Windows condensation

KGB · #1 01-14-2020, 11:28 AM

With this cold weather, how are your windows doing? Mine are all covered in a condensation. Like a shower glass after you take a shower... the humidity in the house is 27-29% according to the furnace digital programmable thermostat....
The house is build in 2002, I don’t feel any cold drafts from the windows so the seal must be good. But the amount of moisture that accumulates on the windows is crazy.
My old house had old sliding windows and the outside slider would just freeze in this weather but we never had so much moisture on the inside slider.
I’m running the ceiling fans pretty much constantly to get the air moving and it helps a little. But not sure what else can be done...

openfire · #2 01-14-2020, 11:34 AM

Run the vent fan system on your home with blinds and curtains open,
Turn humidifier a little lower, and run bathroom fans for a min of 1 hour after shower/bath.

Do those and it will help a lot.

Map Maker · #3 01-14-2020, 12:28 PM

You got your house so sealed up it can't breathe. Crack a window or vent leading to outside and watch it doesnt seal up by condensation.
It'll take a while for your house to expel that moisture but you'll know for next cold snap.

big zeke · #4 01-14-2020, 12:30 PM

Get some air moving across he window, a floor fan often can do the trick. Lowering the humidifier can take a long time as your house can hold a lot of (relatively) wet air. At these temps even the best windows can get condensation. Wipe up any water that appears, it can turn into mold fast.

Dean2 · #5 01-14-2020, 12:39 PM

Turn your humidifier down to 20% and your water on windows issue will disappear. Turn it back up to 30% once it gets above -15. If you look at most humidifier owners manuals it will have recommended setting based on the outside temperature. Colder it is outside the less humidity you want if you want your windows to stay clear.

One issue with 20% or less humidity is your hardwood floors and cabinets will start to shrink fairly quick and you get some pretty noticeable gaps so personally I just put up with the bit of water on the windows and keep it at 30%. They dry up as soon as it warms up a bit outside.

krthegunslinger · #6 01-14-2020, 12:45 PM

Same. Old house with new windows. Old aluminum sliders were bad but the new ones are not much better!!! House is not sealed up too tight by any means. I have a dehumidifier running in manual and not seeing much in it anymore but still condensation ??

KGB · #7 01-14-2020, 01:29 PM

My humidifier is completely off - it’s simply not working, lol! I always run a fan after a shower and run the range hood when cooking... Dunno, I though to have an airtight sealed house was good for saving energy etc... we actually haven’t done anything to seal the house, we just moved in in August.
The ceiling fans are running in a reverse mode, bringing air from the floor towards the vaulted ceiling. I was told that’s a “winter” mode...

2011laramie · #8 01-14-2020, 01:51 PM

Built our house last year.

All the triple pane windows are clear, not an ounce of frost on them, even in the corners.

The double pane sliders in the basement have ice on them though.

Immigrant · #9 01-14-2020, 02:36 PM

Do you have an HRV? When it gets really cold the exhaust on mine closes off with frost. It runs 24/7 on low speed. This is what it looked like this morning

I also remove my bug screens in winter to get better air flow over the windows.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Off in the Bushes · #10 01-14-2020, 04:06 PM

It is trapped air flow for the window, open the blinds and the humidity will not condense out and freeze on the window. We have bottom up top down blinds and when when fully closed this happens. So leave the top down 2 inches and the bottom up 2 inches and the problem goes way.

MountainTi · #11 01-14-2020, 04:13 PM

Put a wood stove in the house. You'll be praying for some humidity

obsessed1 · #12 01-14-2020, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Put a wood stove in the house. You'll be praying for some humidity

Yup. My issue is 16-18% humidity. Keep the kettle going full time and a humidifier.

Grizzly Adams · #13 01-14-2020, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obsessed1

Yup. My issue is 16-18% humidity. Keep the kettle going full time and a humidifier.

Living in a modern house is like living in a balloon, that's the way they're designed, then people wonder why they have moisture problems.

Grizz

KGB · #14 01-14-2020, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Put a wood stove in the house. You'll be praying for some humidity

I would love to! Or even a wood burning fireplace- like we had in the previous house. I really miss the fire on a cold days like these. And the smell and crackling of the wood...

KGB · #15 01-14-2020, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Off in the Bushes

It is trapped air flow for the window, open the blinds and the humidity will not condense out and freeze on the window. We have bottom up top down blinds and when when fully closed this happens. So leave the top down 2 inches and the bottom up 2 inches and the problem goes way.

Blinds are completely open! There is no restriction to the air flow.
I also increased the temp inside the house to 21C from 20 and looks like it helped with the condensation.

obsessed1 · #16 01-14-2020, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Living in a modern house is like living in a balloon, that's the way they're designed, then people wonder why they have moisture problems.

Grizz

My place was built in the 70s, we run a wood stove from 5:30( when.I get up) to 11. Keeps the gas bill down. Our place breathes pretty good :-)

Prairiewolf · #17 01-15-2020, 07:19 AM

My humidifier is broken, and honestly its been fine. No condensation on any windows. We run a little plug-in humidifier in our bedroom during the night and that does a great job. With temps this cold you pretty much can't have much moisture IMO.

I'll consider fixing the humidifier in the spring, maybe.

Phil McCracken · #18 01-15-2020, 07:43 AM

Yesterday morning here was -41C. This morning -42C. Been between that and -30ish for the past few days. I do run an airtight wood stove.

My house is fine...except for the bedroom window.

You see, the wife is going through menopause and leaves the damn window open an inch at night, and keeps the door shut. Yeah, the window is pretty frosty! Lots of layering on the bed, and me. Thought I'd have to wear a tuque last night.

I'm sure a few here can relate to that...LOL

Off in the Bushes · #19 01-15-2020, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KGB

Blinds are completely open! There is no restriction to the air flow.
I also increased the temp inside the house to 21C from 20 and looks like it helped with the condensation.

That seem correct the warmer the air the more relative humidity it can contain. So all things staying equal except temperature. Your RH should be lower.