Page 1
Page 1
Started By
Message

Adding a dehumidifier to your HVAC system...

Posted on 10/17/24 at 8:48 pm
Posted by Chicken
Jackassistan
Member since Aug 2003
24406 posts
Posted on 10/17/24 at 8:48 pm
Is this an relatively easy process for an HVAC company? Pricey?

I have a system that might need it...the bathroom has a mold mite issue.

UPDATE: home, which is raised off the ground, will get closed cell spray foam sprayed under the floor to block the moisture from coming in through the hardwood floors. Thanks for the help!
This post was edited on 10/22/24 at 4:25 pm
Posted by bapple
Capital City
Member since Oct 2010
12133 posts
Posted on 10/17/24 at 8:58 pm to
quote:

I have a system that might need it...



Are you having trouble controlling humidity in an area of your house? You could also try adjusting your blower speed to make it run longer. It is probably default connected on high or medium-high.
Posted by BilbeauTBaggins
probably stuck in traffic
Member since May 2021
7197 posts
Posted on 10/17/24 at 9:29 pm to
For your whole house or just a room?
Posted by Chicken
Jackassistan
Member since Aug 2003
24406 posts
Posted on 10/17/24 at 10:00 pm to
This is for someone's small house that has one HVAC system.
Posted by armsdealer
Member since Feb 2016
11974 posts
Posted on 10/17/24 at 10:32 pm to
On these high 60 low 70 days sometimes I have to kick the A/C on to get the humidity down. Its very rare though.
Posted by CrawDude
Baton Rouge
Member since Apr 2019
5604 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 12:14 am to
Not a difficult process, it will have it’s own return air duct in a central area of the house but use the HVAC ducts to supply-distribute dehumidified air throughout the house by discharging into the supply plenum. This is the best short video I’ve seen on installing one. LINK.

Cost - likely several thousand, in BR anyway. Dehumidifier - $1.5-2 K, figure labor to install might be comparable to equipment costs.

But as bapple said I would try tweaking-lowering the furnance-air handler speed first to see if that can drop RH to a comfortable level.
Posted by LEASTBAY
Member since Aug 2007
15679 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 7:42 am to
Can you switch to variable speed? Not sure if the cost difference but should fix the problem.
Posted by CatfishJohn
Member since Jun 2020
16920 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 8:29 am to
Is this something that is only needed a couple weeks a year? I just bought a freestanding dehumidifier for days I need it and it does a pretty damn good job.
Posted by Chicken
Jackassistan
Member since Aug 2003
24406 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 8:50 am to
It's been discovered that the bathroom has a mold mite issue in the drawers.

Hardwood floors are buckling a little too...house is raised.
This post was edited on 10/18/24 at 8:51 am
Posted by Turnblad85
Member since Sep 2022
3178 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 10:12 am to
quote:

Hardwood floors are buckling a little too...house is raised.




I'd start with making sure water isn't getting under house. Then a vapor barrier put in place if unpinning is in place to keep most critters out. The dirt is LOADED with near infinite moisture. Even worse is standing water. You either want under the home completely open for the best airflow possible or a barrier with underpinning and as much airflow as possible. People keeping the a/c at 69 isn't helping at all by dropping the temp of the subfloor/floor below well below dewpoint for june-aug. That can certainly cause buckling. Ambient dewpoints in the south in the summer hover around 70. Add in a little moisture from the ground and it easily hits 80* making that 69* floor look like a great place to drop moisture.

The best is encapsulated (completely closed in and conditioned with the a/c or dehumidifier). But this is $$$ and in, some places, the terrain just wont allow.

My guess is its a leaky arse house and a bunch of the moisture is coming from below in the crawl space. Dehumidifier might work but also may be an expensive way to treat the problem and not the cure.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
22449 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 10:24 am to
quote:


It's been discovered that the bathroom has a mold mite issue in the drawers.

Hardwood floors are buckling a little too...house is raised.


Does the bathroom have a good Vent that's working?

They make switches that you can put on a vent where it auto turns on when the humidity gets to a certain point, I have one for my kids room. So the vent runs when my kids shower.

I'm no professional so I'm not sure how well that actually works, but I can tell you that we were getting some ceiling mildew growth before installing it that has stopped.
Posted by Chicken
Jackassistan
Member since Aug 2003
24406 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 10:55 am to
I can tell you that this house had insulation in the crawl space, under the hardwood subfloor, and it has come detached in many places...probably hurting airflow.

It's being suggested that the old insulation is ripped out and replaced with spray foam insulation.
This post was edited on 10/18/24 at 11:45 am
Posted by CrawDude
Baton Rouge
Member since Apr 2019
5604 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 1:01 pm to
quote:

I can tell you that this house had insulation in the crawl space, under the hardwood subfloor, and it has come detached in many places...probably hurting airflow. It's being suggested that the old insulation is ripped out and replaced with spray foam insulation.

Read this Insulating Raised Floors in Hot, Humid Climates for a better understanding of moisture issues associated with elevated houses. Turnblad85 in his post provides a very good synopsis of common causes for moisture related issues in raised houses.

A whole house dehumidifier is not likely the solution to the underlying cause of the issue.
This post was edited on 10/18/24 at 1:02 pm
Posted by CatfishJohn
Member since Jun 2020
16920 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 2:57 pm to
We have a huge crawl space and did a vapor barrier and it made a massive difference.
Posted by Chicken
Jackassistan
Member since Aug 2003
24406 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 6:31 pm to
Thanks to everyone for the advice. I now have a plan.

Posted by Turnblad85
Member since Sep 2022
3178 posts
Posted on 10/18/24 at 8:18 pm to
quote:

replaced with spray foam insulation.



this is another option I left out and effective if done correctly. Though even if done correctly, it creates a major risk of appliances leaking unknown for months and the water migrating outwards under the flooring/subfloor. This is because the closed cell foam effectively creates a water pan under the whole house. Small leaks are the worst since they can go undetected for a long time. But even someone spilling a mop bucket full of water and it seeping in under the base boards before it can be cleaned up can create issues.

Just a ticking time bomb imo but people do it and get away with it all the time with no problems.....some other people, not so lucky.

Vapor barrier/water management would be the lowest hanging fruit to try first.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 1Next pagelast page
refresh

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookXInstagram