winter condensation?

[jwilliams860]

OK, what has anyone else done to combat this problem? I live in charlotte, NC, and this winter I have been battling constant condensation on my windows and doors of my 2 story townhome.Now granted last winter I did not have my 300 gallon aquarium, but I did have a 220, and didnt have this big of a problem, I cant imagine 80 more gallons would cause this sort of build up but what do I know, Im sure the smartest thing to do is buy a dehumidifier, but some of them are expensive, what dehumidifiers have any of you tried? I dont think cutting a hole in the wall and mounting an exhaust fan is feasible, just because of the placement of the tank and homeowner association issues.I try and leav the windows open if its nice, but my wife is one of those women that are always cold, so that doesnt last long.

 

[Indymann99]

Couple of things you can do.

1. I would leave your furnace / AC "fan" on the "ON" setting vs "AUTO". this means that the furnace fan will run all the time and circulate the air in the house. Running a ceiling fan will help as well.

2. If you have screens on the INSIDE of your windows, removing the screens will promote airflow and help some with the humidity (or at least you can wipe up the water easier).
With the wild temp swings in the last couple of weeks some humidity on the windows is pretty much unavoidable.

3. I have a de-humidifier (portable unit but plumbed to drain) and it runs a lot during the late spring, summer and early fall. (however mine is in the basement). The brand I have is LG and I have been happy with it. I have to clean the filter and coils every 6mo or so.

 

[tm49er]

i had the same problem with a 90 gallon in my basement. i bought an inexpensive dehumidifier from sears and that solved most of the problem. Only thing is that the dehumidifier puts out a lot of heat in the spring and summer months.

 

[russgrass]

I had an HRV installed when i had my house built last year.
I haven't had any issues with humidity so far this winter. And it has been a cold one up here in Ottawa, Canada.

In the summer i run a de-humidifier that i got from Walmart to keep the humidity below 50%
I only have a total water volume of 120gal so it's easier to manage.
Hope this helps...

 

[russgrass]

P.S. Furnace fan turned to the "ON" Position is also a great idea! it does help alot!