How I finally solved that sticky fridge feeling in my room

I went thru this exact thing with my LG 8,000 BTU unit last July when we had that massive heatwave. I thought cranking it down to 62 or 64 whould make my bedroom an ice box, but I woke up feeling like I was sleeping in a swamp. My sheets actualy felt heavy and damp to the touch, and my cheap hygrometer was reading almost 70% humidity even though the air coming out of the vents was freezing. Switching off Eco mode was the biggest fix for me. I realized that when the fan stops, all that condensation on the evaporator coils just evaporates back into the room air. Now I keep the fan on the "High" setting constantly rather than "Auto." It's a bit noisier, but it keeps the air moving over the coils so the moisture actually drips out the back of the unit like it’s supposed to. I eventually settled on 69 degrees. It sounds high when you're sweating, but once the humidity drops below 50%, 69 feels way colder and more comfortable than 64 ever did. If you're still feeling sticky, try the "Dry" mode for an hour if your unit has it; it really pulls the water out fast before you switch back to regular cooling.

Are we sure it’s just the settings? I’ve seen this happen when the unit is actually too powerful for the space. Have you ruled out the possibility that your AC is oversized? If it's a 12,000 BTU unit in a tiny bedroom, it’ll hit that 64-degree target so fast that it never runs long enough to actually dehumidify, regardless of the mode. Also, check the tilt. If it isn't angled slightly toward the outside, that condensate just pools in the pan and gets picked up by the slinger ring, spraying it right back onto the coils. Might be worth checking your drainage before you assume it's just the thermostat setting.

Seen this a thousand times since they moved away from the old R-22 beasties. These modern units are designed with a 'slinger ring' on the fan to splash condensate onto the outdoor coils. It's supposed to help efficiency, but in a real humid stretch, it just keeps the whole tray full of warm soup. Back in the day, we’d just let it drain out a weep hole. If yours has a rubber drain plug in the back, pull the damn thing. It’ll stop the 'swamp breath' coming off the vents. I’ve even had to drill out a few new units just to get the humidity to actualy leave the building.

You should also examine the integrity of your accordion side panels and the sash seal, because if you have even a marginal gap, the pressure differential created by the blower will pull in unconditioned, humid outdoor air through the venturi effect, essentially negating the dehumidification cycle. Furthermore, when you set the setpoint that low, you're likely pushing the evaporator coil temperature well below the dew point of the room's air, which can cause the condensate to freeze instantly on the fins rather than shedding into the primary drain pan. Is the unit actually reaching 64, or is the compressor just timing out on an internal thermal overload?