Summer AC Checklist: Reduce Your Humidity in Massachusetts

When you live in a humid continental climate, skipping AC tune-ups hits you hard. Between the high humidity count and fluctuating temperatures, your system has to work overtime to keep you comfortable. Many New England homeowners find themselves conflicted in the warmer months. While many look forward to their summer vacation, others dread the sweltering mugginess. Whether you live in a Colonial-style home with the classic ‘hot second floor’ or want to make sure your cooling system doesn’t break down, we’ll help you reduce humidity in Massachusetts.

The Triple Threat of MetroWest Summers

New England’s magnificent beaches and old-fashioned houses may look straight out of a picture book, but this region’s summers are anything but serene. When homeowners call for AC repair in Massachusetts, it’s often because their unit faces a triple threat: humidity, fluctuating temperatures, and pollen.

High Humidity

When wet air rolls in from the ocean, it tends to stagnate over the relatively flat terrain of the Franklin, Bellingham, and Medway areas. This mixture of high heat and high humidity in Massachusetts results in sticky summers that cling to your skin and hair. Your cooling system may provide a little relief, but humidity later causes a host of problems. Air conditioning systems with dirty filters are at increased risk of mold growth. Even worse, your system’s cooling effect often feels weak since wet air naturally feels warmer.

Fluctuating Temperatures

If continental climates are known for anything, it’s being dynamic. Unlike more temperate climates that rarely hit extremes, continental climates get blistering summers and freezing winters. These intense temperature swings mean your air conditioning unit has to work double shifts to keep your home comfortable. If your home is older and doesn’t retain cooling very well, you’ll need to leave your system on longer to stay even remotely comfortable.

Heavy Pollen

When your eyes start to itch, and your nose starts running, you know spring is in the air. The state’s high concentration of pine, oak, and ragweed is not only rough on your sinuses, but it also taxes your air conditioning system. Improving your indoor air quality can look like installing a whole-home air filtration system to suck out some of the pollen.

3 Tips to Reduce Humidity in Your Home

This may sound surprising, but you can reduce humidity in Massachusetts homes with a few simple changes. Give these tips a try, then reach out to us for seasonal services to keep your AC in peak condition.

1. Improve Ventilation

While you may wonder how letting in humid outdoor air will help with your indoor humidity, give this tip a try. Opening your windows and doors daily will encourage more consistent airflow. Indoor humidity tends to worsen in close quarters because it can’t circulate well, so make sure to bring in some fresh air. Ideally, open your windows and doors during the early morning hours before it gets too hot.

2. Install a Dehumidifier

If your indoor humidity is particularly bad, consider installing a dehumidifier. This technology works similarly to an air purifier, but instead of drawing in airborne contaminants like dust and dirt, it pulls in moisture. The moisture collects on the dehumidifier’s internal coils, which gradually drip into a reservoir. Portable dehumidifiers require you to empty the reservoir from time to time, while a whole-home dehumidification system connects to your HVAC system and drains into a floor drain.

3. Change Your Cooking Habits

Who knew that a little change in how you prepare pasta could make your home more comfortable? Whenever you’re boiling, steaming, or frying food, cover up your pot or pan as much as possible to trap the steam. Too much hot, moist air wafting through your kitchen can worsen indoor humidity.

The Benefits of a Tune-Up in Spring or Summer

It’s better to be safe than sorry when facing down another classic Massachusetts summer. With so much humidity and heat wearing out your AC, you have a higher risk of a surprise breakdown when you least expect it. A simple tune-up before the extreme temperatures hit will help:

• Spot minor problems before they become serious issues
• Improve your AC’s performance with light cleaning or calibration
• Extend your system’s lifespan by keeping its internal parts in great condition
• Give you peace of mind, your system will hold strong through extreme seasons

If a technician realizes you actually need AC repair, you’ll be glad you got that out of the way before summer hits. An emergency call for an air conditioning system breakdown is more stressful and costly than a proactive maintenance visit.

Why Call Notturno?

When you’re facing down months of hot, sticky weather, you need an air conditioning service that knows the region like the back of its hand. Our family-owned business has helped homeowners reduce humidity in Massachusetts for nearly 20 years, keeping them comfortable with both quick tune-ups and new installations. Our service area spans Bellingham, Franklin, MetroWest, and many more, ensuring you get quality service as soon as possible. Working with Notturno also gives you a suite of convenient, cost-effective perks like:

• Membership program for discounts and regularly scheduled service
• Coupons to help you budget your next air conditioning appointment
• Financing to split your investments into multiple manageable payments

Don’t head into another muggy Massachusetts summer without double-checking your AC unit. Schedule your tune-up online to have one of our technicians drop by your home.