This video was a life saver. I had blinds plus curtains on my living room window. It's winter here so there was a massive amount of condensation and water falling to the floor. Opening up everything reduced 99% of the condensation on the windows. THANK YOU
Great advise WindowDog! My situation is one many don't go over, but I imagine a lot of people have. I have pretty straightforward basement slider replacement windows (vinyl or fiberglass frames) that are set at the outside edge of the poured foundation. These replaced the builder metal sliders that were originally installed. Further degrading the installation is there is a metal window buck making the walls around the window way cooler than they should/would be. This is especially pronounced during our cold winters. After completing the basement with framed walls, etc., and up to current, at that time, building codes, the window is now about 10/11" away from the inside finished wall and a sort of well was created around the window by the drywall finish. Over time, a lot of condensation and mold developed in these window wells (on the drywall and some corners of the window frames. My theory is that due to the window being set so far back, not a lot of ventilation actually reaches the glass. I tested this by buying and running a small desk fan in the window area and that stopped the condensation. However, running the fan constantly has led to quite a few fan replacements and doesn't seem to be a long-term solution. Have you come across this and do you have any suggestions to deal with such a situation? Thanks
You are sharing very good information EXCEPT for your comment about propane furnaces adding moisture into the inside air, especially when referencing an RV. In order for propane to add moisture to the inside air the combustion gases must be released into the space. An RV furnace and a residential furnace exhaust the propane exhaust gases into the outside air and not into the space. Therefore they do not contribute to increasing the moisture level in the air on the inside of the house or RV. Now if you use a propane cooktop or oven the propane is burned and exhausted inside the space therefore introducing moisture into the inside the house or RV. Other sources that will increase the amount of water vapor on the inside of a house or RV are showers, boiling water while cooking and even breathing ... yes, humans release moisture into the air when we exhale.
Yes there is something wrong with those windows!! I am a design consultant with Renewal by Andersen. Seal feature is NOT supposed to happen. The argon gas has leaked out and no longer provides insulation from the cold. That’s called seal failure. If you see moisture on your DUEL pane windows they need to be replaced!
Dave - would love if you could respond. I live in a third floor (of 3) condo with floor to ceiling windows. We've used dehumidifier, ceiling fans, left curtains open, kept bathrooms shut, etc and it hasn't eliminated condensation. If we don't use a dehumidifier, condensation starts at around 32 degrees. Even with dehumidifier, condensation happens at around 15 degrees and there's nothing we can do about it. Is this seal failure? I've driven the humidity down to 28 percent with the dehumidifier and it can't solve the problem in cold winter days. These are five-year old windows that were replaced before we bought the condo. None of our neighbors in the building have this issue. This is right near Minneapolis, MN.
The windows may be very airtight and locking in all that moisture, OR you could have a lower quality plastic (Vinyl) window, also could be an issue with installation. The products could be poorly insulated around the framing.
@@TheStemo1 Thanks for your post Steven. The fact that your condo is on the third floor (of 3) is part of the window condensation problem. Here's why... in multi-storied buildings, "stack effect" becomes a factor as air pressure is increased in those taller structures. The taller the structure, greater stack effect is created. This causes invisible (airborne) water vapor to "push" against the glass surface. As a result, it's quite common to see condensation on windows in the uppermost portion of the structure. Interestingly, it's also quite common to see more condensation on windows that are on the leeward side of the building vs. the windward side (unless there is little or no wind).
