If your home seems too humid, there could be a problem with your air conditioner. Your AC both cools and dehumidifies your home when it's running. When your AC malfunctions, humidity levels increase and your home can feel muggy and uncomfortable. Here are four things that can increase the humidity in your home and air conditioning repairs that might help.

1. The Refrigerant Is Low

If the refrigerant is slowly leaking out, your air conditioner won't work as efficiently. The refrigerant coils won't be able to cool down your home as much and in the process less condensation forms on the coils.

The AC removes humidity through condensation that's collected and removed from your home. If there's a problem with the coils, such as low refrigerant or iced over coils, your AC won't operate properly, and your home could become stuffy and muggy.

If the refrigerant is to blame, the air conditioning repair technician might clean the coils to get rid of dust that makes ice form, or they may need to find a leak and repair it so the refrigerant can be filled. When the refrigerant pressure is back to normal, your home will cool down and the AC will draw moisture from the air.

2. A Duct Is Leaking

If cool air is leaking out through one of the ducts in your home, there will be less cool, dry air in circulation in your living space. This allows the air in your home to get more humid. If the leak is very big, your AC might have a hard time keeping your house cool, and you'll have a double problem.

Fortunately, repairing a leaky duct is easy for an air conditioning repair service to do with mastic or repair tape. When the leak is repaired, your AC may even run less often to reach the setting on the thermostat, and that might save money on your power bill too.

3. Your AC Is Off

The only time your home is dehumidified is when the AC is running. If you turn the AC off and open the windows to enjoy a breeze when it's raining, your house will get humid fast. Your AC might need to run a long time to get all the humidity out of your home again. Consider keeping your air conditioner on all the time to keep the mugginess out of your home.

4. The Drain Line Is Clogged

If the drain line is clogged, the condensation pan may stay full all the time and add humidity to your indoor air. Since the AC makes condensation every time it runs, the drain should always be functional so the water can leave your house. If the drain clogs, water can spill around the HVAC and cause problems with excess moisture, mold, and water damage. An air conditioning repair technician can clean out the drain and empty the pan so water drains out of your house as it should.