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Message
Troubleshooting humidity inside my house
Posted on 9/22/21 at 7:52 am
Posted on 9/22/21 at 7:52 am
My house has had moisture issues and I’m running out of ideas on how to solve it.
We have a 50 pint dehumidifier in our back room near the kitchen. When it’s full or not turned on, the RH gets to 80%+ within a few hours. There are similar readings around the rest of the house.
In the past 6 months I have:
1) Replaced our entire HVAC system, furnace, and ductwork
2) Cleaned out the crawlspace and replaced the vapor barrier
3) Replaced all of the gutters and downspouts around the house
4) Replaced the eaves
I’ve spent ~$25k so far and still getting mildew smell and high humidity readings.
What else do I need to check for? Sit in the attic when it’s raining to see if there’s a leak?
I have noticed that the barrier around the house is cluttered with leaves and some overgrowth on one side of the house. I plan on clearing all of that and adding rocks.
Just not sure what else to check.
We have a 50 pint dehumidifier in our back room near the kitchen. When it’s full or not turned on, the RH gets to 80%+ within a few hours. There are similar readings around the rest of the house.
In the past 6 months I have:
1) Replaced our entire HVAC system, furnace, and ductwork
2) Cleaned out the crawlspace and replaced the vapor barrier
3) Replaced all of the gutters and downspouts around the house
4) Replaced the eaves
I’ve spent ~$25k so far and still getting mildew smell and high humidity readings.
What else do I need to check for? Sit in the attic when it’s raining to see if there’s a leak?
I have noticed that the barrier around the house is cluttered with leaves and some overgrowth on one side of the house. I plan on clearing all of that and adding rocks.
Just not sure what else to check.
9
Posted on 9/22/21 at 8:01 am to StringedInstruments
What size if your HVAC system and size of your house?
Posted on 9/22/21 at 8:08 am to BallsEleven
It’s a 4 ton unit with zone modules (2 zones) and a REME Halo if it matters. 2200 square feet. Single story.
This post was edited on 9/22/21 at 8:09 am
Posted on 9/22/21 at 8:12 am to StringedInstruments
I'd look in the attic for evidence of leaks. Check the insulation as well. The area around a vent can become a problem. Might be worth it to do exactly what you said and just climb up there next time it rains. Check around all of the vents. That would be my guess.
Posted on 9/22/21 at 8:17 am to StringedInstruments
You can order a moisture meter and check the drywall for water intrusion. General makes a pinless (non probing) moisture meter for around $50. Amazon and Home Depot sell them. It will give you an idea if there are roof leaks
Posted on 9/22/21 at 8:19 am to StringedInstruments
You can get a commercial dehumidifier added to your HVAC for something like $2000-3000. They are quiet, don’t produce much heat, and drain into the hvac drain line. I’d think that’s worst case scenario.
But if it’s over 75% then I’d say you must have some pretty bad sealing of your house. Your exterior doors and windows must be letting outside air in? Or you have moisture coming in somewhere else.
ETA: if you just replaced your AC though, you need to call them and tell them you have issues they need to help you with. I’m no HVAC tech but I wouldn’t call that acceptable with a new system.
But if it’s over 75% then I’d say you must have some pretty bad sealing of your house. Your exterior doors and windows must be letting outside air in? Or you have moisture coming in somewhere else.
ETA: if you just replaced your AC though, you need to call them and tell them you have issues they need to help you with. I’m no HVAC tech but I wouldn’t call that acceptable with a new system.
This post was edited on 9/22/21 at 8:21 am
Posted on 9/22/21 at 9:00 am to StringedInstruments
I seem to recall from earlier posts you have an older home. Your new HVAC does not seem to be grossly oversized at 4 tons for 2200 for an older, leaky home (though it could be), but if the HVAC is sized and dialed in and operating properly it should be maintaining relatively humidity near 50% on the hottest days with long run times.
