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Just moved into a house that is basically a singlewide trailer set on a foundation with another stick build side. The prevoius owner left the old 60K btu hot air unit in the house. I have noticed that we have constant condensation every night on the windows. Is this due to the heating system or is there something that needs to be added to imporve air exchange ?
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If it's cold outside and your windows are single pane, you'll always have condensation.
jim l
*b Condensation can be an indication of flue gases spilling in the house and possible Carbon Monoxide.It could be from the furnace or water heater: flue gases have a lot of moisture in them and condensation can result from "back drafting" - that is, flue gases spilling into the house.Have your furnace checked b now, Today!How is everyone feeling? Flue symptoms? Headaches? Any other feeling "off?"If so, b turn off the furnace and water heater until they are checked out! Also, If there are any indications of CO, go to your doctor and persist for being checked for CO exposure. Unfortunately, many DR's don't know much about CO. Long term exposure to low levels can cause serious disabling health effects. b Just because you aren't dead doesn't mean you don't have a serious CO problem!You can ask your gas company or fire fighters to check for CO, but they often don't know what they're doing: if they find it, you've got it. If they don't, you might still have it.Get and use a carbon monoxide monitor/alarm. At a minimum, get one with an LED digital readout of CO levels. The best to get currently is the AIM 935 Low Level Carbon Monoxide Monitor. Available at several places on the web form ~$70. Do a google search for AIM 935 Carbon Monoxide.Of course, it might be just plain old condensation. Hope that it is, but get the furnace checked. In most cases, condensation is from excessive moisture in the crawl space or a humidifier turned too high.Please let us know what you find out.
*Well you don't say where you live. But in some areas nighttime temps are low enough to cause condensation, especially if you have either single pane or not very good double pane windows.Or, you could just have one of the troubles Mr Walker mentions. Please do have the furnace and flu checked if you haven't already. Too many people die from fire or CO poisoning. Don't be one of them.
*I know a number of people up here who live in trailers and trailer-sized dwellings. The small volume allows cooking, breathing and shower moisture to build up to high levels. Does the problem correlate to heater use, or just cold outside temps? You'd have to turn the heater off to see. Or spend a night elsewhere (or at least a late evening out) to see if it is the heater's use or your breathing.Radio shack and others have electronic humidty gauges for about $25. Single pane windows will show condensation much sooner. Window coverings on the inside (blinds, curtains, etc.) will make the condensation worse. -David
*One thing not mentioned...Dehumidifier.We have a small home and each winter we get condensation. With all the windows now closed and storms down, cooking, shower, steam heaters and people breathing causes moisture levels to rise.We simply haul out the dehumidfier to bring levels to a normal state...usually need to play around with settings until the condensation is minimal or gone.Just to confirm, we do have single pane double hungs (in Maine!), so this codition is pretty much a given each year!
*Add a vapor barrier under the whole thing. I can't believe plastic on the ground stops water on the windows, but it always works here in Georgia!
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Just moved into a house that is basically a singlewide trailer set on a foundation with another stick build side. The prevoius owner left the old 60K btu hot air unit in the house. I have noticed that we have constant condensation every night on the windows. Is this due to the heating system or is there something that needs to be added to imporve air exchange ?