Most likely, the AC is oversized, hence not removing humidity as it should. The humidity is probably not coming from the outside but from the inside and being what is essentially a basement (on a slab). If the dehumidifier is doing a job and removing a lot of water, I'm not sure what more you can do at this point. You should probably check to see if the AC unit is also removing humidity by looking at the condensate drain when it is running.

Also check that the dryer vent hasn't disconnected or has a hole in it.

Mike, we just got the carpet put in in early April and i didn't notice anything at that time as far as a wet spot on the cement, but I wasn't looking. My husband did remove the old carpet and pad, so he probably,would hve noticed. The new padding has a plastic film on the top of it as well. I will have to go over and take a good look around I guess.

I agree that it has been a dry spring. They are not underground at all but the ground does slope down toward the building on one side, however it is only about 15 feet of grass, and it is graded so it slopes back up closer to the building. There is curbing for the parking area, so that runoff doesn't get into the grassy area. I called the condo office and he has never heard any complaint. Maybe I will ask a neighbor and see if theirs is the same.

I am hoping that it is a temporary thing and that once the dehumidifier lowers it, that it either stays normal, or takes a While to climb. Maybe they just aren't running the fan while showering, though he says they are. Would that contribute much humidity?

I guess we could put a shelf over the washer and just let it drain out a hose into the washing machine drain. I got the hose in there, just barely! It,wouldn't have to be a big one if it has a drain hose, right? I've no experience with dehumidifiers

great comment on the dryer hose! We have to get the vent cleaned anyway so if I cant see then at least the vent guy will be coming soon. The rule is it must be cleaned every 2 years, so its probably ok though, assuming the guy put it on right at the last cleaning.

You can usually configure a dehumidifier to drain out a hose line instead of filling up the reservoir. You can use a cheap garden hose and cut it to the proper length.

Taking two showers a day is not going to raise the humidity to 65%. The cheap humidity meters tend to be inaccurate so the actual level could be lower. But I am concerned there is a musty smell. This means this has been a long term problem. Is there anything adjacent to the condo what could be a source of humidity?

Does the condo have its own water meter? If yes, see if there is an unusual amount of water usage. My gut says there is a water leak . The dehumidifier may lower the humidity to an acceptable level, but you should find the source of the problem. If this was the typical warm rainy NJ spring, then the source would likely be leaky windows. But in this case I am not sure.

the next water bill should be coming soon. The last bill was from when we bought it for the period ending 5/31/15 (sewer bills in advance I guess). That should give me a good idea of usage. I will look out for that as well.

The thing that complicates it, regarding smell, is that this woman smoked like a fiend apparently. Everyone I meet knows about her! That smell is hard to get rid of, combined with that "old person" smell makes it hard to know what I smell. I have a very sensitive nose! The only thing we didn't change was the kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures, though we did clean them. Still have minor painting to do in laundry room and a closet.

I am considering having the ducts cleaned, though I question what effect that might have beyond removing dust (the cigarette stuff crap would stick-can't brush/vacuum that off.)

So, I will check the dryer vent and the water usage. Great tips guys! At least if it is a water leak somewhere outside of/under my unit, the condo would be on the hook to fix it.

The current dehumidifier is hopefully draining out the hose, not sure if it's high enough. I hope my son will check it like I asked him to.

I went to two neighbors on the first floor who all had levels in the 50's today. Even the guy whose air was set high and not running much.The dryer vent is fine, no leaky sinks or washer.

Finally, after someone said to check the condensate I went and looked at it again. I could see it had been draining outside, but I did find the condensate line to be kinked pretty good right at the pump, and once again a bend higher up (not as bad, but a bend that would inhibit some flow.

Could this be the problem? I straightened them out and when they wouldn't stay I splinted them straight and open with a paint stirrer and duct tape. When I sraightened it that little dark stuff at the top of the bend did actually move. Also, son had the fan in the "on" position again which is bad if there is moisture in the unit, right?

The kinks were in the condensate outlet, right? If the pump is not flooded and the AH drain is running into it alright, that is not causing the humidity. That is not to say that the kinks should not be worked out.

Are the ducts sealed well? You could be sucking in a lot of outside air if any outdoor ducts are leaking. 65% is going to make mold all over the place.

Pros, should she look into slowing down the blower?

Look up this article and see if you it gives you some ideas:

Conditioning Air in the

Humid South—Creating

Comfort and Controlling

Cost

Research Report - 0214

November-2002

Building Science Corporation

couldn't see the numbers in the furnace. The ac is model 13ajd24a01.

I did notice in the winter the place heated up quite quickly. Could be the blower is too fast. I assume most people have similar systems yet they have normal humidity, even without the ac running at all today. Can the blower on a single speed unit be slowed down? I know on my "multi speed" it could, but I"m pretty sure this is a low level model.