Aside from potential water leakage and air infiltration issues others have mentioned, I’d also get the HVAC company under 1 year labor warranty to check the refrigerant charge and see if the air flow settings are correct, have them check for duct leakages particularly on the return air side of the system and the zone dampers are functioning properly. Not saying your HVAC is the issue, but it is one of the first places to start and if less than a year old it shouldn’t cost you anything.
A blower test might also be advised to identify how leaky (to air, not water) your house is. Sometimes your utility company will pay for this - I had one done on my house a few months ago and it cost $300.
Lastly in addition to tips provided by others in this forum I’d also suggest you join the HVAC-Talk AOP forum LINK and pose this same question, providing as much details as possible including your location. Any response you get are going to be from professionals in the HVAC industry. Two in particular “Teddy Bear” who is a retired engineer who designed whole house dehumidifiers for Apirlaire and is a humidity guru and “dan sw fl” are extremely helpful in helping to troubleshoot humidity issues. There have been more than a few posters that have installed new HVACs and have very high humidity issues that have posted on that site seeking advice. The HVAC professionals can’t provide DYI advice, but they help with useful suggestions.
Aside from potential water leakage and air infiltration issues others have mentioned, I’d also get the HVAC company under 1 year labor warranty to check the refrigerant charge and see if the air flow settings are correct, have them check for duct leakages particularly on the return air side of the system and the zone dampers are functioning properly. Not saying your HVAC is the issue, but it is one of the first places to start and if less than a year old it shouldn’t cost you anything.
A blower test might also be advised to identify how leaky (to air, not water) your house is. Sometimes your utility company will pay for this - I had one done on my house a few months ago and it cost $300.
Lastly in addition to tips provided by others in this forum I’d also suggest you join the HVAC-Talk AOP forum LINK and pose this same question, providing as much details as possible including your location. Any response you get are going to be from professionals in the HVAC industry. Two in particular “Teddy Bear” who is a retired engineer who designed whole house dehumidifiers for Apirlaire and is a humidity guru and “dan sw fl” are extremely helpful in helping to troubleshoot humidity issues. There have been more than a few posters that have installed new HVACs and have very high humidity issues that have posted on that site seeking advice. The HVAC professionals can’t provide DYI advice, but they help with useful suggestions.
Posted on 9/22/21 at 9:38 am to CrawDude
Thanks for the comment. Really informative.
One issue we have is that the house is also too cold when the a/c runs for a long time. Some of the thermostat settings don’t make sense. One of the zone’s thermostat when set at 77 barely runs at all and it gets musty. 76 and we’re wrapped in blankets when sitting on our couch.
For our bedroom, if I set it to 74, it gets musty and warm. 72 and I’m sleeping in winter pants and two comforters and it just. Keeps. Running.
I haven’t checked the actual temperatures of the rooms though. I wouldn’t be surprised if my room is getting down to below 68 degrees when the a/c is running at night.
quote:
if the HVAC is sized and dialed in and operating properly it should be maintaining relatively humidity near 50% on the hottest days with long run times.
One issue we have is that the house is also too cold when the a/c runs for a long time. Some of the thermostat settings don’t make sense. One of the zone’s thermostat when set at 77 barely runs at all and it gets musty. 76 and we’re wrapped in blankets when sitting on our couch.
For our bedroom, if I set it to 74, it gets musty and warm. 72 and I’m sleeping in winter pants and two comforters and it just. Keeps. Running.
I haven’t checked the actual temperatures of the rooms though. I wouldn’t be surprised if my room is getting down to below 68 degrees when the a/c is running at night.
This post was edited on 9/22/21 at 9:40 am
Posted on 9/22/21 at 9:54 am to StringedInstruments
Are you getting pooled water under your house after a rain storm? All the vapor barrier in the world isn’t going to help, if so. In fact, it would actually worsen the situation.
Is it an old balloon construction house? If so, the HVAC system is pulling all that moist air throughout the wall cavity and no level of mechanical dehumidification is going to be able to adequately keep up to maintain comfortable equilibrium without some modifications to the building.
