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Tag: AC problems

Why Your House Is Too Hot During a Heat Wave (And What to Actually Do About It)

Posted on by Bowman

If your house has been too hot during this heat wave and you’re convinced your AC is dying, hold off before you call anyone in a panic. It might be, sure. But there’s a decent chance your system is actually doing exactly what it’s supposed to do and just getting absolutely overwhelmed by conditions it was never designed to handle.

 

We’ve been out on a lot of calls this week. When it’s 100 degrees outside with a heat index pushing 110, that changes the math on what your air conditioner can realistically accomplish. Here’s what’s going on and what you can actually do about it.

Your AC Was Not Designed for This

Most residential HVAC systems are sized to maintain about a 20-degree difference between the outdoor temperature and your indoor set point. So if it’s 95 outside, a properly sized system should be able to hold 75 inside without too much trouble. When it’s 102 degrees with brutal humidity on top of that, you’re asking the system to do more than it was ever engineered for.

 

That doesn’t mean it’s broken. It means it’s running constantly and still losing ground, which is genuinely different from a mechanical failure. The first thing to figure out is whether you’re dealing with an overwhelmed system or an actual problem. A system that’s running nonstop but still putting out cold air at the vents is probably just working as hard as it can. A system that’s running nonstop and blowing warm or barely cool air is a different story and worth a call.

What to Do When the House Is Too Hot in a Heat Wave

The goal during extreme heat isn’t to win, it’s to reduce how hard your system has to work so it can at least keep the house livable. A few things that actually help:

 

Keep blinds and curtains closed on any windows that get direct sun during the day. This sounds basic but it makes a real difference. South and west-facing windows in the afternoon are especially brutal, and a lot of the heat load your AC is fighting is coming straight through the glass.

 

Set your thermostat and leave it alone. Dropping the set point when it’s this hot doesn’t make the system cool faster, it just makes it run longer. Pick a temperature you can live with, something in the 76 to 78 range if your system is struggling, and let it work. Constantly adjusting it up and down doesn’t help anyone. Once the ambient outdoor temperature drops to a reasonable level when the sun is down and your system isn’t constantly running, you can set the thermostat lower (keeping in mind the ~20-degree rule). This can help it stay cooler a bit longer in the morning as well.

 

Run ceiling fans in rooms you’re occupying. Fans don’t cool the air but they make you feel cooler by helping to evaporate moisture from your skin, which means you can tolerate a higher thermostat setting without being miserable. Make sure that the blades are angled up in the direction that the fan is turning so that it pushes air downward. Another added benefit is that fans cause turbulence as they circulate the air, which helps distribute the cool air rather than leaving it lying low to the ground. Just remember to turn them off when you leave the room since they only help if someone’s in there to feel them.

 

Avoid running heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day. Ovens, dryers, dishwashers—all of these dump heat into the house at exactly the wrong time. Push laundry and cooking to the morning or evening if you can.

 

Check your air filter. A clogged filter during a heat wave is a problem. It restricts airflow across the evaporator coil, which reduces the system’s ability to move heat out of the house at the exact moment you need it working at full capacity. If you haven’t changed it in a while, change it now.

Signs Something Is Actually Wrong

Like we said, a system running constantly in extreme heat isn’t automatically broken. But there are a few things that do indicate a real mechanical issue worth looking at.

 

If the air coming out of your vents isn’t cold (not just “not as cold as I’d like” but genuinely warm or room temperature) that points toward a refrigerant issue or a failing compressor. If you see ice forming on the refrigerant lines or the indoor unit, that’s also a sign something’s off, usually low refrigerant or an airflow problem. And if the system is short cycling, meaning it kicks on for a few minutes and then shuts off repeatedly without completing a full run, that’s worth a call too.

 

The short version: if it’s blowing cold and running constantly, give it time and reduce your load. If it’s not blowing cold, call someone.

If You’ve Been Thinking About an Upgrade

Heat waves have a way of making people finally pull the trigger on a replacement they’ve been putting off. If your system is more than 12 to 15 years old and is really struggling this week, it’s not going to get better. Older systems lose efficiency every year, and extreme heat exposes that faster than anything.