I got 2 numbers off the furnace, the first one googles back to be for an ignitor rgpj-05eauer, the other is a serial number of some sort eb5d302f210309542. its under the number that is for the ignitor. I had a hard time seeing the label.

There aren't a lot of ducts, I wouldn't know of any besides the 7 or so supplies and 3 returns.

The bathroom fan works, but it does not draw as strongly as my powder room fan here in my 2 story 1996 home. The condo is 1985, first floor of a three story building. I tested it by holding up a tissue to it and the condo draw was weaker. There are only 2 people living there.

What is the temperature setting on the thermostat? When the AC comes on, how long does it run before it shuts down?

See if you can get a model number off the outside condenser. This will indicate the size. The AC may be over sized and not running long enough the dry out the air. You may be able to slow down the blower, but there is a limit before you run the risk of having the coil freeze.

It has been so dry in NJ that my lawn is turning brown. This never happens in May. The humidity in the condo is higher that the outside humidity. I am not convinced this is an outside air infiltration problem.

Forgive me. Living in the humid Gulf South for the last 14 years, I tend to think that every humidity problem is rooted in infiltration. I used to think that the NE Atlantic coastal plain was humid, good grief.

You say your son keeps the fan in the "on" position. Has he stopped doing that?

ionized_gw,

I would agree with you, but in this case the outdoor humidity has been below 65% for a few weeks. The temperatures have been mild until the past few days. Outside infiltration could be contributing to the problem, but there may be other causes.

1) Blower on most models can be slowed down. HVAC units are designed to work in different environments (Different mix of A/C vs furnace--blower comes with furnace but must be adjusted for A/C)
2) Additional dehumidification can be achieved by longer A/C run time. Either set thermostat for a greater on/off temperature differential or set time of day thermostat for warmer during day and cooler at night. The later works particularly well if nobody is home days. The long cool down run achieves a high degree of dehumidification. Unless there is a large external source of humidity, this is usually enough. If not, as other people suggested, check for humidity sources: dryer venting, bathroom vents, water leaks.
3) Make sure downspouts on gutters and condensate drains etc flow away from building. Cement slabs are porous. Water flowing under does affect humidity. Anything dumping water against outside wall of house is bad.
4) Is local watertable high? If near a pond/water feature and not too far above it in altitude, ground may be soggy. This will infiltrate through slab.

mike, I will try to get more info this weekend. My son works a lot so he won't be able to tell me how long it runs, plus he isn't likely to pay attention. I took the fan off the "on" setting and hope he has left it that way. It sure has been hhh weatherwise this week, here in south jersey!

I cant imagine where it could come from since we have painted nearly every inch and re-carpeted. We would have seen a problem. We also had a pretty good home inspection done. I'll be back when I know more or have more questions. Haven't heard from Son today.

zver, interesting concept, so you are saying go ahead and let it heat up during the day so it can work longer to cool down, therefore taking out more humidity. Plus, that way they are home when it is cooling rather than wasting it all day.

I did look at one downspout which is nearby and of course has the concrete splash, but as Mike has said, it was pretty dry here for the first 3 week of May. I personally noticed the humidity on the day before memorial day, not sure if it rained shortly before that or not, but I think not. I'll look at that again.

As far as watertable, this is a condo building, essentially the first floor units are on a slab and are connected at 2 inside walls and each has 2 exerior walls. The unit that backs up to one side had humidity of 56-58% in the short time I was in it with my meter. He had not been running his ac, trying to save $. The unit on the other side was around 54%, her ac was running and looked to be much older than our ac unit. If it was the water table I'd expect them all to be damp.

Tell your son to never to set the fan to the on position in the summer. All he is doing is wasting electricity and raising the humidity. Put a post note next to the thermostat to remind him.

If no one is going to be home during the day, then the thermostat can be set back to save money. Don't get carried away with the set back. A setting of 3-4 degrees is reasonable. Have the AC turn on an hour before someone comes home. This will save some money and have the effect of a long cooling cycle.

Keep monitoring the humidity. The goal is to get below a level of 50%.

Not much new yet...

I made a quick stop today to drop off a dehumidifier, but had a brain burp and forgot to get the model #.

Humidity was 67. Ac on auto ,but set low, 65! Remember it doesn't get hot in there, not sure why they put it low. Maybe they set it higher at night then drop it when they get up? Girl is 6 months pregnant and pregnant girls do not like heat!

Humidity went from 67 to 55 in about 3.5 hrs with a 30 pint dehumidifier. It was the cheapest HD sells. Will see what happens when it is shut off. I set it for 45%.

I'll get the model # and have it serviced. I had the furnace serviced in March, it was pretty dirty. not sure what they do in an ac service that is different. The furnace is from 2004, ac is from approx 2011 or 12.

Could a weak bathroom exhaust have much effect? Typical bath, one sink, toilet, tub/shower combo. The vent is fairly old and likely cheap, but still powers on. I think it may go out the roof, three floors high.

