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Humidity in the house
Posted on 10/11/19 at 8:18 am
Posted on 10/11/19 at 8:18 am
The humidity in our house has been bad this year.. called an A/C company and they really had no idea as to why, just unclogged an S-Trap.
Bulk of the house was built in the 50s with add on's in the 90s. Windows are newer. Attic fans are installed. Really the main problem seems to be our master which has new windows.
A/C is older but works so feel like replacing it would be dramatic. Any other ideas why it would be so humid? We are in N.Alabama so not a swamp but it still gets pretty F'ing humid.
Going to start with buying a dehumidifier today so any recs are appreciated.
ETA: Readings were 65-70 this morning, hit 79 at one point. Brought the thing to work and it is reading 60.
Bulk of the house was built in the 50s with add on's in the 90s. Windows are newer. Attic fans are installed. Really the main problem seems to be our master which has new windows.
A/C is older but works so feel like replacing it would be dramatic. Any other ideas why it would be so humid? We are in N.Alabama so not a swamp but it still gets pretty F'ing humid.
Going to start with buying a dehumidifier today so any recs are appreciated.
ETA: Readings were 65-70 this morning, hit 79 at one point. Brought the thing to work and it is reading 60.
This post was edited on 10/11/19 at 8:30 am
6
Posted on 10/11/19 at 8:27 am to greenwave
quote:
Going to start with buying a humidifier today so any recs are appreciated.
I'd opt for a dehumidifier.
You could always add a whole house dehum and tie it into the HVAC, that typically solves all problems. If your house RH dips below 35% in winter, then you likely have an insulation problem and need to properly insulate the home.
There are companies in every market where all they do is make homes more efficient, with RH levels falling into this category.
Check and make sure your ductwork is solid, and that your bathrooms vent through the roof and not into attic..
Posted on 10/11/19 at 8:29 am to ItNeverRains
Ha yes. Coffee hasnt hit yet.
Good point, will check the vent.
Good point, will check the vent.
Posted on 10/11/19 at 8:31 am to ItNeverRains
My first thought was also about bathroom venting. If your household takes multiple showers a day, and esp if you all shower then depart for work & vent fans are not running, you need to address bathroom moisture. Most BR vent fans are woefully inadequate....I discovered that the two I had in a large master bath were barely moving 100 CFM combined. Ditched those for 100 cfm per fan, with a built in humidity switch that keeps them running for a while after I’ve backed out of the garage.
Posted on 10/11/19 at 8:58 am to hungryone
I do believe we could use a new vent fan.
Would it make the whole house humid if it is venting into the attic though?
Would it make the whole house humid if it is venting into the attic though?
Posted on 10/11/19 at 9:01 am to greenwave
My first thought is gaps/ spacing in the duct work/ insulation of the duct work in he attic
This post was edited on 10/11/19 at 9:02 am
Posted on 10/11/19 at 9:22 am to greenwave
Is this a recent development in your house or has it always been like this? How large is your conditioned living area and what size (tons) is your HVAC? Typically how long does your AC run between on-off cycles? Do you have long run times of your HVAC during the hottest part of the day during very warm/hot days or does it cycle on and off frequently during the hottest days. You said a HVAC company cleaned your S Trap but has it been working well (cooling) otherwise? Did they check refrigerant pressures, etc? Do you have any problems keeping your master bedroom compared cool compared to the rest of the house?
Posted on 10/11/19 at 9:24 am to wickowick
quote:
Attic fans are installed.
If you have a lot of can lights or unsealed ceiling gaps, those can suck out a lot of your cooled air, to be replaced by humid outside air.
Maybe get the a/c company to slow the fan to better remove humidity.
I rarely see my humidity above 50%, and I am south Louisiana.
Posted on 10/11/19 at 9:30 am to CrawDude
This is our 1st summer in the house, moved in last Thanksgiving so technically yes. There was a little mold on the ceiling in the master bath that we cleaned.
Not really sure about the A/C but it seems to do a good job... but yes our house does not heat/cool evenly. Master side does not get as cool as the rest of the house.
Not really sure about the A/C but it seems to do a good job... but yes our house does not heat/cool evenly. Master side does not get as cool as the rest of the house.
Posted on 10/11/19 at 10:58 am to greenwave
quote:
This is our 1st summer in the house, moved in last Thanksgiving so technically yes. There was a little mold on the ceiling in the master bath that we cleaned. Not really sure about the A/C but it seems to do a good job... but yes our house does not heat/cool evenly. Master side does not get as cool as the rest of the house.
