Condensation on windows

[mixxedbagg]

We moved into a new home this spring, and now that it's gotten cold, over the past few weeks we have been seeing increasing condensation along the bottoms of our windows (which are pretty darn new) to the point that some of them are starting to show a little mildew or little pools of water in the corners. This has happened in all of the rooms...not just the bathroom or kitchen. I don't think the air in our home is particularly humid. We never had the problem at our last home. Any thoughts on what is causing this and what we can do to alleviate it? Thanks!

[Tominator692]

I have had this same problem in my last 3 homes. I think they build the new houses way to tight. I have an air exchanger in my current home and it does not help alot. I can't tell you how many times I have had to sand and re-finish window bases. I hope someone has a fix for this.

[eglleftcoast]

Welcome to Minnesota winters. The only way to eliminate this problem is to use the 3M plastic for your windows. Not only does it keep your windows from icing up, it reduce your heating bills. I swear by it and have been doing my windows for over 30 years...

[fishhuntwork]

I had this same problem last year. So I set my dehumidifier at 40 and I have not had another problem. Just to much humidity in the house. i've also heard of people letting the bathroom fan run longer and opening a window for an hour.

[croixflats]

Welcome to Minnesota winters. The only way to eliminate this problem is to use the 3M plastic for your windows. Not only does it keep your windows from icing up, it reduce your heating bills. I swear by it and have been doing my windows for over 30 years...

I also agree with this. It helps a bunch

[Skeeter21i]

Even though it may not feel that humid in the house, condensation on the windows is a visual indicator that there is too much moisture inside. If you have an air exchanger turn it up. It may take a few days to see any improvement. The colder it is outside the more important it is to run the exchanger and control the moisture in your house. Running bath fans does also help.

[jeffreyd]

I remember as a kid, my parents left two windows cracked year round in the house for the same reason. One in the upper bedroom one on the main level. Dad swore by it as it would allow some air exchange, when they sold the house they tried to close them and they were stuck. oh well.

[CAMAN]

If you have blinds on the windows, when you close them keep a 2 inch gap at the bottom, it will help tremendously with the condensation. Also run the fan in the bathroom longer, I usually run it 30 minutes or more longer after the shower.

[Tom7227]

Go buy a digital thermometer with a humidity gauge. You don't want it higher than 25-30% in the winter. If you have a humidifier on your furnace check and see what it's set at. Notice that it has readings that relate to the outdoor temp - colder it gets the lower the number should be. You may have to adjust it every few days as the outside temp fluctuates. Otherwise it is bathroom fans after showers, vent fans if a lot of cooking is going on, stuff like that.

[mixxedbagg]

We have no bathroom vent or air exchanger. We do have a vent on the range hood though. I do not have blinds on the windows.

I might have a furnace humidifier...I honestly don't know what one looks like as we didn't have one at the old house. There is a unit on the side of furnace that has 2 tubes on it....one receiving water and one to the drain pipe. However, there is no gauge or control on it anywhere that I can find.

[daylate]

If its a new home it may be a requirement to have an air exchanger. call your builder or the HVAC contractor.

[CAMAN]

That sounds like a whole house humidifier. If you can find any wires to turn it off or even disconnect the water line running to it and see if it helps your humidity problem.

[MuleShack]

If the humidifier is on the forced air furnace, there should a controler for it either next to the main thermostat or integrated into it. As others said, set it lower as the temps fall.

[mixxedbagg]

Quote:

Liberals always have a lot of hot air in their houses. That is what is causing your problem.

Wrong forum, Einstein.

[mixxedbagg]

I'll see what I can do with that humidifier....thanks guys.

The house is older than me (but new TO me), so I doubt an exchanger is required.

[delcecchi]

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector? sometimes excess humidity can come from a bad heat exchanger since burning gas makes water vapor, among other things. Humidifier turned up to high is most likely but perhaps it is worth checking.

Everyone should have Carbon Monoxide detector anyway.

