The usual sequence: house runs hot, someone fits a bigger unit, it short-cycles and never pulls humidity out. Oversizing is why the house feels clammy at 74 degrees. Insulation is the cheaper fix and it is permanent.

This is most common in homes built before about 1940. Pre-war construction — galvanized supply, cast iron drains, cloth-wrapped wiring, ungrounded circuits.

Related

• Ductwork threaded through a house built for floor grates
• One central return for the whole house
• Water heater vents into the chimney and the furnace no longer does
• Silver-wrapped tape on old duct joints
• Additions still on window units
• Furnace runs but the house never warms evenly
• Electrical panel cannot support a modern condenser
• Filter slot is a gap behind a grille

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Written by Jaylan Jones. I Like To Fix earns a referral fee when a call connects to a contractor. See our business-model disclosure.