This podcast episode from "Home Comfort Tactics" delves into the story of a homeowner in Rockville, MD, named Alex, who faced a perplexing condensation issue in their new home. Despite numerous consultations with experts, the problem persisted, causing discomfort and energy inefficiency.
The host, an experienced energy auditor, was approached to help resolve this "Dew Point Dilemma." Through a detailed inspection involving an energy audit and the use of cutting-edge technology, the host uncovered several issues contributing to the problem, including poor insulation, unsealed air leaks, and a significant temperature clash near a bay window that led to excessive condensation.
The resolution involved upgrading insulation, sealing air leaks, bridging the temperature gap, and reducing indoor humidity levels, aligning with recommendations from Energy Star and Pepco. This comprehensive approach led to a remarkable transformation in the home's comfort and energy efficiency, resulting in a 43% reduction in air leakage and about a 40% decrease in gas usage compared to the previous year.
The episode highlights the importance of perseverance, technology, and professional audits in solving home comfort issues, encouraging listeners facing similar problems to seek a professional energy audit.
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Hello and welcome back to home comfort tactics. Today I'm going to dive into a specific problem that a homeowner in Rockville, MD, recently had. It was a mystery to them as to why it was happening and was putting real damper on their new investment. Americans in today's episode is all about the Dew point dilemma. Just recently I received a heart warming message from Alex, a home owner who was struggling with a persistent condensation issue. In the new home. Alex described how our intervention has transformed their living experience. No more condensation, headaches, no more furnace fiascos, just consistent comfort, and a significant reduction in energy bills. Now, that's the kind of success story that keeps me passionate and excited about what? But let's rewind a little bit to. Where it began. Imagine being a first time homeowner, excited to step into your new place, only to be greeted by discomfort and a nagging mystery. This was Alexa's reality. Despite the best efforts of multiple experts, HVAC specialists, window salespeople, roofers. Issue persisted and the worsening discoloration on the living room ceiling was a constant reminder. At his wits end, Alex found out about the Pepco home performance with Energy Star program and learned that an energy audit might actually help. That's where I come in and I was armed with not only the experience of having done over 2000 energy audits, but I also carry with me. Cutting edge technology and determination to help people uncover the. Truth. So what? I figured I could do is take you through a few of the steps that I took to gather information around this House, because Alex's main concern was the condensation. I did take a closer look at the window near the. That included a trip to the attic area above the window. Immediately, I was greeted by a huge hole to the inside of the house connected to the furnace, and I thought maybe warm air was bleeding off of the furnace and into the attic space, creating the problem from above. I made my way to look. At the area above the window and nothing seemed out of. Ordinary the insulation was low, of course, and there was no air sealing. But it's not like the area was completely exposed. I actually pulled some of the insulation back and took a few shots, but again, you know, nothing really stood out. Another mention was that the kitchen was cold, so I knew the overhang in the area was likely a source. Doing some health and safety testing on the furnace and hot water heater. It was time to look at the insulation. The crawl space revealed poor insulation and exposed docks with an open vent on the outside. It's old school thinking and a recipe to make the HVAC have to work much harder to keep up a trip to the attic revealed that soften holes for ventilation were covered by insulation. In most places the exhaust fan to get extra moisture out of the house was disconnected and like most attics, this one needed to be sealed. And insult. Did. During the investigation, I've got to be honest though, on this one it was a little tough to figure out. I wasn't really quite sure at the beginning what was causing the problem. I had several theories based on the information I collected in the attic as well as the crawl space, but I wasn't sure. I decided to take four more images. Of the ceiling and they proved to be the key to finding out the problem. Ultimately, during the viewing process, the images revealed hidden clues that had eluded previous investigations and provided the pieces to finally solve this puzzle. The culprit? A classic case of temperature clash near the Bay window, where warm air from an HVAC docked met the chilly surface on the ceiling. It was a recipe for condensation, especially because the indoor humidity levels were above 55%. Picture. Warm moisture laden air from the furnace encountering A frigid ceiling it. Created the perfect. Breeding ground for condensation, so armed with the knowledge and a clear diagnosis, we were ready to tackle the issue head on. With recommendations from Energy Star and Pepco, we set out to upgrade insulation, seal the Air Leaks, bridge the temperature gap and reduce the indoor air humidity levels by bringing Alexa's home up to modern standards, we slashed air leakage by a significant 43%. According to Alex.
Basically, it's like a different house since the work you did, no condensation problem, no runaway oven furnace trying to cook us, we set the thermostat to 1 temperature and the house stays comfortable all day and night. We've only had one gas bill since then. It showed something like a 40% reduction in usage compared to the same month from the previous year. Anyway, we're very happy with the results. Alex.
And there you have it. The dew point dilemma resolved through perseverance, technology, and a commitment to comfort. If your. Facing similar challenges in your home, do not hesitate to reach out for professional energy audit. You can schedule yours today with home trust. Modeling. Let me help you turn your home into a haven of comfort and efficiency. Thanks for tuning in. Until next time, stay comfortable and stay informed.