So it looks like you inherited a problem that needs to be resolved. Getting a portable dehumidifier or 2 to help while you or someone trouble shoots the problem(s) is a good idea. You should strive to keep your RH in the 45-55% range, RH above 60% can cause all types of issues with mold, etc.
I’d suggest you start doing some homework and find the best HVAC company with highly experienced techs you can find to look over and evaluate your HVAC system equipment, duct work - you need a a really good diagnostician to evaluate your system. As another poster stated sometimes reducing the blower speed can fix or mitigate a high humidity type problem. You may have duct issues and not equipment performance issues per se. You may have over-sized HVAC equipment and undersized ducts, etc. The system’s age may have nothing to do with your issue as new homeowners with brand new systems can have similar issues. How cold do you keep your house during the day and at night - keeping it very cold can cause humidity and moisture/mold issues.
Maybe look into a blower door test to find issues with air infiltration and air leakage into the home. Check with your utility company - some have programs that will cover the cost, all or part, of a blower door test.
Maybe a whole house dehumidifier can help but to get max efficiency out of a unit like that your HVAC needs to operating at max efficiency.
You can register on the HVAC Talk forum and get suggestions/recommendations from experienced HVAC techs. LINK. No DYI advice. If you do this, you’ll.need to provide them as much information on your home, HVAC system as possible to help you resolve this issue. You can scroll through other homeowners’ posts with high home humidity issues and see the type of advice and recommendations the HVAC techs are providing.
This post was edited on 10/11/19 at 2:18 pm
Posted on 10/11/19 at 12:50 pm to greenwave
Is it a slab?
Posted on 10/11/19 at 1:43 pm to greenwave
Our house was built in 2014. We are in the same area as you are and we have to run a dehumidifier sometimes. It can easily get 70-80 per cent overnight. But that's only for the summer. AC is doing it's job...there's a constant drip outside and no blockage as indicated by the lack of water in the catch pan under the unit in the attic.
Winter time can get very dry. Sometimes we have to run a vaporizer to keep air moist. But if I'm cooking lots of gumbos it helps keep the air moist too.
Winter time can get very dry. Sometimes we have to run a vaporizer to keep air moist. But if I'm cooking lots of gumbos it helps keep the air moist too.
Posted on 10/11/19 at 1:51 pm to NASA_ISS_Tiger
quote:
Our house was built in 2014. We are in the same area as you are and we have to run a dehumidifier sometimes. It can easily get 70-80 per cent overnight. But that's only for the summer. AC is doing it's job...there's a constant drip outside and no blockage as indicated by the lack of water in the catch pan under the unit in the attic.
Winter time can get very dry. Sometimes we have to run a vaporizer to keep air moist. But if I'm cooking lots of gumbos it helps keep the air moist too.
That doesn't sound good for a modern house. I'd be interested to see blower door test results on your house. Infiltration has to be at a high level.
Posted on 10/11/19 at 2:20 pm to notsince98
Well, for what it's worth, it's an Energy Star rated home. I have the certificate. Now....ask me what that means and I'll tell you beats me.
Posted on 10/11/19 at 3:55 pm to NASA_ISS_Tiger
quote:
Our house was built in 2014. We are in the same area as you are and we have to run a dehumidifier sometimes. It can easily get 70-80 per cent overnight.
I agree that RH seems awful high for a modern construction but I’m curious to know do you observe humidities that high, 70-80%, when the AC is operating or only during periods when the AC is not operating - maybe “cool” nights or spring/fall periods when outdoor humidity is high but ambient temperature is to cool to operate/“kick on” the AC?
It’s my understanding those are periods where whole house dehumidifiers can play an important role in human comfort and moisture management In the hot, humid south. But during the hot summer when ACs are running for long periods, day and night, a properly sized, installed and “tuned” HVAC system should maintain humidity at desirable levels without the need for supplemental dehumidification unless there is another issue in play.
This post was edited on 10/12/19 at 11:13 am
Posted on 10/13/19 at 5:56 pm to CrawDude
This right here. If it is too large of a unit for the place it can't run long enough to take humidity out
Posted on 10/14/19 at 7:02 am to Cracker
Thanks for all the feedback.
Got a dehumidifier started and it is working great. Keeping it at around 50. Since this AC unit is kinda old figured I would just wait till it craps out then add the whole house dehumidifier or something. Will have this thread bookmarked to reference.
Now to fix the dryer that has blown a thermistor
Got a dehumidifier started and it is working great. Keeping it at around 50. Since this AC unit is kinda old figured I would just wait till it craps out then add the whole house dehumidifier or something. Will have this thread bookmarked to reference.
Now to fix the dryer that has blown a thermistor
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