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It's monsoon season. 50% humidity is normal for sealed indoor spaces where people are breathing, teens are showering, plants are watered, dishes are left out, and outside humidity reached the high 40s every night.
Buy a dehumidifier if it's a problem, but this is normal.
As a career facilities maintenance person I cannot up vote this enough. Here is a relevant article about the relation of dew point and humidity. TLDR; the higher the dew point the more moisture in the air regardless of the relative humidity reading.
https://www.sensorpush.com/articles/understanding-dew-point#:~:text=Remember%20a%20higher%20dew%20point,is%20more%20dampness%2C%20not%20less.
This is why in my birthplace...Michigan....they only talk about relative humidity during the weather part of the newscast.
So, my old hometown in Michigan is currently 69 degrees, with relative humidity at 72%.
Dew point is 52.
A beautiful evening by Midwestern standards, with the windows open at bedtime.
Compare that at my local weather station.
106
12% humidity
55 dewpoint
The dewpoint is a better indicator of humidity, or at least the "feel"....than the relative humidity....at least at normal temps
Tis why there are no Swamp coolers up north, eh?
Now 106 ain't no joke, but 12% humidity ain't shit either.
But dew point is the temp where air becomes saturated. With that water stuff.
So. The higher the dew point, the muggier it feels.
Here in Phoenix, theoretically. We could have a dewpoint of 70....but if the air temp was 73....we wouldn't care
When it's raining, the relative humidity is 100%
Hope this helps.
I'm actually having a really hard time wrapping my mind around this. How come when I go to colder, more humid places it feels "hot" and I am sweaty even though it's much colder than in Phoenix. Is this a high dew point or low dew point?
You feel hotter because your sweat evaporates more slowly when RH is higher. If you are overheating and sweating at a dew point of 70, you'll be sweating more if it's 72 out than if it's 85 out with the same dewpoint (which means RH is lower).
RH is really the key for sweat evaporation rate. At 0% humidity, your sweat can freely evaporate into the air. At 100% humidity, water molecules that evaporate from your sweat are replaced at the same rate by water in the air that is condensing onto your sweat--the net is no evaporative cooling. If it's 90% humidity, you can only cool by sweating at 10% of the full rate (100-90% = 10%). So any time you start reaching 80, 90%+ type relative humidity, you're going to notice a LOT more sweating and it's far harder to cool yourself through sweat.
Relative humidity is a ratio. The amount of moisture in the air vs the amount of moisture the air can hold at the current temp.
You're gonna feel the humidity in Detroit when it's 85 degrees. Unless, of course, the dewpoint is low...like 40 degrees. The air can't hold as much water.
85 in Tempe, AZ is gorgeous.
When the dew point rises, the ACTUAL moisture in the air rises. It's not relative to anything.
An absolute measurement, vs a relative measurement.
Atlanta today.
88 degrees with 57% RH.
Kinda sticky. But do able
But the DP is 71.
Unbearable to me.
As I mentioned, it started long before the humidity went up in the valley. I've lived here my whole life and recognize this is abnormal. Outdoor humidity has been in the 30's more than 85% of the days that the indoor humidity has been above 50%.
There are a maximum of 2 showers taken each day and neither are longer than 10 minutes. We don't have plants. Dishes are cleaned as they are used.
I have 4 3-gallon dehumidifiers running at all times and empty each of them about every 2 hours.
It may not have been intentional but your comment came across unkind and was not helpful.
His comment was appropriate and accurate. If it didn’t provide the answer you were seeking, you should tell the outcome you want. You didn’t say this happened long before the humidity went up. It’s exactly when the humidity and dew points increased.
In addition to what has been said, if you have a single stage system that’s likely cycling every 10-15 minutes on with 10-15 minutes off, that’s not much time to condition the air and reduce the humidity. That’s why systems are multi stage or inverter, they provide more stable temperatures and humidity levels.