[mixxedbagg]

I have 2 of them...just haven't put them up since moving in. (Lot of good they're doing me in a box. ) This gives me a reason to move that up my list.

[11-87]

Its all Humidity.. the new house still has moisture in it drying..

put on some ceiling fans, or a fan in the room to circulate air.. and maybe even leave the shades up a little to get the air to hit them..

taken from.. http://www.crestlinewindows.com/_images/C_WoodBrochure_0208.pdf

Other Ways to Reduce Window Condensation

• Run a dehumidifier, or turn off your home’s

humidifier

• Use exhaust fans in areas with high humidity

such as bathrooms and laundry rooms

• Take shorter showers and install water-restricting

faucets

• Cover pots and pans while cooking to hold in

moisture, or use your microwave or slow cooker

to prepare meals

• Open your windows occasionally to vent moisture

• Open drapes and blinds to allow warm house

air to circulate against the windows

Window condensation will often appear temporarily

as moisture seeps out of a new home’s wood, plaster

and other building materials. This will generally pass after

about a month, or at the most, one heating season.

This same type of moisture can accumulate in a milder

form at the beginning of each heating season. During

the summer, your house absorbs moisture. After the first

few weeks of heating, your home will “dry out” and you’ll

notice less condensation.

[BobT]

Welcome to Minnesota winters. The only way to eliminate this problem is to use the 3M plastic for your windows. Not only does it keep your windows from icing up, it reduce your heating bills. I swear by it and have been doing my windows for over 30 years...

Adding the plastic on the inside may add another barrier but it doesn’t do well for the finish if you have wood trim.

The best solution is an air exchanger that can allow you to control the relative humidity inside your home.

[Tom7227]

Well the tubed box is a humidifier. Someplace, maybe on a wall upstairs, is a control box. Looks like a thermostat but it controls the humidifier. Find it and check the setting. Get the digital thermometer and humidity gauge and you'll get an idea of the level of your problem. It may take a couple of days for your house to dry out once you get a better control on the humidifier.

[delcecchi]

It is a old "new house" so not drying.

[soldoncass]

Definitely too much humidity in the house, in relation to the inside to outside temp diference. In other words....condensation happens, on the warm side of a window, when the inside air temp AND humidity get to a certain point. That "certain point" is determined by several things.....outside temp, inside glass temp, inside humidity, etc. I've had people tell me the window is leaking.....ever put a cold drink on a table in a warm room?....condensation forms on the glass, but it is NOT from leaking. Same thing is going on with your windows. There are several things you can do to help.....put on storm windows or plastic (triple pane is better than double pane), ...lower inside humidity(air exchangers, fans, open window a crack,use the grill outside instead of cooking on the stove,get rid of aquariums, even breathing puts humidity in the air... so the more people and pets inside, the more humidity there will be). When the outside temp is below zero, the inside humidity will have to be down close to 20% to avoid condensation forming. I've got a chart (somewhere) that has all the info, with different window types, humidities, temps., etc. Newer houses are built comfortable and with energy conservation in mind...hence the "tight' methods...how many people do you know that want to go back to the "old" methods, single pane glass, little or NO insulation, NO vapor barrier so the humidity goes through the walls and makes the insulation worthless,as well as pushes the paint OFF the siding , drafts everywhere, etc., etc... The humidity control is a small price to pay for the comfort level we enjoy today.

[bigswede]

TOm,

Like it is sad already turn up your air EXC so ti runs longer/mreoften!

[MuleShack]

TOm,

Like it is sad already turn up your air EXC so ti runs longer/mreoften!

Heck, I think ours runs continuosly...

[Mnfisher]

Last year, I had a vent installed directly from the outside to my cold air return. I also ran the bathroom exhaust fan 16 hours/day. (it is too loud to run all night tho I am considering a quieter one). Also, run ceiling fans most of the time. It helped a lot last year...pretty much took care of the problem completely but now having trouble again this year! I may not have the outside air vent set right. It is a cheaper fix than an air exchanger, (about $150) but still may have to go to an air exchanger.