I will give this a try. In a brand new home and interestingly only the master bedroom window upstairs has condensation. I guess it's due to hot air rising and trapped in my room. It's double glazed. Also ensuite with hot shower this winter. All this probably contributed to condensation. I'll try to leave the window open a bit even though it was raining heavily
Really good explanation overall, and as you mention condensation occurs on windows because the glass temperature is below the dew point, but as I am hearing what you are saying, you are confusing the relationship between Rh and dew point and how they relate to whether windows are going to be wet or not. Dew point is defined as saturation vapor density or 100% relative humidity or as the transition temperature between evaporation and condensation. Dew point can be found by comparing air temperature and relative humidity then finding dew point on an appropriate chart, but it’s important to remember that dew point is based entirely on the amount of moisture in the air and is unaffected by air temperature. The chart in the middle of the video comparing outside temperature to Rh in the house is great if your home is at 70°F, because that’s the temperature the chart is based on, but if the actual air temperature in a home is higher than 70° then the Rh will go down and if the actual air temperature is below 70°, then the Rh will go up. But in both cases the dew point will be unaffected by the change in Rh so that when home temperature is 65° or 75°, for example, the chart is invalid. Since relative humidity can be raised or lowered simply by adjusting room temperature, this change might make a person feel more comfortable but changing temperature does not affect dew point. Raising or lowering the moisture level of the air will also change the relative humidity in a space, but unlike changing temperature changing moisture level will also raise or lower the dew point. This is why dehumidifiers, ERV/HRV, opening windows, etc. actually works while just raising the temperature "to dry the air" doesn't. If you measure relative humidity in a room before opening windows on a cold day, it’s very possible that Rh will go up a bit as the room temperature drops, but dew point will go up as there is less moisture in the air. Yes, I am mixing metric and imperial. Metric easier to calculate but F more understandable for non-metric folks. Consider a home at 65°F with a relative humidity reading of 40%. In this scenario there are 6.25 grams of water in a cubic meter of air in the home which equates to a dew point temperature of 38°F. If the window glass is less than 38°F then condensation on the glass is likely to occur. Since it appears that the Rh is too high, resulting in wet windows, what if we lower the Rh by raising the air temp to 75°F thus lowering the Rh to 29% to fix the problem? Unfortunately the result is that the windows still have condensation build up because despite lowering Rh by raising air temperature did nothing to lower the dew point which is still 38°. Changing Rh only works if the moisture is removed.
I read this several times and am still so confused when it comes to applying this to my home. Please can you help me? Right now I live in the UK and for example today its 7⁰C, RH 93% and DP 8⁰C. But I still don't know what that means for my home and what action this requires me to take. I have so much condensation on my windows it's crazy. i also have a damp issue linked to a leak coming through to the bedroom wall. I am running a dehumidifier atm just to help draw the water whilst I am trying to fix the leak. I basically want to buy a good dehumidifier to use for the foreseeable future bcs older property/downstairs flat and there is typically damp issues anyway. And I need to keep drawing the water from the leak. I know EBAC sell dehumidifiers with a smart mode so it auto measures the conditions and I think runs when you actually need it. But what about if you have damp problems anyway will the machine know? Will the RH/DP inside a home be affected if you have damp walls already?
Another way to solve the problem is to buy triple-pane glass with double coat low-e IGU with Argon gas. This keeps the indoor glass warm enough so your relative humidity can go up to 61% when it's -20 F to 20 F without getting condensation on the glass.
Great video. Being in Canada the only way to get no moisture on your windows on your windows, even with Triple pane, is a humidity level so low, like under 20%, that your home is so dry and uncomfortable, that its almost impossible to live with. There has to be a balance of some sort and there is no perfection in this. Right now at -25 Celcius, I have some condenstation on the lower portion and corners of my windows at a 30% humidity. Its the way it is unfortunately, its just science. For sure ceiling fans and air circulation are a great way to stop condensation, keeping your furnace fan running. When it gets colder I turn the built in humidifier down a lot, or even off if its very cold.
Do you have Argon or Krypton gas in your insulated glass units of the windows? Krypton with super spacer (foam) for your IGUs will increase the interior glass temperature and reduce condensation per Cardinal Glass Industries studies.
@@jeremyeverett6186 Like millions of people on this planet, I moved into a house I didnt build. Do I? I have no idea. Double pane windows from 2006. If its the norm of builders to do things as cheap as possible, then I probably dont. Even so, when you are contending with temps of -40 some days, things are going to happen. Even with humidty as low as 15%, at those temps, you are going to get some sort of condensation around the edges. If you dont, then thats awesome. When when humidity is that low, you have other sets of problems to contend with as well
Awesome informative video that was so easy to understand! Wish I stumbled upon this twenty videos ago on the windows topic. Knowledge is power. Thank you so much!