 

If that’s where you’re at, we’re happy to come take a look and give you a straight answer on whether repair or replacement makes more sense. Check out our AC and cooling services for more on what that process looks like, or get in touch here to schedule something.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t my AC keep up when it’s over 100 degrees?

Most residential systems are designed to maintain roughly a 20-degree difference between outdoor and indoor temperatures. When it’s 100 or above, especially with high humidity on top of that, you’re pushing past what the system was sized for. Running constantly and still losing a few degrees is normal in extreme heat. It doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong.

Should I turn my AC off during a heat wave to give it a rest?

No. Turning it off lets the house heat up significantly, and then the system has to work even harder to bring the temperature back down when you turn it back on. Better to keep it running at a slightly higher set point than to cycle it off and on.

How do I know if my AC is broken or just overwhelmed by the heat?

Check what’s coming out of the vents. If it’s cold air and the system is just running constantly, it’s probably overwhelmed rather than broken. If the air is warm or barely cool, if you see ice on the unit or lines, or if the system keeps shutting off after only a few minutes of running, those are signs of an actual mechanical issue worth having someone look at.

What temperature should I set my thermostat to during a heat wave?

Something in the 76 to 78 range is realistic when it’s extremely hot outside. Trying to hold 70 or 72 during a heat wave puts enormous strain on the system and may not even be achievable. Ceiling fans, closed blinds, and avoiding heat-generating appliances during peak afternoon hours will make a higher set point feel much more comfortable.

Why Your House Feels Humid Even With the AC Running

Posted on by Bowman

We get calls about this pretty regularly in the summer. The AC is running, the thermostat reads 73 or 74 degrees, and the homeowner still feels like they’re walking through soup. If your house feels humid with the AC on, there’s a real reason for it. It’s not just the weather and it’s not in your head.

Air conditioning does two things at once. It cools the air and it pulls moisture out of it. Most people only think about the first part, but honestly the second part is just as important for comfort, especially in North Carolina. When a system is working right, you don’t notice the humidity side of things. When something’s off, you absolutely do.

Here are the most common causes we see when we go out on calls like this.

The System Might Be Too Big for the House

That sounds backwards. Bigger should be better, right? But an oversized AC is one of the most common reasons a house feels humid with the AC on, and it trips people up every time.

Here’s the thing: moisture removal happens while the system is running. Warm, humid air passes over the evaporator coil, the moisture condenses on that coil, and drains away. That process needs time, usually a good 10 to 15 minutes of sustained runtime to actually make a dent in the humidity. An oversized system cools the air so fast that it hits your set temperature in five or six minutes and shuts off. The house cools down, but the air is still loaded with moisture.

This is called short cycling, and it’s a humidity problem as much as anything else. If your system seems to kick on and off constantly and your home always feels sticky even though the temperature is fine, oversizing is worth looking into. It’s not a quick fix since properly sizing a system means replacing it, but at least you’d know what you’re dealing with.

A Dirty Evaporator Coil Is a Really Common Culprit

The evaporator coil is the component inside your air handler where the actual moisture removal happens. When it gets coated in dust and grime over time, it can’t do that job as well. The system still runs and air still moves through the house, but the coil’s ability to condense moisture out of the air drops off.

The frustrating part is that it happens gradually, so it’s easy to miss. The house gets a little more humid each summer and you just kind of adjust to it. By the time it’s noticeably bad, you’ve forgotten what the system felt like when it was clean.

This is a big part of why annual maintenance matters beyond just checking the system. When we do a tune-up we’re cleaning that coil, clearing the condensate drain, and making sure everything involved in moisture removal is working the way it should. If you haven’t had the system serviced in a while, that’s honestly the first place we’d start. Take a look at what our preventative maintenance visits include if you want to know more about what that actually involves.

Low Refrigerant Affects Humidity Too, Not Just Cooling

When a system is low on refrigerant, usually from a slow leak somewhere, the evaporator coil gets colder than it should and can actually freeze over. A frozen coil does nothing for humidity, and as it thaws the water overflow can cause its own problems. Even before it gets to that point, low refrigerant reduces how effectively the coil handles moisture.

