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Started By
Message
Mold in closets, (high efficiency air conditioner related)
Posted on 9/24/20 at 2:08 pm
Posted on 9/24/20 at 2:08 pm
So I replaced my 20yo unit and even older duct work with a new HE unit and ductwork a little over a year ago. I have had to start leaving a handful of closet doors open to help ventilate them do to molding issues, as well have noticed condensation and mold around some of the air vents throughout the house.
I have talked to a number of people, including the hvac guy who put my unit in, And they tell me it is bc of the “new HE units.”
My question is, is there anything I can do prevent the condensation at the vents?
Would an attic fan work? I have considered that to try and lower the temperature in the attic in an attempt to stop the condensation.
I have talked to a number of people, including the hvac guy who put my unit in, And they tell me it is bc of the “new HE units.”
My question is, is there anything I can do prevent the condensation at the vents?
Would an attic fan work? I have considered that to try and lower the temperature in the attic in an attempt to stop the condensation.
8
Posted on 9/24/20 at 2:14 pm to ELT
Insulate the ductwork better make sure the register boxes the actual vent is insulated very well and taped up well. You shouldn’t have condensation
Posted on 9/24/20 at 2:22 pm to Cracker
quote:
Insulate the ductwork better
I had this problem and they had to add alot of insulation right above where the vents were. No issues since.
Posted on 9/24/20 at 2:32 pm to ELT
quote:
And they tell me it is bc of the “new HE units.”
Well that is false. HE doesn't have anything to do with what causes condensation.
Posted on 9/24/20 at 3:04 pm to notsince98
quote:
Well that is false. HE doesn't have anything to do with what causes condensation.
Exactly. His HVAC guy is either lying or incompetent.
Posted on 9/24/20 at 3:26 pm to ELT
Mold needs moisture to survive. Google closet dehumidifier. Some are powerless packets of crystals that absorb moisture. Read the reviews and judge for yourself, but I know they helped my mom's old house.
Posted on 9/24/20 at 6:01 pm to ELT
AC guy is incompetent. You do need to better insulate the ductwork, and you also need to consider how often and how long the unit runs to keep,your house cool. You can install a while house dehumidifier in the AC system. You can also buy a stand alone dehumidifier and run it in the problem areas.
Also consider whether the closet doors can be cha fed to louvered instead of solid. This helps with airflow so you don’t have to leave the doors open.
Also consider whether the closet doors can be cha fed to louvered instead of solid. This helps with airflow so you don’t have to leave the doors open.
Posted on 9/24/20 at 8:32 pm to hungryone
Ok
I will definitely insulate around the areas better, I have been putting DampRid in the closets and that plus keeping the doors open seems to be working,
I have al so read that the closets may be hot too from too little insulation, so I will try to add some over those areas too.
Old house, poor ventilation
I will definitely insulate around the areas better, I have been putting DampRid in the closets and that plus keeping the doors open seems to be working,
I have al so read that the closets may be hot too from too little insulation, so I will try to add some over those areas too.
Old house, poor ventilation
Posted on 9/24/20 at 8:54 pm to ELT
As others have said, insulation issue most likely.
We bought a house and the following summer we opened up one of the closets and it looked like a horror show. Mold on everything all the way down to the door handle.
In looking at it, previous owner had can light replaced in the closet. Most likely when they we’re getting ready to sell. Electrician failed to push insulation back over the light fixture/ opening in the drywall. We could see where it was pulled back for the repair once we were in the attic. We pushed the insulation back over the fixture and never had another issue with it in the last 3 years.
Hot air was being pulled from the attic through the fixture opening and then formed condensation when it hit the cooler air in the closet. Once we blocked the flow via insulation problem gone.
We bought a house and the following summer we opened up one of the closets and it looked like a horror show. Mold on everything all the way down to the door handle.
In looking at it, previous owner had can light replaced in the closet. Most likely when they we’re getting ready to sell. Electrician failed to push insulation back over the light fixture/ opening in the drywall. We could see where it was pulled back for the repair once we were in the attic. We pushed the insulation back over the fixture and never had another issue with it in the last 3 years.
Hot air was being pulled from the attic through the fixture opening and then formed condensation when it hit the cooler air in the closet. Once we blocked the flow via insulation problem gone.
This post was edited on 9/24/20 at 8:56 pm
Posted on 9/25/20 at 12:04 am to ELT
If by HE unit you mean a multi-stage, variable capacity HVAC with matched variable speed air handler condensation in ductwork/supply registers is not an uncommon problem with these units because of the slow speed with cooled, conditioned air moves continuously through the ductwork over long air handler operating cycles in hot, humid attics. They are good, highly efficient units, and can provide excellent comfort but ductwork system/insulation has to be nearly perfect and there is little margin for error.
Did you have condensation issue with your old HVAC? Do you maintain a cold house - like keeping temperature at 70 to 72 F?
As others have stated, your ducts and air supply register boots must be looked at carefully to make sure they are properly insulated.
Whether or not you have adequate attic ventilation is another matter, but certainly something to look into if you are questioning if you have have sufficient ventilation.
Here a good article to help you better understand moisture/condensation issues associated with HVACs. LINK
.
Did you have condensation issue with your old HVAC? Do you maintain a cold house - like keeping temperature at 70 to 72 F?
As others have stated, your ducts and air supply register boots must be looked at carefully to make sure they are properly insulated.
Whether or not you have adequate attic ventilation is another matter, but certainly something to look into if you are questioning if you have have sufficient ventilation.
Here a good article to help you better understand moisture/condensation issues associated with HVACs. LINK
.
This post was edited on 9/25/20 at 7:44 am
Posted on 9/25/20 at 6:27 am to ELT
Does your new unit run a little bit or a lot? It could either be oversized or undersized. When your unit is running, it is dehumidifying. If your unit only runs a little bit, it is dropping the temperature quickly and gets to thermostat set point quickly and shuts off. When it’s not running, moisture is seeping in and not being removed.
Similar situation if it’s undersized except that it’s just not removing enough moisture when the unit is running.
Similar situation if it’s undersized except that it’s just not removing enough moisture when the unit is running.
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