I'd have liked it if that's what I had. But I seem to have only option 1 for me given the builder put a single-stage AC and air-handler (without variable speed). Of course, given this is a new house, I can't get rid of the AC unit that's barely a few months old. So, I'll find out on Friday what the AC guy has to tell me.
Thanks again! 
If you don't mind my asking - how large is your house (sq ft) and what's the size of the AC in tons?
Also, as a suggestion, can the AC guy slow down the indoor blower by using a slower tap on the blower motor? I had done that for a few years before I replaced everything. It does help.
So, the house is approx. 3700 sqft. (2 story). As for the AC units, I'll have to double check by going out taking a look at the label, but I believe I have a 4 ton unit for downstairs and 2 ton unit for upstairs. Again, I need to verify that.
Thanks for the suggestion: he's supposed to visit Friday so I'll ask and see if that's an option at all.
As a first approximation, that sizing seems appropriate, so your systems are unlikely to be short cycling. There is something else that is raising your indoor humidity (maybe duct leakage?).
Yeah I would think that a reputed builder like mine wouldn't go that far saving money and give me a unit that's useless for cooling the house. I did have the house inspected by a 3rd party inspector walking around with an IR heat scanner/imaging unit and he didn't catch any leakage issues; at least, not in the living space. I understand it is humid outside, but there's no reason that my indoor humidity should be that high given I keep the AC unit set to cool to about 72-74F.
Totally agree.
This recent thread might be of interest to you. It was started by someone else from Texas (@Hal3) whose indoor humidity was crazy high.
In this case, I think the major culprit turned out to be a poorly positioned thermostat. Although I do believe that lowering blower speeds also helped.
Tagging @Hal3 to share their insights.
Geez, yeah it definitely sounds like something is wrong. I also live in Houston, in a house almost the same size, also two story, also with a 4-ton and a 2-ton AC unit. My indoor humidity has never gotten over 60% in the main downstairs living area in the past year:
Bathrooms are a different story, as they can get quite high (80-90%) while taking a shower and generally have a higher humidity throughout the day. So @aaiyar might be right: it may just be placed poorly.
Thanks a bunch!! Yeah sounds like there's an issue. Will find out Friday.
Mind updating this post when it’s figured out?
Good to hear specially from a fellow Houstonian as a reference for how high the humidity should be. I'll find on on Friday I guess. Thanks again!!
Sure. Just set a reminder to do that. Will keep y'all updated.
Also, you may already know this, but in the eco+ section of the ecobee, there is an option for “Adjust temperature for humidity”:
Yes, "adjust for humidity" in eco+ and "AC overcool Max" are both enabled. Thanks!
Okay so I had a couple of issues and here are some updates:
Upstairs AC not cooling:
Cause: low Freon
Solution: Freon added to the system
High humidity in the house:
Cause (probably): fresh air damper open and possibly taking in excessive outside air.
Solution (I hesitate to cause this a solution as the humidity is still high. The technician said I should feel free to call them back, and I'll be doing that): For now, the one thing that was done is that the damper was adjusted to take slightly less fresh air. Also, the filter is pretty much blocked. I'll be installing the new filter in a few days and evaluating the performance over the next couple of weeks before calling them to take a look
Uneven cooling:
Cause: manual dampers set up in a certain manner
Solution: pretty easy fix. The technician can come and readjust the dampers to individual areas
Hope this helps for now. I'll update y'all soon.
Thanks,
Rohit
That is very concerning for a new build.
Joys of buying a house during COVID. Trust me, they were having a hard time finding contractors and/or the contractors finding people to do the work. Hopefully it'll be fine.
Hello everyone,
Thought I'll provide a quick update. Seems the high humidity was a result of several factors:
The fresh air intake damper was set to open completely on demand. When the technician disabled it, the humidity dropped to the 40s. Then, I opened it but not to full capacity and now the humidity hovers around high 50s at 78F (when the thermostat is in "away" mode; when I'm home and temperature is set to 74ish, the humidity is in low 50s). So it's much better than the high 70s or low 80s
The hole behind the thermostat where the cables come in was sealed by the technician. I believe this was a big reason if not the only one
Hope this helps someone out.
Best,
Rohit
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