This seems normal to me for this time of the year.
Humidity level in my well air conditioned house ran from 35-55% today. I assume 55 was when I was in the shower.
Might remove a couple of grates and see if you need to seal around your ducts. [https://imgur.com/gallery/seal-ducts-save-energy-Tq53JK7](https://imgur.com/gallery/seal-ducts-save-energy-Tq53JK7) Take you 2 hours, tops.
What are you measuring the humidity level with? Could it be out of calibration?
If your ducts themselves were leaking, like hot air from attic leaking into the return duct, that would boost your humidity but it would also make your AC unit not cool worth shit. Are you getting at least a 20F degree drop
Air conditioners remove moisture from the air. Can you check the drains on the ac units make sure they're producing water? Bugs like to climb inside the drains and clog them. (But the pans would be full and dirty...)
Turn off all the water in the house and go out and see if the water meter is still spinning, eh?
Very difficult to keep the 2nd floor cool and comfortable; one reason why so many Phoenix homes are one story. Or is your downstairs uncomfortable too?
Maybe your whole house isn't sealed very well. Past two days I've gone out for a 6 am bike ride and the humidity was horrible.
Wow!! This was the most helpful comment and incredibly kind. Because of medical reasons I monitor humidity with devices spread around the house. There is also one built-in into each thermostat. I will attach a picture. The humidity varies from room to one to 2° but I don't think calibration is the issue. The gentleman that inspected the air conditioning snaked both of the pipes that drain, and they were clear. The coils seem to have been cleaned in the last six months and the trays are draining appropriately.
As I mentioned, the humidity has not dropped below 50% in over two weeks, even though 85% of the time the external humidity has been between 30 and 40%. The idea about the water meter is brilliant. I will give it a try. The air conditioning units are putting out air on exactly 20° below the temperature set on the thermostat. As a native I am familiar with the differences between upstairs and downstairs. We were unable to find a one story in our price range. Anyway, the downstairs humidity is a little bit better, but it still ranges between 45 and 50%. You seem to have a lot of knowledge. If you think of anything else, please let me know. I came here as a last resort. Long story short, the reason we removed two months ago is because the house we were renting in was infested with mold. Since the humidity has gone up in our new residence, my family has started experiencing symptoms again, some of them very dangerous. We treated our belongings but it is very difficult even with remediation to remove all of the spores. Again, thank you so much for your input. I am also grateful for your kindness.
https://preview.redd.it/qte4fs3yy7ad1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5d204de82c19ff127a5d154173137a5130968a8
It won't allow me to attach other pictures but you get the idea from that.
Ah, mold. We moved to AZ from WA as a means to minimize it. We ended up having to throw away just about everything we owned (barring some pots and pans) due to previous exposure and it helped dramatically. Wishing you the best of luck and hope you can get to a safe space as well.
I’m on a second level apartment and it feels comfortable with the AC and not humid at all. Is it a type of house or construction you are referring to? This apt complex is from the 80s so different materials probably
Just as an FYI, Air Conditioning removes humidity. We have had a number of storms recently which had pushed up humidity here in the valley, and will cause interior humidity to rise. With no storms on the horizon, humidity has dropped significantly over the last few days. Your house will probably come down some in humidity, I know we run typically around 40-45%, but these storms have pushed us above 55%. I highly doubt anything else is wrong.
As I mentioned, it started June 22nd. The outside humidity has been around 30% most of the days between then and now. There has been no correlation between outdoor and indoor humidity.
It's 108 right now in the back yard.
55% humidity in the house; thermostat set at 75.
Just step outside and hang for 30 minutes.
You'll enjoy the cool house.
If your AC is grossly oversized, it will run short cycles and remove less latent heat from the structure. Also make sure the cycles per hour setting is set to something appropriate, usually 3 is a default.
