DampRid Tablets

There is nothing worse than a very humid environment. So I’m doing my best to keep the humidity in check in our 1000 square foot condo. We have a small humidifier running in the main living space and it collects a lot of water. Then there is the small unit running in the bathroom. But the one place that also needed a boost was the bedroom closet. So we got some DampRid tablets that you stick in a plastic container. It doesn’t require an electrical plug. It just sits there and collects water. I put the container in the closet at the beginning of July. This week, about a month later, the container was full. Once the tablet dissolves completely the water needs to be emptied and a new tablet placed. So that’s what I did - and I needed to order a back up supply of tablets. Hopefully I won’t be needing them when the fall arrives. It’s hard to believe that a closet contains that much wet air. I suppose I can be somewhat confident that the product does what it says. There is a bit of a scent which wasn’t too bad. But the replacement tablets are unscented. There sure are a lot of filters and tablets in this house - HVAC, air purifier, refrigerator water…. What on earth did we do before all of this?  

COSVII Small Home Dehumidifier

No one likes humidity. Perhaps tropical plants do. But the damage high humidity can cause to a house is well known. When we lived on Capitol Hill in our tiny condo, we were no strangers to it. In the Midwest we had a large dehumidifier constantly running in the basement. Now, in our new condo, with a unit specific HVAC system, I can feel it. In order to verify my assumptions, I got a hygrometer. And it proved what I already knew. Suspecting the bathroom to be the main culprit, I got a very small ProBreeze dehumidifier and it’s been doing the job. But the hygrometer readings didn’t change. So I got another room size COSVII dehumidifier and set it up on Tuesday in the kitchen/dining room area. As the water started to accumulate in the 2 liter container, the hygrometer readings started to fall. My understanding is that 55% is the max for best environment and we are getting closer to that. The hygrometer measures the last 24 hour range. It started at 51-66%, then went to 50-63%, then 47-60%, and currently is 45-59%. I can sense a bit of a difference (my hands are dry), the water is accumulating, and I can see that my experiment is working. Pretty soon the humidifier will be coming out to add some moisture, although one would think the Aprilaire should kick in. I only wish I had started the process earlier in the spring/summer. But I suppose it’s never too late. 

ProBreeze Dehumidifier

The hygrometer says it all. Our house is humid. Over a twenty four hour period it ranges from 50-69%. The ideal is supposed to be 45-55% for a whole host of reasons, and comfortable is 30-60%.  I can tell when the temperature in the room is lower, so is the humidity. To help manage the moisture, I got two small Eva Dry silica units that turn from yellow to green when the dampness is absorbed. They are intended for very small places so they didn’t do much for the bathroom. So I stuck them in closets to see if it makes a difference there. You then plug them in to remove the moisture, then start all over. Because the bathroom is probably the biggest source of the problem, the foggy mirror and damp grout needed to be addressed. This, in spite of an exhaust fan. So I got a small dehumidifier that plugs in. It can hold up to 500 ml of water. After one day it was about a quarter full; after two days it is about half full. I suppose every bit helps, but I don’t see a change in the hygrometer readings - yet. Since it is raining cats and dogs all day the moisture level is high outside and seeps in somehow. You wouldn’t think it would matter in a new condo with a modern unit specific HVAC system. It is a bit disappointing.  But at least the air circulating in the house is our own compared to our old 1890’s condo on Capitol Hill. That was one system for the whole building. So I’ll keep watching the hygrometer and keep the mini dehumidifier plugged in. I don’t want any warped floor boards and such. My husband doesn’t have a lot of faith in this set up, but a small improvement is better than none. At least I think so. 

Acurite Humidity Monitor

It just validated what I already knew. Our house is humid. I think I have extremely sensitive senses - I hear, smell, feel, taste, and see things that my husband hardly notices until I bring it to his attention. It’s helpful to a certain extent, but can drive you crazy otherwise. Lately the house just seemed humid so I wanted to find out if it was - especially with all the rain lately. Even though we have a very “modern” HVAC system, it doesn’t seem to control the humidity. You can tell when the bathroom mirror fogs up more and the air just feels heavy. So before getting a dehumidifier, I wanted to see if it really was humid. So I ordered an Acurite humidity monitor. As soon as I turned it on, the question was answered. Supposedly 30-55 is “comfortable.” It started at around 55 and got all the way to 66. After 24 hours it shows what the highest and the lowest % was during that time period along with the temperature in the house. So, now I know what I already thought. The problem is trying to do something about it. Living in a small condo precludes the past approaches - like a dehumidifier in the basement since we don’t have a basement. Now I’ll need to research small units for small spaces. It doesn’t matter wherever you live there are always things to fix. Our old 1890’s condo was constantly having problems. This isn’t so bad but I can’t stop thinking about it. 

Aprilair Settings Affect Indoor Humidity?

We had a fairly decent HVAC system in the Midwest. When we converted the one car garage in to a family room and added on a two car garage in front of it, we had a separate HVAC system installed for that space. On Capitol Hill, we didn’t have our own HVAC unit. The 1890’s building had a systemwide unit and the heat and air conditioning were dictated to us twice a year. Even though there was a thermostat in the unit, it never worked right. When we moved to our Virginia condo over three months ago, we now have our own HVAC system housed in a closet by the foyer. Inside the closet is an Aprilair unit, and I was beginning to wonder if it was affecting the humidity inside the house. It’s been really rainy lately, but that shouldn’t affect the inside of a house if the windows are tight. And, we didn’t notice humidity at all when we first moved in. Something was happening because it just started to feel “humid.” The doors were sticking, the bathroom mirror was fogging up, the towels weren’t drying out, and parts of the wood floor were expanding. So we asked the building engineer if he could help us learn more about the Aprilair unit. The unit was set on 30 - whatever that means. All we learned was that it would be a rare opportunity to use Aprilair. Maybe two days a year when it’s beautiful outside and you want only the fan setting on (no heat or air conditioning.) So we just turned the unit OFF and I’m hoping we begin to see a difference inside the house soon. That was yesterday, and so far I can’t say I notice much of a change. Apparently these systems are meant to support a “green” building design. I wonder how many people really understand how they work and actually use them. The next lesson will be the combination heat/AC HVAC system. That set up was too confusing too so we just keep it on AC right now.