Condensation on windows - Humidity

[sansglee]

Due to the freezing cold since last week, noticing some condensation around the bottom edges of the windows. Tried to the reduce the humidity inside. currently its around 30%. still seeing some condensation on some windows. Especially in the morning. Is that normal when the temperature goes very low ? Thanks

[FraserB]

Seems to be. Cracking a window for a bit seems to work, I have my exhaust fan set to run twice a day for half an hour each time and it's decreased the issue for me.

[revelations]

Yes, it has a lot to do with the R-value of the windows, the direction they face, how much sun they get and humidity of the home.

I don't reduce the humidity in our house as our windows are fine. Check your window drains if the water isn't draining out properly.

35% should be a minimum in the winter for comfort and 45% ideal (if the windows dont sweat like crazy).

Essentially anything below 35-40% increases the risk of illnesses - especially airborne pathogens - as your nasal membranes dry out.

[killramos]

I have found that heat cycling the home ( like a smart thermostat does that turns the heat down when you are not there ) causes alot of problems. When we get the super cold snaps I disable that feature on my nest and leave the heat at one stable temp. Has helped a bunch. Also if you have privacy/blackout blinds then make sure you raise them enough to allow adequate airflow to keep the windows from freezing up.

Wastes energy but its also very expensive / time consuming if you ruing the moldings on your windows due to ice and water buildup ( which i learned the hard way ). I also disabled my humidifier as I have never had a use for it ( house manages to maintain a nice comfortable humidity all year since i have a big fish tank in my living room ).

I have a ton of issues in my house with this so i have taken a ton of steps to help mitigate. Condensation is just a fact of life for me, what I am trying to avoid is ice.

Also doesn't help that I should really have a second furnace / heating zone for the volume of air in my home due to high ceilings. Good to know for next time i buy i guess..

[sansglee]

Originally posted by killramos
I have found that heat cycling the home ( like a smart thermostat does that turns the heat down when you are not there ) causes alot of problems. When we get the super cold snaps I disable that feature on my nest and leave the heat at one stable temp. Has helped a bunch. Also if you have privacy/blackout blinds then make sure you raise them enough to allow adequate airflow to keep the windows from freezing up.

Wastes energy but its also very expensive / time consuming if you ruing the moldings on your windows due to ice and water buildup ( which i learned the hard way ). I also disabled my humidifier as I have never had a use for it ( house manages to maintain a nice comfortable humidity all year since i have a big fish tank in my living room ).

I have a ton of issues in my house with this so i have taken a ton of steps to help mitigate. Condensation is just a fact of life for me, what I am trying to avoid is ice.

Also doesn't help that I should really have a second furnace / heating zone for the volume of air in my home due to high ceilings. Good to know for next time i buy i guess..

Could you please share the steps to remove the condensation and thin layer of ice ? As every one say decresing humidity will not resolve the issue.

[lilmira]

Play with this to understand when condensation occurs.
http://www.dpcalc.org/
Temperature is your air temperature.
RH is your humidity.
Dew point is the temperature of your window sill where condensation occurs. If your window sill is colder than the dew point = condensation. If your window sill is warmer than that, nothing happens.

If your window sill has frost like mine in the past few days, that means it's colder than freezing point. Say my indoor temp is 20C, condensation will occur with as low as 26% RH. It has to be dryer than that to lower the dew point. The easiest solution is to warm up your window sill, so open your window covering and crank up your thermostat.

[88CRX]

Well if you have frozen moisture (ice) on the windows you need to melt the ice and wipe it away with a cloth, us a blow dryer if its really bad or crank the heat in the house. Once this is done and dealt with manage the inside humidity level better. Is really only an issue when it gets freezing cold here (below -20c).

[lilmira]

Really the only permanent solution is to have better windows. Otherwise you do what you can and live with it during coldsnaps.

[sansglee]

Originally posted by lilmira
Play with this to understand when condensation occurs.
http://www.dpcalc.org/
Temperature is your air temperature.
RH is your humidity.
Dew point is the temperature of your window sill where condensation occurs. If your window sill is colder than the dew point = condensation. If your window sill is warmer than that, nothing happens.