I went through this with my restored old house and now I’m at a steady 45% RH. I’m willing to discuss the situation with you and walk you through troubleshooting if you like.
ETA: sounds like your humidity issue would be hell on…
Is it an old balloon construction house? If so, the HVAC system is pulling all that moist air throughout the wall cavity and no level of mechanical dehumidification is going to be able to adequately keep up to maintain comfortable equilibrium without some modifications to the building.
I went through this with my restored old house and now I’m at a steady 45% RH. I’m willing to discuss the situation with you and walk you through troubleshooting if you like.
ETA: sounds like your humidity issue would be hell on…
quote:
StringedInstruments
This post was edited on 9/22/21 at 10:00 am
Posted on 9/22/21 at 9:56 am to StringedInstruments
quote:
One issue we have is that the house is also too cold when the a/c runs for a long time. Some of the thermostat settings don’t make sense. One of the zone’s thermostat when set at 77 barely runs at all and it gets musty. 76 and we’re wrapped in blankets when sitting on our couch.
For our bedroom, if I set it to 74, it gets musty and warm. 72 and I’m sleeping in winter pants and two comforters and it just. Keeps. Running.
I haven’t checked the actual temperatures of the rooms though. I wouldn’t be surprised if my room is getting down to below 68 degrees when the a/c is running at night.
Sounds like you may have more than one issue at work. You could always call someone like LaGrange Consulting. They specialize in indoor air environments. I'm not sure what it costs, but they could tell you exactly what is wrong and how to fix it.
Posted on 9/22/21 at 10:02 am to StringedInstruments
The comfort issues of you all being “cold” at higher temperatures is likely related to humidity issue you are having. But I would buy some thermistors/humidity monitors and record the info in various areas of the house so you really know, and not rely strictly on the thermostats.
A couple techs on HVAC-Talk forum recommended these - they are inexpensive and accurate and can be calibrated if needed. I have a few and they are accurate when checked against more expensive monitors.
I also have several of these the Bluetooth enabled SensorPush temp and humidity monitors in rooms of the house, attic, outside. Sensor Push. They’re more expensive but great.
When you can provide more accurate info these parameters it helps in troubleshooting where the issues might be - like the moisture meter wick recommended (which I bought a year or ago based on his recommendation).
A couple techs on HVAC-Talk forum recommended these - they are inexpensive and accurate and can be calibrated if needed. I have a few and they are accurate when checked against more expensive monitors.
I also have several of these the Bluetooth enabled SensorPush temp and humidity monitors in rooms of the house, attic, outside. Sensor Push. They’re more expensive but great.
When you can provide more accurate info these parameters it helps in troubleshooting where the issues might be - like the moisture meter wick recommended (which I bought a year or ago based on his recommendation).
Posted on 9/22/21 at 10:16 am to StringedInstruments
This is unlikely, but check the TPR valve on your water heater (assuming it is a tank heater) and that it overflows outside the edge of the house.
Posted on 9/22/21 at 10:37 am to CrawDude
quote:
The comfort issues of you all being “cold” at higher temperatures is likely related to humidity issue you are having
Possibly, but IMO this is usually due to sitting directly under the vents. I have one section of my couch thats always cold for example because two vents cross blow on it.
Some vents are designed to blow certain directions and some are meant to more just disperse the air into the room.
OP, what it sounds like to you is you need to work on your vents and air flow. If you have "cold" spots you probably also have "warm spots".
Often times especially in older homes your airflow is not great. They tend to have fewer but larger vents. So one part of the room under the vent feels freezing cold when the air is running while the other side is warm.
But again, this all should have been at least inspected to some degree with a new unit and all the work you did.
I'm certainly no specialist here, but it definitely sounds like you may have either too big of a unit or your blower is set too high so its very cold when it runs but doesn't run enough to remove humidity. Warms up, repeats.