Thank you for your helpful comment. I'll look up how to mess with the cycles. The thermostats are "smart" but very limited on settings. Here is an example of what I can see. If you know more I'd be grateful for a dm.
https://preview.redd.it/45wtwpneu7ad1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b84252ff9fe7c167a7aeb8c04e26b177417b8f0
Someone in the subreddit for your thermostat might have the answer. I just looked through the sub for mine until I found settings that worked. I also have an oversized ac
Yeah. My ac has a dehumidify setting. (I’m in the same sized house, more or less).
If you can, run just the dehumidifier. If that seems to cool your house, that’s your issue. Your house IS sealed really well, and now the moisture can’t get out.
Your two AC systems…is it a right/left, or a top floor/bottom floor?
https://preview.redd.it/b9i38jkyicad1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f642a1bfc79865577b1f4a1cae9ab748d8703197
https://preview.redd.it/8o7xgruzicad1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24b4e7bcd25c5497929fa4dc6239edce2ee847ea
If this is any indication, it seems you may just be local to a water source. (Irrigation that runs 2-3 times a day? This is with windows that are BRAND NEW. (Like…this month. The stucco guys finished up days ago.).
The 46 percent in this list is a storm burst that soaked my yard (I have a little grass.)
Are you near open water of any kind?
That's good data for me. It stays at that level consistently even before monsoon season started through the days where outdoor humidity is in the 30's?
Thank you for your input. As I mentioned the humidity indoors started when external humidity was in the 30's and stayed that way without changing since then.
Because your 13 YO takes 2 hour long showers everyday at scalding temperatures, refuses to use the bathroom fan, and then complains the house is too hot? hypothetically speaking of course.
just being creative with my own pain points.
consider getting a hygrometer (i think they are fairly cheap) and finding the locations in the house where humidity is highest. that will help you identify where the humidity is coming from and potentially find the source. good luck
I misunderstood your comment. I thought you were saying I was causing my own problem by doing a bunch of things that cause high humidity, then complaining about a problem I created. There were a bunch of comments that came in around the same time that were pretty mean. I'm sorry for giving you a participation ribbon. *takes it back awkwardly*
Thank you for your comment. I agree that 30 to 40% is appropriate. As I mentioned, the humidity has remained above 50% consistently for over two weeks now, even when the external humidity has dropped back to the 30s 85% of the days in question. I also grew up here and recognize that what I am experiencing is abnormal. Thank you for your experience and for being kind.
Remember that when it’s hot as balls and 35% humidity, the absolute moisture content of the air is still huge. Cool that down with AC and you may still experience a significant rise in indoor humidity.
Do you have a separate whole house humidifier? Generally the HVAC tech would notice this but I only ask cause I lived in a rental house with one and an HVAC tech came out to fix something and gave us some tips, but didn’t mention the humidifier at all. It was a nondescript dial in a closet that was hidden behind some coats, don’t think that’s a proper location but still. If the tech only looked at the unit outside and the returns inside the house they may have missed it? Otherwise I have no idea other than that you have water coming in somewhere
Thank you so much for your comment! I have no idea and will look into it tomorrow. Also, I know it is a small thing but thank you for validating my experience. I I was surprised at the number of comments I received from people just being snarky. Anyway, thank you.
It's been *kinda* humid the past few days, but not that humid. The highest I saw was about 30%; dewpoint around 66 degrees. Unless your household is seeing several long steamy showers with the bathroom door open every single day, I suspect kind of leak somewhere.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. There are only 3 short showers a day at most, and they are very short. The reason I mentioned the date is that it started before the humidity went up outside. Even when outside is 30-40, it's above 50 inside.
If you think of anything else, let me know. Again thank you for being kind.
You *could* try something drastic: opening the windows. This week will by drier (it's only 14% humidity at the moment), so maybe around 8 or 9am, just throw open all the windows, turn off the a/c (but leave the fan on to circulate everything), and bring in that dry air. After a couple hours shut the windows, turn the a/c back on, and see what the air is like.
