A recent inspection of a vacant foreclosure house confirmed my childhood fears that there is Green Monster lurking in the basement. (Sorry Red Sox fans, this isn't about the fabled Fenway wall).
It was late September and with the outside temperatures still in the 80's the air conditioner was running full blast. Unfortunately, the humidifier was also running full blast with the humidistat at 50%. I had wondered why the air in the house seemed "muggy" and on the walls and ceiling of the finished basement a potential mold growth had begun.
Humidifiers are wonderful things. In the winter, they can make a chilly 70 degree room feel very comfortable. Because of this, they can be helpful in lowering utility bills.
Humidifiers are supposed to only run in the Winter, in conjunction with the furnace. When people forget about them, they end up running year round, pumping humidity into the air while the air conditioner is straining to remove it. The house ends up muggy and uncomfortable and in some cases, as in the above foreclosure property, the high humidity in the air promotes mold growth.
There are several things that make the standard, stand alone, humidifier problematic for most homeowners. First, depending on the outside temperature, different humidity levels are required for comfort. These range from 45 to 50% when it is just freezing outside, to 30% when it is 0 to 10 degrees. Most people don't regularly adjust their humidistat based on changes in the outside temp.
The second thing that people forget to do is to regularly clean or replace the "drip" media. Left uncleaned, the wet environment makes for an ideal place for molds, allergens, microbes, etc to grow. It is recommended that humidifiers be cleaned on a monthly basis with a vineger and water solution. In the Spring humidifiers must be turned off when the furnace is no longer needed. The media must be cleaned or replaced. The drain needs to be kept clear at all times or backups will occur causing water to drip into the furnance and/or onto the basement floor.
It is little wonder that a large percentage of the humidifiers I come across in inspections are either disabled, defunct, or disgusting. As in the Green Monster! The good news about humidifiers is that many of the new HVAC systems integrate the humidifier function into the unit itself controlling it with the units computer and removing all homeowner requirements for adjustment and maintenance. This isn't a perfect system, especially since newer units often see less regular maintenance by HVAC professionals, but it is certainly a big step toward energy savings, system comfort, and healthy performance.
My advice to agents that are custodians of vacant houses is that regardless of time of year, make sure the water to the humidifier is in the "off" position (righty tighty) and that the dial on the humidistat control is also "off." Don't run it. Especially if you do not know the condition of the drip media. If you have the HVAC serviced, have the humidifier serviced as well and document this to any potential owner. Still, unless you are commited to regularly maintaining it, leave it off.
Visit my web site www.HomeStatusInspection.com- Click here It's a good idea to have me inspect your client's prospective, vacant, foreclosed home. You never know what you will find.
Sincerely,
Home Status Inspection Company
November 1, 2007 Copyright Home Status Inspection Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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