Any HVAC guys out there...?

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jimr

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Feb 20, 2008
202
12
Fountain City, Wisconsin
I have an issue with moisture building up on my windows when it gets cold. This morning it was -12 degrees. The house was built in 2000 and is a 2200 sq ft ranch w/same size basement. I have been told that an air-to-air exchanger will remedy this problem. Will this solve the problem? Are there different efficiencies of these units? What would be the approximate cost of the unit installed?
 
As coffee junkie said, do you have a humidifier on your furnace? It usually mounts to the side of the duct chase. If you dont have one or do and it is not solving the problem I would check into an air exchanger, they do come in several differnt sizes depending on how many square footage you have to work with. They can get a bit spendy but in the end I think they are well worth it. They also help with children with alergies and the overall quality of the air. I use to install then several years ago on some of the more high end homes that had tons of square footage or had multiple furnaces.

Here is some info I pulled from a website I found about the air exchangers
"An air exchanger pulls stale air and excess humidity out of your home while allowing fresh, filtered air back into your home.
Some states now require an air exchanger in all new construction.
Enercept SIP houses are so air tight, we have always recommend the use of an Air to Air exchange system in all of our building projects.
  • An air exchanger will control moisture in your home and reduce the opportunity for mold growth.
  • An air exchanger will remove stale odors from cooking and smoking, lingering fumes from cleaning products and paint, and organic emissions from carpets and furntiure.
  • An air exchanger will remove air contaminants and allergens such as dust mites, pollen, and pet dander.
  • And, in most cases, you will also be able to use a smaller more efficient heating system when you use an air exchanger."
This is the models I use to install-VENMAR, there are different brands this is just what I use to install.


Good luck, hope you find a good solution!
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Is the moisture on the inside? Or are they double paned and the moisture is between the two panes of glass?
 
Meat Hunter asks a good question here... Is there moisture between a double pane window or on the inside of a single pane window?
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The moisture is on the inside. My wife goes to work at 4:00am every day and on cold days she wipes them down before she leaves. I don't have a humidifier in the house. Right now I found an old dehumidifier that I'm running temporarily to see if it helps.
 
hey JIMR the problem does not lie in your ac/ heating unit rather it lies in your proximity to the arctic blasts, move to MIAMI and trust me your windows will never fog up, unless it is a humid day and the moisture from the AC unit causes condensation from the hot air OUTSIDE to mingle with the AC inside, oh by the way it was 87 today here!!! hold on i gotta dry off from my swim in the pool
 
moisture in the air will always tend to gather at the coldest area of your house and if your windows are leaking air around them or the inert gas is escaped from the area between the panes of glass in your windows that can compound the problem. since you say if you leave the blinds up an inch the problem seems to go away... I'm going to say the moisture is gathering on the surface of your window inside your home and when you raise your blinds a little air is being allowed to circulate around them and the moisture stops gathering due to warmer air getting to the windows. Humidity is a good thing in the winter as it adds "thermal mass" to the air and allows the air to hold more heat content thus you "feel" warmer at a cooler temperature in the home. However, if the humidity gets too high say 60%+ then you could have moisture collecting around corners of rooms and windows. you can go to lowes or most home improvement stores and get a humidity gauge or a atomic style clock will sometimes have one on it. if you want to get technical you could purchase a "sling psycrometer" which will tell you exactly the humidity level in the space which you are standing. it sounds like if you have possibly solved the problem by opening the blinds if you don't have any other moisture issues.

NEVER ask a hvac guy his opinion or you will get a long response...LOL
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Yes Rick, I know exactly how that works
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I was down to visit my son in Melbourne Beach in October. I loved it down there but my wife isn't a fan of 95% humidity. That was my last trip down there because my son returned to the "great white north" with a job in Madison. He moved from one of the hottest summers to probably one of the coldest winters in just a few months.

WHY!!!!!
 
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