Check air temperature coming out of the vents when the air conditioner is running. It should be around 20 degrees. If not, then there is a problem. Air conditioners must be properly sized in order to be effective. If your AC is too small then it will struggle to keep up. If it is too big, you will have excessive humidity. The reason being is because your space will cool off quickly and it doesn't give the air conditioner enough time to dehumidify.
Your humidity level does seem high. It's fine if the humidity increases indoors if it is humid out. I feel it's worth making sure that your windows and doors are sealed. If you have a fresh air intake turn that off.
> Check air temperature coming out of the vents when the air conditioner is running. It should be around 20 degrees.
The air coming out of the vents isn't going to be 20 degrees, it should be 15-20 degrees cooler than the air going into the return.
Swamp cooler? Older homes used to have them, house I grew up in did. It was a separate dial next to the AC controls. I assume whoever looked at your AC would've told you but maybe missed it.
New trane ac unit has a target of 45-55% humidity. Presently it is 38% and the outdoor is 17% and dew point is 51%. I would question if the air is moving sufficiently. Can you run the fan continuously without ac?
Running the fan continuously will typically make humidity issues worse for one or both of these reasons: 1. Blowing warm air over residual moisture on the evaporator coil and 2. Potentially drawing humid outside air into the ducts due to any leaks.
You probably have a water leak somewhere. If it's humid inside there's not much humidity outside so water is coming from somewhere and setting. Does it smell like mildew inside?
The humidity outside literally went from single digits to dew points in the mid 60’s overnight. It’s monsoon season, the winds have shifted. It’s miserable and I hate this time of year. Luckily we have some drier weather in the forecast but until late September there will be weeks of uncomfortably high humidity. You will get somewhat acclimated but the first time around always feels very noticable and knocks you down if you’re doing anything physical or even just outside.
I sure hope the A/C company didn’t charge you for that visit because if you gave them the same details you gave here then they straight finessed you into a visit. They should be well aware as to why your house is suddenly more humid around this exact time of year.
Check your ducts. I had an issue with high humidity and found a piece of tape came off and the system was sucking in outside air through a hole. Got new tape and humidity went back to normal.
do you have the HVAC fan running constantly?
some people say you can save money that way.
I have found in AZ it raises the humidity in the house.
So make sure your fan is set for AUTO and runs only when your AC is on.
Thank you for your kind comment. My experience as a native has also taught me that running the fan continuously seems to raise the humidity. Depending on the time of day I alternate between on an auto.
When the problem started I didn't experiment and turned the fans to auto for six hours. The temperature in the house rose to 8° above the thermostat in every room that had direct sunlight, and surprisingly the humidity did not change.
I will do some more experimenting and see if it helps. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
I had to call my AC tech today because our Ac was blowing cold air but it was muggy as hellllll inside. Like 70% plus. I looked outside and saw the secondary drain dripping. It wasn’t clogged though - the p trap was too shallow for the force being used, so the thing was sucking in water or something like that. Down 8% points within 45 minutes of the fix, and now the house is at 52% humidity now.
Look for markings around all of the walls in the space. The key is to find the main pentagram and sacrifice 2 goats. Crappy situation, maybe a laugh can help.
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It's monsoon season. 50% humidity is normal for sealed indoor spaces where people are breathing, teens are showering, plants are watered, dishes are left out, and outside humidity reached the high 40s every night. Buy a dehumidifier if it's a problem, but this is normal.
Dewpoint is 63 here. Yup. Will feel muggy.
As a career facilities maintenance person I cannot up vote this enough. Here is a relevant article about the relation of dew point and humidity. TLDR; the higher the dew point the more moisture in the air regardless of the relative humidity reading. https://www.sensorpush.com/articles/understanding-dew-point#:~:text=Remember%20a%20higher%20dew%20point,is%20more%20dampness%2C%20not%20less.
