makes it easier to sleep
6 Ways to Manage Summer Humidity
A whole-home humidity control system is the best way to lower summer humidity in your home, but there are other steps you can take to improve comfort. If you’re wondering how to keep your house comfortable in humid weather, following this list of summer humidity tips can help.
- Replace Air Filters Often
Clogged filters limit airflow and reduce system performance. Clean filters help your AC remove humidity more effectively. - Turn on Bathroom and Kitchen Exhaust Fans
Bathing, cooking and routine household activities add moisture to your home. Exhaust fans help remove that humidity before it spreads. - Close Air Leaks
Cracks around windows and doors let moist outdoor air in your home. Sealing leaks helps keep wet air out. - Book Annual AC Maintenance
Routine AC maintenance helps overall system performance, including humidity removal. - Keep Windows Closed During Humid Weather
Leaving windows open during humid weather lets large amounts of moisture into your home. - Explore Indoor Air Quality Improvements
Indoor air quality solutions such as whole-home dehumidifiers/humidifiers and ventilation equipment are useful tools to create a healthier, more comfortable indoor environment.
Humidity Solutions for Ellsworth, WI
If your home feels damp, humid or uncomfortable in summer, excess humidity may be the problem. The good news is Walter's-Eaton's Electric, Plumbing, Heating & AC offers effective indoor comfort solutions that will make you much more comfortable than lowering the thermostat.
From AC maintenance and smart thermostats to whole-home dehumidifiers and system upgrades, Walter's-Eaton's Electric, Plumbing, Heating & AC can help you find the right solution for managing summer humidity in Ellsworth, WI. Contact us online or call 715-603-4483 today to discuss indoor comfort solutions for your home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Managing Summer Humidity in Ellsworth
What is the recommended indoor humidity level during summer?
The ideal indoor humidity level in the summer is between 30% and 50%. Keeping indoor moisture levels within this recommended range can help your home feel more pleasant while reducing the risk of mold development, musty odors and other moisture-related problems.
Why do rooms inside my home feel humid even with the AC running?
If your AC is not removing humidity like it should, areas of your home may feel muggy even when the temperature is cool. Common causes include clogged air filters/restricted airflow, an AC that’s too big for your home, high outdoor humidity or a system that needs maintenance.
Will a whole-home dehumidifier help lower energy bills?
Yes, a whole-home dehumidifier can improve energy efficiency and cooling costs because it makes your home feel comfortable at a higher temperature, reducing how often your AC unit runs. It’s also one of the most reliable indoor air quality solutions and humidity control for homes in Ellsworth, WI.
Is it true that it’s a bad idea to lower the thermostat too much during summer?
Yes, lowering the thermostat too much because it’s humid outside can boost cooling expenses, put extra wear on your cooling system and create rooms that feel cold but still humid. Addressing humidity directly is usually a more effective solution.
How can I tell if my HVAC system is controlling humidity properly?
Your HVAC system is likely controlling humidity properly if humidity levels remain between 30% and 50%, rooms are comfortable and you do not observe condensation, smell musty odors or find damp areas inside your home.
What leads to high humidity levels inside a home?
High indoor humidity in Ellsworth homes is often caused by humid outdoor air, air leaks, poor ventilation, improperly sized AC systems and everyday activities such as cooking, showering and doing laundry. These introduce humidity that can become trapped inside the home.
Will a new AC unit help with humidity control?
In many situations, yes, a properly sized variable-speed air conditioner can improve humidity control because it runs longer and removes more moisture from the air. However, homeowners with continued moisture concerns may also benefit from whole-home dehumidifier installation.
