 Posted 10/11/2004 1:45:53 PM
|
|
|
|
Most of the information I have been able to glean on improving indoor air quality has to do with newer, "tight" houses. I would like to know if the same technologies can be deployed to improve the air quality in an older, "leaky" house.
My home is located in Stoughton, Wisconsin (just south of Madison, home of Therma-Stor). It is a 46 year old house, and from what I've seen up in the attic and down in the basement, there are numerous air bypasses and insulation issues to be fixed, which I of course will be addressing "in my free time" (whatever that is). Fortunately, the windows and walls of the house are in relatively "tight" shape (in my opinion only).
However, my immediate problem, possibly somewhat related to the "leakiness" of my home, is one of winter condensation. When the outside temperature drops to 40 degrees or lower, every window in the house has condensation on the inside, even with the storm windows in place, and even including the 3 newer, low-e, argon-filled Anderson windows. This level of this condensation is such that by the middle of Winter there is black mold present on the bottom edges of the window frames, dispite us "mopping up" the moisture every morning.
We have hot-water radiator heat and a separate ducted a/c system (in the attic -- ugh). The basement is dry. As you can gather from our climatic conditions, we rarely open windows in the Winter. We have been living here 3 years and now it is (finally) time to do something about this situation.
So my question is: given that my house is not even close to being "tight", will the APD effectively lower the humidity in my "leaky" house? Or, does the current state of air infiltration in the home present a condition that needs to be corrected before (or in lieu of) a dehumidification strategy being deployed?
Sorry for the long question. And thank you in advance to all who reply.
|
|
|
Posted 1/2/2007 5:40:40 PM
|
|
|
|
| We have humidity meters for $15 to monitor the indoor humidity. Summer indoor %RH is 50%-65% RH. The winter %RH is 28%-35% RH. There are a few old homes that are too tight. Two choices are decrease the moisture load or increase the air change rate during dry fall/winter weather. High water tables around a home can increase the moisture load on the home without signs of ground water entering the home. During summer, the many tons of material in your home are at a high humidity level with a 60^F dew point. The home's material must reduce it's moisture content to 30^F by mid Dec. This +500 gallons of water. Start by cracking several windows during the early fall weather. This allows more air changes of dry air to dry down your home before the extreme cold weather starts. If moisture load is high because of moisture movement from the soil through the concrete, you will require additional air change from mechanical ventilation during cold weather. Do not tighten the home further until the moisture issue is solved. Also setting the thermostat back at night or heavy window coverings decrease the window temperature increasing the condensation on the cold surface.
|
|
|
|