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A/C Condesation

TennisBob | Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on February 14, 2007 01:04am

Our new home has a stand alone A/C unit in the attic. Recently it started to have a severe condensation problem on the north side ceiling registers. I closed off the inlet with plastic and it helped the problem a lot. However I’m still making condensation on the north registers, granted a lot less. Any suggestion on how to totally eliminate this problem. By the way, I have all the registers closed and have made covers for the se registers.


Edited 2/13/2007 5:09 pm ET by TennisBob

Reply

Replies

  1. rez | Feb 15, 2007 12:13am | #1

    Greetings T,

    As a first time poster Welcome to Breaktime.

    This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again which will increase it's viewing.

    Perhaps it will catch someone's attention that can help you with advice.

    Cheers

     

    only life affirming platitudes allowed -Doud '07
    Would a full cluster of enemies be called an enema? -Piffin

  2. Ray | Feb 15, 2007 03:36am | #2

    That sounds like you're not getting sufficient airflow around the heat exchanger.  It's not removing the moisture from the air when it cools it.  I'd try cleaning the coils and heat exchanger first.

    1. TennisBob | Feb 16, 2007 12:51am | #7

      no air flow only cooling in summer

  3. DanH | Feb 15, 2007 04:53am | #3

    Too much humidity.  New home, possibly in combo with an oversized AC.  You need to ventillate the home as much as possible for the first few months.  Should check the AC to be sure that the fan is running fast enough.  Blocking the registers will tend to make your problem worse.

    So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
    1. TennisBob | Feb 16, 2007 12:47am | #5

      A/c not running, only for summer use

  4. User avater
    BillHartmann | Feb 15, 2007 07:46am | #4

    Where are you located?

    Are you heating now or runing the AC?

    As you said that you have the registers closed I am assuming that you are not runing the AC and are heating by another method?

    If show warm moist interior air is cleaning in the the cold attic at the registers.

    Are you the builder? If not have you contacted the builder?

    .
    .
    A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
    1. TennisBob | Feb 16, 2007 12:49am | #6

      Correct, A/C not running. A/C contractor says block inlet which I did, still some condesation

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Feb 16, 2007 02:07am | #8

        Ideal the HVAC systems should be in conditioned space. In this case that means a contitioned attic. The building insulation would be in the bottom of the roof, not in the ceiling.But that was not done in this case. What needs to be done is that insulated duct work is used. The connections to the ducts are sealed. The air handler is insulated.And the penatration in the ceiling for the vents need to be sealed so that air can go out around the outside of the pipes.And what is the RH in house and what is the outside air temp.The AC ducts in the attica are still going to be a colder area and if the RH is too high you will still get condensation if the if the system is correctly installed."A/C contractor says block inlet "The A/C contractor is not doing his job.And unless you directly contracted with the A?C contractor then the GC is not doing his job.
        .
        .
        A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

        1. TennisBob | Feb 16, 2007 06:20am | #9

          The ducts are in an uncondition space as the ceiling/attic floor is insulated. the ducts are insulated flex ducts. If I can keep the hot humid air from the house out of the system, by blocking the inlet and discharge registers, I think that should solve the condensation problem. Any thoughts?

          1. User avater
            BillHartmann | Feb 16, 2007 06:27am | #10

            Have you VERIFIED that the ducts are insulated and properly sealed. And that no air is leaking around the vent.Right now we don't know if the condensation is inside the pipes or outside them.You should not have to block off the vents..
            .
            A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

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