Issues with whole home dehumidification
vinmarks
2 years ago
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vinmarks
2 years agoRelated Discussions
whole house humidifier
Comments (9)I can't advise on systems, but don't think you'll really need one. If I recall correctly, you are building near Durango and are from Texas. We're from south central Arkansas and have a second home in Steamboat Springs (and will be building there in a couple of years, so I am following your progress closely). Anyway, I do know where you are coming from with the differences in RH. Our existing Steamboat house is pretty tight and at first we expected the dryness to be a factor. We are out there anywhere between 2-6 weeks at least three times a year. We actually do have ductwork with a Hot Water Forced Air system and considered adding central air. In the end we did not have a problem with the humidity (or lack thereof) beyond using a portable room humidifier in our bedroom occasionally. We also decided that central air that would probably only be used during the heat of the day about 3-4 weeks in the summer was not worth it. On hot days, we spend a bit more time in the basement (always stays cool) and on very hot days DH may sleep in the basement, but even on the hottest days, the temp is back in the 40s-50s by bedtime and we sleep with the upstairs winds open. Drink lots of water, use a heavier moisturizer than you do at home and buy a portable humidifier to use in your bedroom at night if you feel the dryness too much. I doubt you will need it often. The thing I see about a whole house humidifier is it is just one more expense and one more thing to go out. Love your lot, makes me jealous a bit. We went back and forth considering larger lots 5-7 miles out of town or smaller lots in a new subdivision in the middle of the base area. Even though the small town lot was more expensive, we finally decided we wanted to be in the middle of the action able to walk or ride bikes almost anywhere. Still when I see lots as pretty as yours I second guess my decision. I also love your plans. Does your architect work else in the state and would he be someone you would recommend? We will probably begin discussions with architects in August. This post was edited by mojomom on Fri, May 30, 14 at 9:12...See MoreWhole House Fan Issue
Comments (3)You likely will never know why someone put an oversized fan in a plenum that way. I would guess that they got the fan for free somehow and adapted it. Maybe it is from a chicken house that got torn down. Why does it blow air into the house from the attic? Either 1) they screwed it up, 2) they are nuts or 3) they were trying to heat the house using attic air (see also (2)). Actually, (3) would not work because the shutters won't open that way. Oh, wait, maybe they would! The shutters are installed to open in what direction? You might have to turn that upside-down too! The fan could be reversed by turning the motor around 180 degrees or installing a motor that turns in the opposite direction. I can't tell, though, if the blades are designed to work that way. You might better, if possible, slip the whole metal fan frame out of the wood plenum and turn it around. BTW, I have seen one or two installed vertically in a plenum, and I am just not a building tradesman or professional. There are some other things to consider. This whole thing looks FUBAR so you don't know what might be right or wrong with it. If you turn a fan with a motor that is not rated for the load, the motor will heat up and burn out. You can install a smaller motor than the fan is rated for and change the pulleys to turn it slower. That would de-rate the fan to a more appropriate capacity. I can't really tell you how to do that. Maybe Grainger would help you. You don't need to buy a Leeland motor, just one of the right rpm and power. But wait, there's more! Does your attic really have enough venting to handle the capacity, even de-rated? If you pressurize the attic, you will be blowing air back into the living space through the multiple leaks that typically exist (can lights and perforations for electrical cables to name a couple of things). Keep in mind that that thing could severely de-pressurize your house if it is over capacity. If you don't have enough windows open and have burn fuel to heat water or your furnace happens to kick on, you can suck the exhaust into the house. Those shutters will never seal well. If you don't have AC you could cover them in the winter, but if you do have cooling, you will be leaking air all summer. If I were in your shoes, I would consider tearing it out and installing a Tamarack fan. Even if installed well, those old systems are really not compatible with air conditioning. Keep the old fan and build a frame with casters. It will make a nifty patio cooler. Install a mister if you live in a low humidity area. If you live in a place with high humidity and have AC, the benefits of a whole-house fan are very limited....See More2 stage AC vs Dehumidifer
Comments (26)It's a gimmick like regular AC is a gimmick for cooling. what does that even mean? dehumidification is a gimmick and a/c is a gimmick?? doesn't make sense to me. dehumidification is a necessary thing in my hot humid climate. there are different ways to achieve it each with its own pros & cons stand alone dehumidifiers pro is low cost cons are where to locate centrally & how to drain operation cost noise of dehumidifier whole house dehumdiification systems pro is dehumidification of the whole house cons are cost issues with proper install operating costs introduction of heat back into a home in a cooling climate vs & two stage equipment pro is dehumidification if system is sized, designed & correctly installed low operating cost cons are hvac company installing 5 ton set at 3 ton speed, and cost to homeowner to purchase oversized equipment hvac company having little to no experience with higher end/tech equipment. when operation isn't understood saying it doesn't work is a common response. much easier than saying that is isn't understood. hvac companies often do this when asked for equipment installs they know little about. to me it is a good thing. at least they admit it so you are then freed up to go to a company that invests in education instead of just doing the same old same old as taught to them originally. in my house I planned to dehumidify..kinda need that in hot humid Louisiana..my dehumidification plans were to use vs ahu. it works well. but in August/September when temps & humidity are the highest...the whole house dehumidifier is a huge bonus. the vs ahu simply can't get RH below 55%, but the aprilaire can. if you are building new..you have every chance to get it done right. why not take advantage of it? best of luck....See MoreCold air returns in basement for dehumidification?
Comments (6)In my case the cost of adding that basement return was essentially zero - it took maybe 30 minutes of one man's time and a small amount of material. Obviously I paid for it, but it was not included in the original quote and it was suggested as they were installing the system and I mentioned the humidity present with my old system. I think I may have bought them lunch. ;-) (Back in my Submarine days I swear I could have bought the Navy an extra submarine for three Foul Weather Jackets and two 20 pound tins of coffee.) This post was edited by saltidawg on Tue, Jul 1, 14 at 11:46...See Moreklem1
2 years agoAustin Air Companie
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agovinmarks
2 years agovinmarks
2 years agoAustin Air Companie
2 years ago
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