If your window sill has frost like mine in the past few days, that means it's colder than freezing point. Say my indoor temp is 20C, condensation will occur with as low as 26% RH. It has to be dryer than that to lower the dew point. The easiest solution is to warm up your window sill, so open your window covering and crank up your thermostat.

Thank you very much. Will try it today..

[nagooro]

Bump...

Recently took possession of a new build home and been having condensation issues during the cold snaps. Right now I have the home temp set at 21C and dropped humidity to 10-15% or so. This morning almost every window in the home has some condensation on the bottom, with a few developing ice. The door knobs and locks also have condensation on them.

The windows are all double pane and the window sills are a vinyl/plastic material. Was planning on running the ventilation for a bit today to bring in fresh air and exhaust the current air.

I do my best to wipe down the windows/door handles/locks every morning and night. Is there anything else I can do to mitigate this?

https://i.imgur.com/ILSZqWB.jpg

[03ozwhip]

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Bump...

Recently took possession of a new build home and been having condensation issues during the cold snaps. Right now I have the home temp set at 21C and dropped humidity to 10-15% or so. This morning almost every window in the home has some condensation on the bottom, with a few developing ice. The door knobs and locks also have condensation on them.

The windows are all double pane and the window sills are a vinyl/plastic material. Was planning on running the ventilation for a bit today to bring in fresh air and exhaust the current air.

I do my best to wipe down the windows/door handles/locks every morning and night. Is there anything else I can do to mitigate this?

https://i.imgur.com/ILSZqWB.jpg

Turn the humidity all the way off. I've had a lot of issues with this and it fucked up my trim and I thought I was on top of it.

Turned the humidifier all the way off and it's made a world of difference, but now were all getting shocked.

[ExtraSlow]

Calgary is an incredibly dry place. If you want to remove humidity, let more outside air in. Keep the air circulating in your home. I run furnace fan 24/7/365.

Also, triple pane windows are great.

[Kloubek]

Related but not the same topic, in my new build my basement walls are sweating more than Ron Jeremy in an all-night orgy. The water is running down the wall, under the base plate of the frost wall (positioned 2 inches away from the concrete) and creating actual puddles.

I cut the barrier and took a piece of insulation out, and that has solved the issue. Of course, no insulation and open air isn't exactly ideal, so I'm considering getting spray foam or gluing on rigid foam against the concrete. Do you guys know if I'm on the right track there?

[Mitsu3000gt]

I know people who just run a couple small, quiet fans behind their couches blowing up the windows and it solves the problem - a band-aid obviously but it works.

[jeffh]

Also,make sure you keep your blinds up a few inches from the sill to allow some airflow to hit the windows, and reduce the air from stagnating and condensing. I always lower my humidistat a few notches, when I notice frost forming on my windows.

[nagooro]

Thanks for the input. Will turn on the ventilation when I get home, and drop the humidity until it clears. Forgot to mention, we also leave the furnace fan running 24/7 to keep the air circulating.

Had I known this was gonna be a PITA, probably would have opted for triple pane windows...too late now

[revelations]

Wow, sad to hear about these new builds ........ our 1979 house, with new double pane, low E windows has almost no condensation (little) even with the humidity up to 40% (as measured on main floor). Basement is in the 30s with the window open a crack.

[88CRX]

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Wow, sad to hear about these new builds ........ our 1979 house, with new double pane, low E windows has almost no condensation (little) even with the humidity up to 40% (as measured on main floor). Basement is in the 30s with the window open a crack.

Older houses leak so much air in and out of them (they breath) that they don't typically have as many crazy humidity issues like new tight homes. New house are so damn tight that they have little to no air movement.

[revelations]

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Older houses leak so much air in and out of them (they breath) that they don't typically have as many crazy humidity issues like new tight homes. New house are so damn tight that they have little to no air movement.

I said "measured" - not whats set on a humidifier. When you have 10% humidity (which is horrible for the respiratory system) and still have issues with condensation - thats not a home issue, thats a cheap shit window issue.

[ZenOps]

Poor mans solution is to just use advertising flyers to soak it up, which is what I do to get rid of moisture that gets trapped between dual windows.