Why is My Ductwork Sweating
Why Does Ductwork Sweat?
I recently received a great question on one of our crawl space encapsulation posts:
Hi! I am in the process of encapsulating my crawl space and when checking the insulation around the duct work, it is completely soaked. Do I need to replace the insulation over the duct work or can I remove all duct work and leave the ducts non-insulated?
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Crawl Space Encapsulation Questions
It is a great question that many homeowners ask dealing with improving the indoor air quality of the home. Sweating ductwork can affect the home by causing humidity to increase and saturate whatever space the ducts are located. Not to mention humid air being passed to all parts of the home via the ducts.
The Ductwork Sweating Problem
My answer to the homeowner was to address the root cause of the problem. I feel many people only look at fixing the symptom of sweating ducts. She asked if she should remove insulation, which seems logical, but that will not stop the ducts from sweating.
The ducts are sweating because of high humidity in most cases. Leaky ductwork will make the problem even worse. The more cold are escapes the ducts and hits the warm air in the crawl space, the more the ductwork sweats.
Should I Remove Duct Insulation
The only reason to remove the insulation is if it is moldy or really damaged, but removal should not be permanent. Removing the insulation will expose the cold ducts even more; fixing the humidity problem will solve the issue.
If you remove the insulation, replace it after you air seal the ductwork. This will make sure the cool or warm air produced by your HVAC system is taken to the areas intended. In the winter, ductwork without insulation
Will a Dehumidifier Stop Sweating Ductwork
The number one question we receive on our YouTube Channel and comments is “Do I need a dehumidifier?” If you are a DIYer or looking for someone to fix the humidity problem in your attic, basement, crawl space, or whole home, the dehumidifier is the best solution.
Contact Crawl Space Ninja to Solve Your Moisture Problem!
Do you need help fixing a humidity problem or ductwork sweating in your home? Please click here to contact us. Also make sure you check out the video below and please leave us a comment on what you have done to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
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