Thermostat settings that keep a New Orleans house cool and dry

By Gail Barlow, HVAC Guides Editor · Updated September 2026

Set the fan to AUTO, not ON

This is the most important setting in a humid climate. With the fan on AUTO, the blower stops when the compressor stops, and the water collected on the cold indoor coil drains away. With the fan on ON, the blower keeps running between cycles and blows that moisture back into the house.

Many houses that feel clammy at a cool temperature simply have the fan set to ON. Switching it to AUTO often makes a noticeable difference within a day.

A comfortable temperature range

Most people are comfortable between about 75 and 78 degrees when the humidity is under control. If the house feels sticky at 75, the problem is usually humidity, not temperature, and lowering the setpoint further mainly raises the bill.

Ceiling fans help a lot. They make a room feel several degrees cooler without changing the thermostat, as long as they are turned off when nobody is in the room.

Go easy on setbacks

In a dry climate, raising the thermostat a long way while you are at work saves energy. Here, a big setback lets heat and humidity build up in the house, the furniture and the walls. When the system comes back on, it spends a long time removing that moisture, and the house can feel damp for hours.

A modest setback of a few degrees usually works better. Smart thermostats can bring the temperature down before you get home so the house is comfortable when you arrive.

Use humidity control if you have it

Many newer thermostats measure humidity and some can run the system in a dehumidify mode, slowing the blower or cooling slightly longer to pull out more moisture. If yours has that feature, set a humidity target around 50 percent or a little lower.

If humidity stays high no matter what you set, the system may be oversized, low on refrigerant or have a dirty coil, or the house may need a dedicated dehumidifier. That is a question for a technician, not the thermostat.

Nights, vacations and storm season

At night many people sleep better a degree or two cooler. When you travel in summer, set the thermostat higher but not off; around 80 to 82 degrees keeps humidity from taking over the house. During a hurricane evacuation, turn the system off at the thermostat and breaker if the area may lose power or flood, and have it checked before restarting if water reached the equipment.

When settings are not the problem

If the house will not reach the setpoint on a hot afternoon, one room is always warmer than the rest, or the system runs constantly, no setting will fix it. Those are signs of a capacity, airflow or refrigerant problem, a dirty coil or leaky ducts.

A filter check is the first step you can take yourself. After that, a tune-up or a diagnostic visit will find the cause.