Why is my house humid when the AC is running?

Usually the air conditioner is oversized or short-cycling, so it cools the air before it has pulled the moisture out. Running the fan continuously makes it worse by re-evaporating water off the coil. Leaky return ducts pulling in attic air add to it. We check all three before recommending a dehumidifier.

What humidity should my house be?

Between 45 and 50 percent in summer. Above 55 percent for long stretches is where mold, dust mites and that sticky feeling start. A $10 hygrometer will tell you where you are.

Whole-home or portable dehumidifier?

A portable unit handles one room, needs its bucket emptied, and is loud. A whole-home unit is ducted into the system, drains itself, treats every room and runs when the AC does not. For a house, and especially a lake house that sits empty, whole-home.

How much does a whole-home dehumidifier cost installed?

Priced for the house and system and given in writing before any work starts. Capacity, where the air handler is, ducting and drain routing are what move it. The $65 trip charge is applied to the installation.

Will a dehumidifier lower my electric bill?

It uses electricity, but it usually lets you set the thermostat a couple of degrees warmer and feel more comfortable, and it stops the AC from running just to chase humidity. Many homes come out close to even and far more comfortable.

Does it work with a heat pump?

Yes. It ducts into any heat pump, furnace or ducted air handler and runs independently of the cooling.

Can it run while the house is empty?

That is the best use of it. Set it to 50 percent, and it keeps a closed-up lake house dry and mold-free between visits, whatever the thermostat is set to.

How much maintenance does it need?

A filter cleaning or change once or twice a year and a look at the drain. We can do it on a seasonal tune-up.

Whole-Home Dehumidifier Installation in Lago Vista, TX | Real Texas Plumbing

Whole-Home Dehumidifier Installation in Lago Vista, TX

Sticky house, sweating windows, towels that never dry, a musty smell when you open the lake house? A whole-home dehumidifier ducted into your system holds the house at 50 percent all season. We check whether the AC is the real problem first. Written price, $65 trip charge applied.

Licensed & Insured · TDLR AC Contractor TACLA22663C · Texas Responsible Master Plumber RMP44420 · 4.9 stars on Google · Family-owned since 2018 · Mon to Fri 7:30 AM to 8 PM, Sat 8 AM to noon

Real Texas Plumbing - Heating and Air installs whole-home dehumidifiers on heat pumps, furnaces and air handlers across Lago Vista, Jonestown, Point Venture, The Hollows and Lakeway. Humidity is the most common comfort complaint we hear from homes on and near the water, and it is often an air conditioner problem wearing a humidity costume, so we look at the system before we sell the equipment. Written price before any work starts; the $65 trip charge goes toward it.

Signs your house needs a dehumidifier

The house feels cold and clammy at 72 degrees, so you keep turning the thermostat down
Windows and sliding glass doors sweat on the inside
Towels and bath mats stay damp, closets smell musty, shoes get a white bloom
A musty smell hits you when you open up the lake house after a couple of weeks
Wood floors cup, doors stick, drywall tape bubbles
Mold spots in closets, behind furniture on outside walls, or on ceiling corners
A hygrometer reads above 55 percent most of the summer

Why Lago Vista homes run humid

Three reasons, and they stack. Homes on the lake and in the low draws near it sit in moist air from spring into fall. A lot of air conditioners here are oversized for the house: they blast the temperature down and shut off before the coil has run long enough to wring the moisture out, so the house is cool and sticky at the same time. And leaky return ducts in a 140-degree attic pull hot, humid attic air straight into the system. Weekend homes make it worse: a house closed up with the thermostat set at 82 never dehumidifies at all, and mold starts in the dark.

Fix the AC first, then dehumidify

Before we install anything we check three things: whether the air conditioner is oversized or short-cycling (a thermostat set to run the fan continuously makes this worse, because it re-evaporates the water off the coil), whether the return ducts are pulling in attic air (see duct sealing), and whether the system has a dehumidify setting that is turned off. Sometimes that is the whole fix. When the house still runs above 55 percent after that, a whole-home dehumidifier is the right tool, and we price it in writing.

How a whole-home dehumidifier works

It is a dedicated unit, usually in the attic or utility closet next to the air handler, ducted into the return or supply so it treats the whole house. It pulls moisture out independently of the air conditioner, so it keeps working on mild, muggy days when the AC barely runs, which is exactly when a house gets sticky. It drains to a condensate line like the AC does, runs off its own humidity control or your thermostat, and holds the house at the target you set, usually 45 to 50 percent. No buckets to empty, no portable unit humming in the hallway. It will typically let you set the thermostat a couple of degrees warmer and feel more comfortable, which offsets some of its running cost.

What does a whole-home dehumidifier cost in Lago Vista?

Priced for your house and system and given in writing before any work starts. What moves it: the size of the house and how humid it runs (which sets the unit capacity), where the air handler is and how the unit ducts in, whether a condensate drain is nearby or has to be run, and whether we are also sealing ducts or adjusting the AC. The $65 trip charge covers the visit and is applied to the installation.

How installation works

We check the system and measure. Humidity in the house, AC run times, duct condition, drain options.
Written price for the unit sized to the house, with the trip charge applied.
Install. Unit mounted and ducted into the system, drained to a condensate line with a safety switch, wired, and set to your target.
Set up and show you. How to read and adjust the humidity setting, and what to set it to before you leave the house for a stretch.

Dehumidifiers for lake houses and weekend homes

This is the single best investment for a Lago Vista, Point Venture or Hollows house that sits empty. Set it to 50 percent, leave the thermostat where you like, and the house stays dry and mold-free between visits. Pair it with a smart thermostat that reports humidity to your phone and a REME HALO on a fan schedule and you come back to a house that smells like nothing, which is the goal.

Where we install dehumidifiers

Lago Vista, including Highland Lake Estates, Bar-K Ranches, Lago Vista Country Club Estates, Tessera on Lake Travis, Lakeshore Ranch and Waterford; Jonestown, Point Venture, The Hollows, Lakeway, Leander, Cedar Park, Bee Cave and northwest Austin.

Lago Vista shop: 20811 Dawn Drive, Unit 706, Lago Vista, TX 78645. Lakeway location: 2802 Flintrock Trace, Lakeway, TX 78738.

Done with the sticky house? Call (512) 662-2949 or request service online.

Related services: indoor air quality, air purification, duct sealing and AC repair.

Check the AC and ducts first, then size, install, drain and set.

Check the system and measure

Indoor humidity, AC run times and sizing, duct condition and drain options. If the AC or a duct leak is the real cause, we say so.

Written price

A unit sized to the house, priced in writing with the $65 trip charge applied.

Install and drain

Mounted by the air handler, ducted into the system, drained to a condensate line with a safety switch, wired and set.

Set up and show you

How to read and adjust the setting, and what to set it to before leaving the house for a stretch.