Two showers a day even with no ventilation is not going to have much affect on the humidity.

The humidity settings on the cheap dehumidifiers are very inaccurate. You may see the dehumidifier run continuously the whole summer. We had some heavy rains yesterday, and more are forecasted this week. The 30 pint dehumidifier is going to help, but it may not have the capacity to get down to a relative humidity of 45%.

Ok, this could be part of it....

Keep in mind, the indoor humidity is usually above the outdoor, since at least Memorial Day weekend, when south jersey had been in a dry spell.

I did confirm it's a 2ton ac, and have a little info on the furnace, but not handy.

Today we were painting again and I happened to look up at the supply vents (first floor slab). There are huge gaps around the vent! Up to an inch I would say. The hole in the Sheetrock is much bigger than the rectangle part of the supply.

I know you all want me to seal these vents the "right" way with mastic etc, but it's not going to happen. I think it probably need some metal flaps attached or something. This is not a place we want to invest a lot of time or $. It's value is a little over 100k and it will be a rental. Obviously something needs to be done. I'm thinking the quick and dirty way is foam, maybe with some mastic tape on top.

Could the leaky vents be the problem? Remember it's the first floor and there is supposed to be a fire wall between the floors so I'm not sure what's really up there, it's not an attic or anything. We did paint all the ceilings, so I don't think there are any leaks from above into the "attic" per se. However, we did use 2-3 coats of kilz on the nicotine stained ceilings, so a leak from above might take a while to seep through.

Haven't had the ac cleaned yet, it's very hard to access. The exhaust pipe from the furnace goes up in front of the access panel to the top part (which I assume is the coils). The ac is dated 2012. Furnace is Rheem criterion, 50kbtu, 80%, not sure of model, from 2004. 944 sf condo.

Cheapest and easiest fix for leaky supply? We have already invested more than we want to in this place, so I'm not looking for the RIGHT way, but just any way to do a band aid fix. Thanks for understanding!

Here it is. Model is RGPJ-05eauer. Screenshot of Rheem manual page from http://globalimageserver.com/fetchDocument.aspx?id=812d0bcc-0b1b-4b00-8aba-0059cd413733

Humidity passes through sheet rock. The gaps around the vents should be filled in, but it is not going to solve the humidity problem.

The cheapest way to fill the gaps is sheet rock mud and joint tape. The easiest is probably spray foam. Cheapest and easiest usually don't go together.

We are having an unusually cool early June in NJ. It has been so cool that my 2-stage AC is not doing its usual good job of keeping the humidity low. The other day my house was 76 degrees and 48% humidity which seems less comfortable than the 78 degrees and 40% humidity I would normally experience.

Has setting back the AC during the day, and running it longer in the evening help the humidity problem?

AC guy came today. The outside part was a little dirty, the pressure was high so that was cleaned. The blower for the AC and heat was set to high! It was on the highest. He said he had to use the lowest, 675 for heat and the next was 950 for air. See chart from furnace manual. He agrees it is over-sized and should have been a 1.5 instead of a 2.0. Hopefully this will give the longer run times and let more humidity

cindywhitall I know this is a four year old thread but I was wondering if you found a solution. I am having a similar problem and came across this thread.

I respond to old stuff too sometimes! I never really solved it. It's a little better this year but I don't know why. Only a LITTLE better. It will still be between 56-64 percent. Right now it is 72 degrees inside and 58 percent according to the Nest. My son lives there and I know he did run the a/c some yesterday and last night. The percent will go up while the a/c is high while he is at work.

I did get the a/c serviced and maybe that was part of the problem. It had been serviced before, but this time it got a new inside coil and outside compressor. I extended a downspout about 3 feet from the wall, it had been really close and I didn't know it. The downspout ended only a few inches in front of the crack in the photos and the crack was right behind it. It used to be tough to get humidity lower than 60 and it ranged up to 69 or 70 often, so it seems a bit better.

I think moving the downspout helped a little and I believe the problem is a crack in the foundation of the slab. Not a crack in the slab, but in the footing that is under the slab if that makes any sense. Haven't gotten them to do anything about it, but it is right behind the downspout. I think there is moisture under the slab. I moved the spout, but it could be a lot built up under there. Since it's a condo I can't do much about it, the condo doesn't believe it's a problem so....The white part is what I think is the actual slab of the floor, the moldy part is the footing, or wall that holds the slab up around the edges. The crack goes in towards the interior at least 5 inches and also down about 5 inches...could be more.

Let me know if you even find a solution. I know there are still no leaks in my unit and my dryer vent and bathroom vent all work.

I found out what my problem was with the high humidity. My master shower had failed/leaked. I had it remodeled recently and the contractor showed me the wood and insulation. It was soaked! He replaced it all, new wood, insulation, etc. It was 100% better within a couple of days. Then he finished our new bathroom and all has been good since.

Not a cheap option but my 30 year old condo needed a nice updated bath.