Are You Dealing with Sweaty Ductwork? | Crawl Space Waterproofing | Charlotte NC

ARE YOU DEALING WITH SWEATY DUCTWORK?

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THE STACK EFFECT Condensation is a natural change of physical state of matter from gas (or vapor) to liquid. Condensation generally occurs when a vapor is cooled or compressed (increased pressure). In nature, water vapor that naturally condenses on cold surfaces is called dew. Water vapor only condenses on another surface when it is hotter than the temperature on the surface, or when the saturation humidity in the air has been exceeded.

Sweaty ductwork is the result of vapor condensation. This process decreases the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems and promotes mold and mildew growth on ceilings and walls. When ducts sweat, their outside surfaces are below the dew point of the air. For this reason, the first way to prevent ducts from sweating is to raise the surface temperature of the ducts or use dehumidifiers to lower the dew point of the surrounding air.

RAISING THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF THE DUCTS If you want to raise the outside surface temperature of the ducts, you can raise the room temperature or the return air temperature. If your room is exposed to low thermostat settings, ducts are more prone to sweat.

DEHUMIDIFY THE ROOM In the same way, you can decrease the amount of duct condensation by dehumidifying the space around the ductwork. In this sense, installing a dehumidifier, especially if ducts are in the crawlspace, is a good idea. However, this work is effective only if you close the crawlspace.

AIRFLOW AND INSULATION Another way to raise the outside surface temperature is to increase the airflow in the system. If your system is operating with low airflow, the cooling coil gets colder, and the supplied air will be colder than normal. In the same way, if you have metal ductwork, you must consider that it has no insulating ability of its own despite being a good heat conductor.

Using proper insulation is the best option against mold growth in HVAC systems. Therefore, non-absorbent, fiberfree, and easy-to-clean materials are ideal for keeping mold at bay. Closed-cell elastomeric foam provides these characteristics, which translates into more durable systems.

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