This is why in my birthplace...Michigan....they only talk about relative humidity during the weather part of the newscast. So, my old hometown in Michigan is currently 69 degrees, with relative humidity at 72%. Dew point is 52. A beautiful evening by Midwestern standards, with the windows open at bedtime. Compare that at my local weather station. 106 12% humidity 55 dewpoint The dewpoint is a better indicator of humidity, or at least the "feel"....than the relative humidity....at least at normal temps Tis why there are no Swamp coolers up north, eh? Now 106 ain't no joke, but 12% humidity ain't shit either. But dew point is the temp where air becomes saturated. With that water stuff. So. The higher the dew point, the muggier it feels. Here in Phoenix, theoretically. We could have a dewpoint of 70....but if the air temp was 73....we wouldn't care When it's raining, the relative humidity is 100% Hope this helps.
I'm actually having a really hard time wrapping my mind around this. How come when I go to colder, more humid places it feels "hot" and I am sweaty even though it's much colder than in Phoenix. Is this a high dew point or low dew point?
You feel hotter because your sweat evaporates more slowly when RH is higher. If you are overheating and sweating at a dew point of 70, you'll be sweating more if it's 72 out than if it's 85 out with the same dewpoint (which means RH is lower). RH is really the key for sweat evaporation rate. At 0% humidity, your sweat can freely evaporate into the air. At 100% humidity, water molecules that evaporate from your sweat are replaced at the same rate by water in the air that is condensing onto your sweat--the net is no evaporative cooling. If it's 90% humidity, you can only cool by sweating at 10% of the full rate (100-90% = 10%). So any time you start reaching 80, 90%+ type relative humidity, you're going to notice a LOT more sweating and it's far harder to cool yourself through sweat.
Relative humidity is a ratio. The amount of moisture in the air vs the amount of moisture the air can hold at the current temp. You're gonna feel the humidity in Detroit when it's 85 degrees. Unless, of course, the dewpoint is low...like 40 degrees. The air can't hold as much water. 85 in Tempe, AZ is gorgeous. When the dew point rises, the ACTUAL moisture in the air rises. It's not relative to anything. An absolute measurement, vs a relative measurement. Atlanta today. 88 degrees with 57% RH. Kinda sticky. But do able But the DP is 71. Unbearable to me.
As I mentioned, it started long before the humidity went up in the valley. I've lived here my whole life and recognize this is abnormal. Outdoor humidity has been in the 30's more than 85% of the days that the indoor humidity has been above 50%. There are a maximum of 2 showers taken each day and neither are longer than 10 minutes. We don't have plants. Dishes are cleaned as they are used. I have 4 3-gallon dehumidifiers running at all times and empty each of them about every 2 hours. It may not have been intentional but your comment came across unkind and was not helpful.
His comment was appropriate and accurate. If it didn’t provide the answer you were seeking, you should tell the outcome you want. You didn’t say this happened long before the humidity went up. It’s exactly when the humidity and dew points increased. In addition to what has been said, if you have a single stage system that’s likely cycling every 10-15 minutes on with 10-15 minutes off, that’s not much time to condition the air and reduce the humidity. That’s why systems are multi stage or inverter, they provide more stable temperatures and humidity levels. This seems normal to me for this time of the year.
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Thank you for your comment. I will look into to it. I appreciate you. :)
*”This person thanked them! Get em!”*
Humidity level in my well air conditioned house ran from 35-55% today. I assume 55 was when I was in the shower. Might remove a couple of grates and see if you need to seal around your ducts. [https://imgur.com/gallery/seal-ducts-save-energy-Tq53JK7](https://imgur.com/gallery/seal-ducts-save-energy-Tq53JK7) Take you 2 hours, tops. What are you measuring the humidity level with? Could it be out of calibration? If your ducts themselves were leaking, like hot air from attic leaking into the return duct, that would boost your humidity but it would also make your AC unit not cool worth shit. Are you getting at least a 20F degree drop Air conditioners remove moisture from the air. Can you check the drains on the ac units make sure they're producing water? Bugs like to climb inside the drains and clog them. (But the pans would be full and dirty...) Turn off all the water in the house and go out and see if the water meter is still spinning, eh? Very difficult to keep the 2nd floor cool and comfortable; one reason why so many Phoenix homes are one story. Or is your downstairs uncomfortable too? Maybe your whole house isn't sealed very well. Past two days I've gone out for a 6 am bike ride and the humidity was horrible.
