We’ve all experienced the stickiness of a swelteringly humid day, or the discomfort of cracked skin during a dry winter. But when it comes to our indoor environment, humidity is more than just a matter of comfort--it can fuel indoor mold growth!

Join us as indoor air quality whiz Carl Grimes explains the interplay of humidity, temperature, and condensation and how they all affect indoor air quality. Learn why closets, toilet tanks, and windows sometimes form condensation and mold and what you can do to prevent it. Gain insight into common HVAC scenarios and find out how to prevent mold growth within your system.

It’s time to kick indoor humidity problems to the curb as we tackle five common indoor humidity problems!

Episode Highlights:

• How do humidity and temperature interact? (1:50)
• What is a Psychrometric Chart and how can it help us understand humidity? (2:58 )
• What is the effect of high humidity on materials? (8:10)
• PROBLEM #1: Why does condensation form on the outside of some toilet tanks, and how can it be prevented? (13:30)
• PROBLEM #2: Why does condensation form on the inside of windows, and what can be done to prevent it? (21:01)
• PROBLEM #3: Why do HVAC ducts form condensation, and what can be done about it? (27:08)
• PROBLEM #4: Why do some closets grow mold, and how can it be prevented? (33:14)
• What is the new recommendation on preventing summer mold growth within school buildings? (38:28)
• PROBLEM #5: What can be done to prevent mold growth if your HVAC system fails? (41:25)
• Would installing a UV light within your HVAC system help to prevent mold growth? (47:04)

--- Notable Quotes ---

• “Wet always goes towards the dry. If it’s wet…it’s going to move from the excess moisture to where there isn’t as much moisture, until it equalizes.” (8:51)
• “You can have a set amount of moisture in the air, but if you raise the temperature, the percentage is decreased.” (14:11)
• “When the temperature and humidity combination approaches 100%...relative humidity,…the air becomes saturated and it can’t hold it anymore. (This is called dew point, and it produces condensation).” (14:40)
• “It’s the available moisture on a surface that grows mold. It’s not humidity in the air; mold doesn’t grow in the air.” (35:39)
• “There are some simple understandings (that can help you manage moisture such as) ‘wet goes to dry’, temperature and how it changes the relative humidity but not the amount of moisture in the air but it does alter the dew point…and you can manage that by altering humidity, temperature, and even air movements, sometimes using insulation.” (56:17)

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