I’m in SC in a historic house. Several of the HVAC registers downstairs are in front of the old wooden windows. They cause condensation & damage on those old windows. We do have dehumidifiers through out the house. Any suggestions?
What a pity you didn’t use Celsius (as well) so I can understand your chart. Too much trouble converting this all. But I appreciate your video, thank you.
I was just curious what the relationship between this concept and the seal failure that you described how to fix in your other video where you repaired your window. When I think of condensation this is what comes to mind for me. I understand the main concept that you are describing here though. The concept you see when your shower mirror fogs up when you are taking a shower without an exhaust fan on.
Do dehumifers and air purfier both kill mold spores and mold I have mold in my bedroom and I use dehumifers and I have plug in air purfier also do they both work and are they both worth using
What about when the condensation on the windows freezes when it's -20C outside and 20C inside? Is that normal? I have 4 years old aluminium windows. Thanks!
Thank you for this information. I’m having a similar problem with some metal windows from the 70s/80s. They are beautiful but they sweat on the frame and droplets form that make it look like it’s leaking. I notice the prior owner painted over the frame. Can the window frame and window box frame being painted with a latex paint encourage leaking/sweating? I’m cutting back the paint because I like the way the frame looks.
If the window was painted closed it's possible. Often older windows don't have condensation issues because they leak terribly. The cool air that leaks through has little moisture in it. Often after you get a new tight window with a tight installation the lack of that draft will cause condensation issues that never existed before. You can either raise your heat or lower your humidity. Or change your window. The higher r value should reduce the glass temp.
This chart is incomplete. The humidity levels and outside temperatures aren't absolutes. Interior temperature dictate how much humidity you can support and it plays with the surface temperature of the glass or frame. 35% humidity may not be tolerable with an indoor temp of 68 degrees but is fine at 72 degrees.
I have quite drafty windows and they get a lot of condensation. I live in Washington state, so humidity outside in the winter is very high. It is not a point to open a window and let more humidity in. I am running dehumidifier 12 hours a day. I have electric furnace and AC heating. It seems I can’t get rid of condensation on my windows without spending fortune. And even if I replace my windows it still no guarantee I won’t have the foggy windows?
I’m not sure but are new dual pane windows sealed? If they are sealed then the environment inside the window is separate from the environment inside the house or outside. How can the moisture inside or outside affect the moisture inside the window? That doesn’t make sense
I work for Renewal by Andersen now and now know that seal feature is NOT supposed to happen. The argon gas has leaked out and no longer provides insulation from the cold. That’s called seal failure. If you see moisture in your windows they need to be replaced!
My house is dry and drafty. Hygrometers read 20-24% and it was 20 degrees last night, new window upstairs had condensation this morning and all the 20yr old widows had bottom edge condensation too! Drapes open! Why is this happening in such a dry house?!? Every morning means crusty noses yet there's a condensation issue? Why
I have had major condensation issues that has led to mold and have a baby on the way. My bedroom was a porch the old owners had turned into a bedroom. It’s on a concrete slab and 1.5 feet down from the rest of the house. There’s no heat source we rely on a heat pump from the living room to bring heat in. Could this be why there’s such intense condensation?
This video is most likely for ppl who uses. Central AC / heating. I have. And apt. With radiators. And is crazy After I renovate. My apt. I close the gaps bwt floors that’s the only mistake I make I guess. Since then. The intake apt. Condensed Not before Renovating But I can’t stop this.
My hygrometers read 20% and main level 24% in winter respectively, and I still get bottom edge window condensation in the winter mornings when it's 20 degrees outside.
@@shilohgardner are you talking about the argon gas seal between the two panes? If so it’s not no internal fogging just condensation on interior side. I think you’re on to something though! You mean a draft leak? I believe all the windows are a little cold around the inside where the sash and frame meet when closed.
SharpEdgeStandard Official no the initial install material may be worn or poorly installed. Maybe just caulking but I’m sure you would have seen that. On cold days I use a cheap digital thermometer where I think I have issues it’s easier to find when warm inside and cold out. Hope it helps!