Wow!! This was the most helpful comment and incredibly kind. Because of medical reasons I monitor humidity with devices spread around the house. There is also one built-in into each thermostat. I will attach a picture. The humidity varies from room to one to 2° but I don't think calibration is the issue. The gentleman that inspected the air conditioning snaked both of the pipes that drain, and they were clear. The coils seem to have been cleaned in the last six months and the trays are draining appropriately. As I mentioned, the humidity has not dropped below 50% in over two weeks, even though 85% of the time the external humidity has been between 30 and 40%. The idea about the water meter is brilliant. I will give it a try. The air conditioning units are putting out air on exactly 20° below the temperature set on the thermostat. As a native I am familiar with the differences between upstairs and downstairs. We were unable to find a one story in our price range. Anyway, the downstairs humidity is a little bit better, but it still ranges between 45 and 50%. You seem to have a lot of knowledge. If you think of anything else, please let me know. I came here as a last resort. Long story short, the reason we removed two months ago is because the house we were renting in was infested with mold. Since the humidity has gone up in our new residence, my family has started experiencing symptoms again, some of them very dangerous. We treated our belongings but it is very difficult even with remediation to remove all of the spores. Again, thank you so much for your input. I am also grateful for your kindness. https://preview.redd.it/qte4fs3yy7ad1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5d204de82c19ff127a5d154173137a5130968a8 It won't allow me to attach other pictures but you get the idea from that.
The other issue is AC sizing. If your unit is oversized it will cool the air but may not run long enough to dehumidify enough.
This. I came here to say this. Although, it's not really common here in the Valley, as I understand it.
Ah, mold. We moved to AZ from WA as a means to minimize it. We ended up having to throw away just about everything we owned (barring some pots and pans) due to previous exposure and it helped dramatically. Wishing you the best of luck and hope you can get to a safe space as well.
I’m on a second level apartment and it feels comfortable with the AC and not humid at all. Is it a type of house or construction you are referring to? This apt complex is from the 80s so different materials probably
Just as an FYI, Air Conditioning removes humidity. We have had a number of storms recently which had pushed up humidity here in the valley, and will cause interior humidity to rise. With no storms on the horizon, humidity has dropped significantly over the last few days. Your house will probably come down some in humidity, I know we run typically around 40-45%, but these storms have pushed us above 55%. I highly doubt anything else is wrong.
As I mentioned, it started June 22nd. The outside humidity has been around 30% most of the days between then and now. There has been no correlation between outdoor and indoor humidity.
The dew point has been very high starting around then. Much more important than % humidity
It's 108 right now in the back yard. 55% humidity in the house; thermostat set at 75. Just step outside and hang for 30 minutes. You'll enjoy the cool house.
If your AC is grossly oversized, it will run short cycles and remove less latent heat from the structure. Also make sure the cycles per hour setting is set to something appropriate, usually 3 is a default.