If you’re seeing ice on the refrigerant lines or the indoor unit, or if the system is running constantly but not cooling well, refrigerant could be the issue. This one needs a licensed technician. You can’t just add refrigerant and call it a day because the leak has to be found and repaired first, otherwise you’re just buying time.

Your Home Might Be Introducing More Moisture Than You Realize

Sometimes the AC is actually doing its job and the problem is the sheer volume of moisture coming into the house. We see this a lot in older homes around the Triangle.

North Carolina already throws a lot at us. We get 46 inches of rain per year, summer dewpoints that sit in the upper 60s for months at a time, and a lot of older housing stock that doesn’t seal particularly well. Add in a crawlspace without a proper vapor barrier, a bathroom exhaust fan that vents into the attic instead of outside, or a dryer duct that’s come loose somewhere, and you can have moisture pouring into the house faster than any AC system is designed to handle.

If the system checks out fine mechanically but the house still feels muggy, it’s worth walking through the home with an eye toward where that moisture is actually coming from. Crawlspace encapsulation alone makes a dramatic difference in a lot of Raleigh-area homes.

Leaky Ducts Can Work Against You in Summer

Duct leakage gets talked about mostly as an energy efficiency issue, but in a humid climate it’s a comfort issue too. If your return ducts run through an unconditioned attic or crawlspace and they’re leaking, they can pull hot, humid outside air directly into the system before it even reaches the evaporator coil. Now you’re fighting a constant influx of moisture the system wasn’t sized to handle.

We see this in a lot of homes that were built before tighter duct standards became common. If the house has always been a little muggy in summer and you’ve never had the ductwork looked at, that’s worth putting on the list.

When a Whole-Home Dehumidifier Is the Right Answer

If the system is properly sized, maintenance is current, the ducts are in decent shape, and the house is still humid, a dedicated whole-home dehumidifier is something we’d bring up. These units install inline with your existing HVAC system and run independently of the AC to hold the house at a target humidity level, usually somewhere between 45 and 55 percent. In a climate like ours they can make a real difference, especially for families dealing with allergies or anyone who just wants the house to actually feel comfortable in July.

They’re not a substitute for a well-functioning AC, but as a complement to one they work really well. You can check out our cooling services page for more on comfort solutions we offer.

Bottom Line

A house that feels humid with the AC on is almost always fixable. It might be a maintenance issue, a sizing problem, a moisture source nobody has addressed, or leaky ductwork, but there’s usually a clear reason once someone actually looks at the whole picture. You shouldn’t have to just live with it.

If you’re in Garner, Raleigh, or anywhere else in the Triangle and you’re tired of your house feeling muggy all summer, give us a call. We’ve been working on homes in this area for over 30 years and we’re happy to come take a look. Reach out here to get something scheduled.

Frequently Asked Questions

What humidity level should my home be at with the AC running?

Somewhere between 45 and 55 percent relative humidity is the sweet spot for most people. Above 60 percent starts to feel noticeably muggy, and it also creates conditions where mold and dust mites do well. A cheap digital hygrometer from any hardware store will tell you exactly where you’re sitting.

Can an AC unit actually be too big for a house?

Yes, and it’s more common than most people expect. An oversized system cools the air too fast, short cycles, and never runs long enough to remove humidity properly. The house hits the target temperature but still feels uncomfortable. Getting sizing right requires a Manual J load calculation, not just matching whatever was there before.

Does annual maintenance actually help with humidity problems?

It can, yes. A proper tune-up includes cleaning the evaporator coil, checking refrigerant levels, and clearing the condensate drain line, all things that directly affect how well the system removes moisture from the air. If the humidity problem is relatively new, a maintenance visit is a reasonable first step before assuming the system needs to be replaced.

How often should I be changing my air filter?

A clogged filter restricts airflow across the evaporator coil, which hurts the system’s ability to remove moisture. For most homes in the Triangle, checking it monthly and replacing it every one to three months is a good baseline. During pollen season you might be doing it more often. Thicker media filters can go longer, just follow what the manufacturer recommends.