Professional Member*
what is exterior cladding of the home?
what type of underlayment was used between brick
and insulation in stud bays?
was a vapor barrier used behind sheetrock to interior?
knowing that this is a retrofit rather than a new construction home
raises more questions.
determining where the moisture is comming from, internal gain..or something else
is what you need to know.
best of luck.
The cure of the part should not be attempted without the cure of the whole. ~Plato
Professional Member*
This is the part that is still raising my eyebrow, the OP states "when the heater kicks on, the humidity in the house shoots up all of a sudden"
Since he didn't provide the numbers I'll just guess and say he's going from 65F/60% RH to 70F. A quick look at the psyometric chart tells me the RH should drop to about 50%. Something just isn't right here.
If the op could post some pictures that may help.
Professional Member*
Chad, is there a reason you haven't answered stvc's question repeated numerous times?Originally Posted by clllclal
If you have a humidifier, and it's not properly set to deliver humidity only when it gets dry, that may explain everything.
Regular Guest
The exterior is brick. Under the brick is plywood wrapped in tyvek. No vapor barrier in between sheetrock and insulation. I didn't think a vapor barrier was needed in that situation.
Regular Guest
Let me explain something. I am not an HVAC expert. As I've stated quite a few times, I really appreciate all of the feedback being given. And no, I didn't realize that I wasn't answering a question that was being asked by stvc. If I am correct, you can only set the humidity level to what you would like it to reach in the cooling stage, but that doesn't mean that I have a dehumidifier built in with the system. Also, with the heat running, the humidity level and the heater do not work together in heat mode that I am aware. Maybe I am way off base here, but this is how I understand it. This is not my actual tstat, but it is identical to it. I pulled this one off of the internet.
Professional Member*
Can you post a few pictures of your air handler? We'll be able to tell you if you have a humidifier installed.
Communicating equipment manages HUMIDIFICATION as well as dehumidification.
Regular Guest
This is the air handler that is located in the attic. There is nothing there that tells me I have a dehumidifier as well. At least I know I didn't pay for anything like that.
Professional Member*
Chad, we know you aren't a hvac expert.
just as you know that we are toubleshooting via internet.
there are limits to both.
I asked about wall construction thinking about moisture driven thru brick exterior.
this article (that you'd have to download) explains it well.
http://www.buildingscience.com/docum...ure+brick+wall
we would be remiss in only addressing the RH without exploring why it is so high.
as different folks chime in, and more information is posted..more questions are asked.
are you game for a few more questions?
you have cellulose insulation in walls and on attic floor..correct?
was the insulation in the walls wet blown when installed?
The cure of the part should not be attempted without the cure of the whole. ~Plato
Professional Member*
That's a pretty nice looking installation EXCEPT the emergency drain pan looks like its got water in it. Hard to tell from the picture, but the bottom looks reflective and the wood looks wet.
That drain pan should always be dry.
So where is that water coming from? I suspect there is a humidifier somewhere. (The dehumidifier is the AC Coil - in summer it gets cold and becomes a condensing surface. Water drains out those little white pipes.)
More pictures please?
Regular Guest
Yes, I am game for a few more questions. The cellulose in the walls was wet blown. That was well over a year ago.
Regular Guest
That picture is over 8 months old. The water that you see has been alleviated. The emergency drain pain has not been wet since. I do understand about the AC coil being a dehumidifier during the summer months when it is cooling. The way you made it sound earlier was as if I had a dehumidifier along with the AC unit. Exactly which angle pictures would you like?
Professional Member*
So where did the water come from the first time and what was done to correct it? Again, have you discussed this with your HVAC contractor?
A humidifier is another question that I think you said you did not believe you had, typically mounted on the supply duct but could also be on the return. Very common here, probably not so much there though. The more pictures the better we will be able to assess the situation without being there. I also was asking about inside/outside temp and humidity set points. Do you still use AC during the daytime?
Professional Member*
Is that duct board I see? Not sheet metal? Could be warm moist air migrating from conditioned space and condensing inside the ductboard and saturating the fiberglass ductboard. I would still like to see a pic of the two water heaters and their vent pipes.
An answer without a question is meaningless.
Information without understanding is useless.
You can lead a horse to water............
http://www.mohomeenergyaudits.com
Professional Member*
if the system is all electric as this one is
and ahu of heat pump is in the attic,
it is highly unlikely that the two water
heaters, also in the attic are gas.
usually all electric includes hvac & w/heaters.
if w/heaters are electric...there is no venting.
not saying it isn't possible, just highly unlikely.
so Chad...gas or electric water heaters?
are you still emptying the dehumidifier as much as you
were the first couple of days?
is RH holding steady inside the house?
are you leaving the dehumidifier on, or shutting
if off and on?
you should try leaving it on 24/7, so that the
Rh removed stays removed. as the house
dries, less Rh removal will mean less emptying
out the dehumidifier.
btw..there is nothing wrong with ductboard.
best of luck
The cure of the part should not be attempted without the cure of the whole. ~Plato
Professional Member*
I missed the part about the home being all electric. Nobody is saying ductboard is bad. What I am saying is that hot humid air rises, and then condenses on anything that is below dew point temperature of that hot humid air. I remember reading about the older high velocity systems having this problem. They used to supply "plugs" for the supply vents to prevent the entire duct system from becoming saturated with moisture. Don't remember what they did to prevent it with newer systems.
An answer without a question is meaningless.
Information without understanding is useless.
You can lead a horse to water............
http://www.mohomeenergyaudits.com
Professional Member*
...
The cure of the part should not be attempted without the cure of the whole. ~Plato
Professional Member*
What does a post with ... mean? You've done that a few times right after one of my postings and I don't understand what it is supposed to mean.
An answer without a question is meaningless.
Information without understanding is useless.
You can lead a horse to water............
http://www.mohomeenergyaudits.com
Professional Member*
I don't get the ... thing either and I don't think the OP ever confirmed the water heaters are electric but would guess ERLA's assumption is correct.
I've also come to the conclusion this is a total DIY gone horribly wrong in many different areas. He took the money from the Chinese drywall lawsuit, tried to do it all himself and pocket some cash and failed.
I think I'm done now.
Regular Guest
To everyone who has replied in a polite manner, thank you. To every other smart arse on here, up yours... especially you stvc. You call yourself a "professional member?" More like "HVAC snob" who gets his s@#^* and giggles from making other people feel ignorant. You cannot even begin to understand what me, my wife and two young daughters went through after we built a brand new house only to find out two years later that our house was basically worthless. We lived in a travel trailer in our backyard because we didn't know what the gases the drywall was producing was doing to our health. After we finally settled, I started remediating the home, with the help of a close friend who just happens to be a contractor, but with me using which subs I wanted. stvc, how can you say this AC system was a DIY gone wrong? I did everything I was supposed to. I let the AC company do what they do best....install a system. Isn't that what HVAC companies do? I didn't install this thing. Therefore it is not a DIY. Also, how in the hell would you know if I tried to pocket cash from the settlement or not? That is a little off subject and quite frankly a little personal. stvc, you're a complete tool and you are right where you need to be...hiding behind the screen of your computer insulting other people. To everyone else who has replied to my posts, thank you. I came to this forum hoping to find some answers because I was getting nowhere with the original installer. energy_rater_La, I'm with you......................I think I'm done now.
Professional Member*
Sorry to hear all you have been through, but I was trying to help.
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