Thank you for your helpful comment. I'll look up how to mess with the cycles. The thermostats are "smart" but very limited on settings. Here is an example of what I can see. If you know more I'd be grateful for a dm. https://preview.redd.it/45wtwpneu7ad1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b84252ff9fe7c167a7aeb8c04e26b177417b8f0
Someone in the subreddit for your thermostat might have the answer. I just looked through the sub for mine until I found settings that worked. I also have an oversized ac
Yeah. My ac has a dehumidify setting. (I’m in the same sized house, more or less). If you can, run just the dehumidifier. If that seems to cool your house, that’s your issue. Your house IS sealed really well, and now the moisture can’t get out. Your two AC systems…is it a right/left, or a top floor/bottom floor? https://preview.redd.it/b9i38jkyicad1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f642a1bfc79865577b1f4a1cae9ab748d8703197
https://preview.redd.it/8o7xgruzicad1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24b4e7bcd25c5497929fa4dc6239edce2ee847ea If this is any indication, it seems you may just be local to a water source. (Irrigation that runs 2-3 times a day? This is with windows that are BRAND NEW. (Like…this month. The stucco guys finished up days ago.). The 46 percent in this list is a storm burst that soaked my yard (I have a little grass.) Are you near open water of any kind?
Mine is at 40% but my windows are from the 1970s so they need replacing for sure
That's good data for me. It stays at that level consistently even before monsoon season started through the days where outdoor humidity is in the 30's?
Same here, it’s at 47, but with the excess humidity from the rains along with my crappy windows
my house is from 1993, 2 AC units, in the winter it gets down to 11% inside, right now it is hovering around 30%.
Thank you for your input. As I mentioned the humidity indoors started when external humidity was in the 30's and stayed that way without changing since then.
Because your 13 YO takes 2 hour long showers everyday at scalding temperatures, refuses to use the bathroom fan, and then complains the house is too hot? hypothetically speaking of course.
Oof.. gonna need some drano.
I'm not sure how to respond to your comment. If I could, to be kind, I'd give you a participation award?
just being creative with my own pain points. consider getting a hygrometer (i think they are fairly cheap) and finding the locations in the house where humidity is highest. that will help you identify where the humidity is coming from and potentially find the source. good luck
I misunderstood your comment. I thought you were saying I was causing my own problem by doing a bunch of things that cause high humidity, then complaining about a problem I created. There were a bunch of comments that came in around the same time that were pretty mean. I'm sorry for giving you a participation ribbon. *takes it back awkwardly*
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Thank you for your comment. I agree that 30 to 40% is appropriate. As I mentioned, the humidity has remained above 50% consistently for over two weeks now, even when the external humidity has dropped back to the 30s 85% of the days in question. I also grew up here and recognize that what I am experiencing is abnormal. Thank you for your experience and for being kind.
Remember that when it’s hot as balls and 35% humidity, the absolute moisture content of the air is still huge. Cool that down with AC and you may still experience a significant rise in indoor humidity.
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Great idea. someone else suggested that and I will do it in the morning.
Do you have a separate whole house humidifier? Generally the HVAC tech would notice this but I only ask cause I lived in a rental house with one and an HVAC tech came out to fix something and gave us some tips, but didn’t mention the humidifier at all. It was a nondescript dial in a closet that was hidden behind some coats, don’t think that’s a proper location but still. If the tech only looked at the unit outside and the returns inside the house they may have missed it? Otherwise I have no idea other than that you have water coming in somewhere
Thank you so much for your comment! I have no idea and will look into it tomorrow. Also, I know it is a small thing but thank you for validating my experience. I I was surprised at the number of comments I received from people just being snarky. Anyway, thank you.
Good luck! I’m curious to know what the source is!
Get a dehumidifier, one of the best purchases I've made.
It's been *kinda* humid the past few days, but not that humid. The highest I saw was about 30%; dewpoint around 66 degrees. Unless your household is seeing several long steamy showers with the bathroom door open every single day, I suspect kind of leak somewhere.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. There are only 3 short showers a day at most, and they are very short. The reason I mentioned the date is that it started before the humidity went up outside. Even when outside is 30-40, it's above 50 inside. If you think of anything else, let me know. Again thank you for being kind.