Hi. I've been looking at windows for building a highly insulated house near Chicago. I've looked at windows that are "Passive House" rated and they are outrageously expensive. Most are rated R8 or better (0.125 U Value). I'm trying to figure out if using two separate double windows in a window buck would give me similar performance. My walls would be around 12 inches thick so I would place two stops in the window buck. The first stop (a 1.5 inch by 1.5-inch wood picture frame attached to the inside of the buck) would be toward the outside of the window buck and I would attach the window flange to that stop. I would attach the second stop about 5 inches from the inside wall. My theory is that combining two double-pane insulated windows in one opening might give me a high-performance solution for a lot less money. Have you ever heard of anyone doing this? Do you think it will work?
I think the reason you don’t see many people building passive houses is that it can be pretty expensive relative to the cost of energy. You may run into a condensation issue with the setup you describe. I think you’d want to be able to vent the space between the 2 windows and that may reduce the effectiveness.
@@Thewindowdog Thanks for responding. I remember the old storm windows we used to have on our house (1950's). Every spring my father would have to remove the storm windows and replace them with screens. The reverse in the fall -- what a pain. The storm windows had 3 holes at the bottom frame that was covered by a piece of wood that you could swing up to get fresh air in the winter. I imagine these storm windows were pretty leaky, so condensation wasn't a problem. I don't remember the interior windows icing up the way modern windows do. I don't remember us ever having a humidifier either. We did have an enormous octopus oil-fired furnace.
Are you referencing older gas furnaces that were not condensing because my newer furnace makes it seriously dry even in my 1960 leaky house. Just North of Richmond.
Hi Randal, we could make a whole video on that topic. The issue is generally related to venting and fresh air intake. A condensing furnace could cause the same issue if it can’t get fresh air. People will sometimes blame the windows when the problem may be a blocked fresh air intake or something else related to the HVAC system.
@@Celestialyeontan most of the houses on my street have it they are all 100+ years old i think the only way i can deal with it is to keep a dehumidifiers running and use damp paint and then just clean off whatever mould grows every 3 months or so.
I had my storm windows cleaned on the outside and they started condensing. ive lived here 18 years and they never fogged or condensed. its on the inside of the double windows. This is summer not winter.
@@lizmcdanielooo I think there are company's that drill a small hole in the glass and pump a gas in between the glass then seal the hole they drilled. This could be a cheaper alternative to new glass
well, i live in NC and it is presently 87% my windows are covered with condensation. I have storm windows as well. however, i notice that the storms are not closed all the way to the top . can this be the cause?
The furnace doesn't put out moisture it puts out heat and with the cold air on the outside that cools the glass the heat on the inside warms the cold glass creating condensation... I think.. I dunno... What I do know is that my fknnn bedroom windows are always soaking wet and there is water on the window still is it still or sill again I dunno apparently only new windows have weep holes not these old style windows so I guess it has to be the seals are all devoured by the years of seasonal weather there not even double glass landlords are slumlords these days
Have you heard of TRIPLE PANE WINDOWS ? or how about typical german setups where there are two sets of windows with about a foot of dead space in between? How about you install the same setup but instead of single panes install triples? That would mean a total of 6 panes ! I did just that and my power bill is going to be forever low thanks to that. The greatest thermal loss (or gain) is because of glass - by itself it's the weakest link.
You definitely don’t want a Vinyl (PLASTIC) Triple Pane unit. The weight of the glass is going to further warp the vinyl. Plastic is too weak to hold all that glass and maintain its structure. I would definitely suggest a composite material.
5:15 he says a gas furnace can put a lot of moisture in the air? I don't believe this to be correct at all how's that possible? Running a furnace is known to dry out the air
Camp propane heaters create loads of condensation. Water is a byproduct of burning propane. If the propane is brining indoors and not vented outside, it will vastly increase humidity.
Decrease the temperature in the room, that will make Dew point lower. That's what dew point calculator says. And it's logical - if you have the same temperature outside and inside, window glass won't be wet.