This post was edited on 9/22/21 at 10:40 am
Posted on 9/22/21 at 10:47 am to Ricardo
quote:
I'd look in the attic for evidence of leaks. Check the insulation as well. The area around a vent can become a problem. Might be worth it to do exactly what you said and just climb up there next time it rains. Check around all of the vents. That would be my guess.
this ^^^^^^
we had a leak from squirrels eating the lead covers on the vent pipes through the roof. when it rained water ran down the pipes into the walls.
what you describe does sound like a bigger leak though so you may have a water pipe in the house leaking somewhere with a small drip. the best thing i can suggest is have someone check the house with a moisture meter to see where the source is
Posted on 9/22/21 at 10:49 am to keakar
quote:
we had a leak from squirrels eating the lead covers on the vent pipes through the roof. when it rained water ran down the pipes into the walls.
If it was a leak and he had 80% humidity I'd assume he'd have a major mold issue right? Certainly worth looking for, that just doesn't seem likely to me.
It seems more likely he has outside air getting in somewhere or just air from outside of his insulation, like from the attic.
Could also explain his heating/ cooling issues if the warm air is in some rooms and not others especially if warm air was close to his thermostat.
ETA: If anything Op I'd get that humidity and thermometer above and going around your house. See if you find any abnormalities.
This post was edited on 9/22/21 at 10:51 am
Posted on 9/22/21 at 10:57 am to baldona
Also if the home is older, he could have insulation issues. Either insulation that has settled or is nonexistent. The cold from the HVAC and the warm from outside could be causing condenstation
ETA: I am referring more to wall insulation than the attic. You can see the attic insulation and it can easily be retrofitted, not so as easy on the walls.
ETA: I am referring more to wall insulation than the attic. You can see the attic insulation and it can easily be retrofitted, not so as easy on the walls.
This post was edited on 9/22/21 at 10:59 am
Posted on 9/22/21 at 11:01 am to baldona
quote:
If it was a leak and he had 80% humidity I'd assume he'd have a major mold issue right? Certainly worth looking for, that just doesn't seem likely to me.
It seems more likely he has outside air getting in somewhere or just air from outside of his insulation, like from the attic.
Could also explain his heating/ cooling issues if the warm air is in some rooms and not others especially if warm air was close to his thermostat.
ETA: If anything Op I'd get that humidity and thermometer above and going around your house. See if you find any abnormalities.
anything is possible which is why a moisture meter will lead him to the source.
i have seen some return air passages open to attics or even nearby bathroom tub showers letting it draw in dirty moisture filled air
Posted on 9/22/21 at 12:09 pm to StringedInstruments
Did the house have humidity issues before or is this a new to you house?
Age of the house?
Are the house walls attic insulated?
How about vegetation up against the house any
2 zones for a 2200 ² foot house was the previous system a 2 zone?
Age of the house?
Are the house walls attic insulated?
How about vegetation up against the house any
2 zones for a 2200 ² foot house was the previous system a 2 zone?
Posted on 9/22/21 at 1:15 pm to Cracker
quote:
Did the house have humidity issues before or is this a new to you house?
Yes it’s had moisture issues for a long time. We rented the house for three years before buying it in November 2020. The roof was replaced in 2012 after having major leaks. The stained are still all over the ceiling, which pretty much needs to be replaced unless a professional can retexture/paint it.
quote:
Age of the house?
1958
quote:
Are the house walls attic insulated?
Not sure. Attic needs insulation added which is on the docket for the future. It’s not terrible but needs to be brought up to a better r value.
quote:
How about vegetation up against the house any
A good bit in some areas.
quote:
2 zones for a 2200 ² foot house was the previous system a 2 zone?
No, but we redid the entire system along with the ductwork and vents.
Posted on 9/22/21 at 1:33 pm to StringedInstruments
quote:
2) Cleaned out the crawlspace and replaced the vapor barrier
Somehow I missed this, so its Pier and Beam obviously?
I'd start there then. Is it wet underneath there? Do you have standing water or mud?
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