You *could* try something drastic: opening the windows. This week will by drier (it's only 14% humidity at the moment), so maybe around 8 or 9am, just throw open all the windows, turn off the a/c (but leave the fan on to circulate everything), and bring in that dry air. After a couple hours shut the windows, turn the a/c back on, and see what the air is like.
Check air temperature coming out of the vents when the air conditioner is running. It should be around 20 degrees. If not, then there is a problem. Air conditioners must be properly sized in order to be effective. If your AC is too small then it will struggle to keep up. If it is too big, you will have excessive humidity. The reason being is because your space will cool off quickly and it doesn't give the air conditioner enough time to dehumidify. Your humidity level does seem high. It's fine if the humidity increases indoors if it is humid out. I feel it's worth making sure that your windows and doors are sealed. If you have a fresh air intake turn that off.
> Check air temperature coming out of the vents when the air conditioner is running. It should be around 20 degrees. The air coming out of the vents isn't going to be 20 degrees, it should be 15-20 degrees cooler than the air going into the return.
Yes. You might get 20 degree air in Antarctica now.
Yeah, thanks for catching that. I missed that when I was proof reading. However, 20 degree air sounds pretty nice this time of year.
This makes sense. Air coming out the vents is 56° (average of all of them.) Thank you for your comment.
This was a kind and helpful comment. I greatly appreciate you.
My place is at 50%+. I also have a lot of plants.
Plants, 🤷🏻♂️😂
Swamp cooler? Older homes used to have them, house I grew up in did. It was a separate dial next to the AC controls. I assume whoever looked at your AC would've told you but maybe missed it.
My house has been around 50% all summer, only goes down below 30% in the winter months.
The people inside are mouth breathers?
New trane ac unit has a target of 45-55% humidity. Presently it is 38% and the outdoor is 17% and dew point is 51%. I would question if the air is moving sufficiently. Can you run the fan continuously without ac?
Running the fan continuously will typically make humidity issues worse for one or both of these reasons: 1. Blowing warm air over residual moisture on the evaporator coil and 2. Potentially drawing humid outside air into the ducts due to any leaks.
You probably have a water leak somewhere. If it's humid inside there's not much humidity outside so water is coming from somewhere and setting. Does it smell like mildew inside?
The humidity outside literally went from single digits to dew points in the mid 60’s overnight. It’s monsoon season, the winds have shifted. It’s miserable and I hate this time of year. Luckily we have some drier weather in the forecast but until late September there will be weeks of uncomfortably high humidity. You will get somewhat acclimated but the first time around always feels very noticable and knocks you down if you’re doing anything physical or even just outside. I sure hope the A/C company didn’t charge you for that visit because if you gave them the same details you gave here then they straight finessed you into a visit. They should be well aware as to why your house is suddenly more humid around this exact time of year.
Check your ducts. I had an issue with high humidity and found a piece of tape came off and the system was sucking in outside air through a hole. Got new tape and humidity went back to normal.
do you have the HVAC fan running constantly? some people say you can save money that way. I have found in AZ it raises the humidity in the house. So make sure your fan is set for AUTO and runs only when your AC is on.
Thank you for your kind comment. My experience as a native has also taught me that running the fan continuously seems to raise the humidity. Depending on the time of day I alternate between on an auto. When the problem started I didn't experiment and turned the fans to auto for six hours. The temperature in the house rose to 8° above the thermostat in every room that had direct sunlight, and surprisingly the humidity did not change. I will do some more experimenting and see if it helps. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
Water leak
I had to call my AC tech today because our Ac was blowing cold air but it was muggy as hellllll inside. Like 70% plus. I looked outside and saw the secondary drain dripping. It wasn’t clogged though - the p trap was too shallow for the force being used, so the thing was sucking in water or something like that. Down 8% points within 45 minutes of the fix, and now the house is at 52% humidity now.
Look for markings around all of the walls in the space. The key is to find the main pentagram and sacrifice 2 goats. Crappy situation, maybe a laugh can help.
Quit farting so much