In the home humidity levels/control

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Old 07-24-2019, 03:59 PM
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Default In the home humidity levels/control

I did a search on TOTV but did not find much about humidity levels in the home.

When I google humidity in the home, most recommendations are for below 60% in the home.

When I set our air conditioning thermostat for 76 degrees and the humidity level for 60 degrees the cooling continues below the
76 degree set point. The unit is obviously running to drive down the humidity level to 60.

Our previous system did not have a humidity setting and thus operated on room temperature only. We never really measured the humidity and all seemed fine.

Now with our new system and smart thermostat, the house can become uncomfortably cool/cold as the actual temp gets down to 75 and below while the unit is attempting to reduce the humidity.

Using the air conditioning to drive down the humidity just gets the actual room temp too low for comfort.

I will try setting the system to run on thermostat only and ignore the humidity setting.....it should then operate as our previous unit.

Comments/advice regarding incorporating the humidity level in the settings are welcome.
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Old 07-24-2019, 04:03 PM
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Agree, the automatic system will probably cool your home 3 degrees cooler than set trying to get to the humidity setting. I think you have to add a separate humidifier for the summer month.
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Old 07-24-2019, 04:54 PM
retiredguy123 retiredguy123 is offline
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If you are living in the house, I think it is best to turn off the humidity control. With the humidity control function on, the temperature will drop to about 3 degrees lower than the temperature setting when the humidity gets too high. This is fine for snowbirds because it saves energy when the house is empty, and you turn up the temperature setting. You can buy a temperature and humidity monitor at Home Depot for about 10 dollars. My house is set at 77 degrees, and the humidity stays at about 46 percent. Very comfortable for me, and I never use the humidity control function. Yes, if you want to lower the humidity year round, you need to buy a dehumidifier.
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Old 07-24-2019, 04:56 PM
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Most homes in The Villages do not have a multi-speed compressor and variable speed air handler. Without these features, it is hard to have precise control over the humidity. With a single speed compressor and one speed air handler, any humidity control is limited to driving the temperature below the set point in hopes of reaching the desired humidity. It is what it is.

Quote:
Originally Posted by billethkid View Post
I did a search on TOTV but did not find much about humidity levels in the home.

When I google humidity in the home, most recommendations are for below 60% in the home.

When I set our air conditioning thermostat for 76 degrees and the humidity level for 60 degrees the cooling continues below the
76 degree set point. The unit is obviously running to drive down the humidity level to 60.

Our previous system did not have a humidity setting and thus operated on room temperature only. We never really measured the humidity and all seemed fine.

Now with our new system and smart thermostat, the house can become uncomfortably cool/cold as the actual temp gets down to 75 and below while the unit is attempting to reduce the humidity.

Using the air conditioning to drive down the humidity just gets the actual room temp too low for comfort.

I will try setting the system to run on thermostat only and ignore the humidity setting.....it should then operate as our previous unit.

Comments/advice regarding incorporating the humidity level in the settings are welcome.
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Old 07-24-2019, 05:24 PM
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Originally Posted by biker1 View Post
Most homes in The Villages do not have a multi-speed compressor and variable speed air handler. Without these features, it is hard to have precise control over the humidity. With a single speed compressor and one speed air handler, any humidity control is limited to driving the temperature below the set point in hopes of reaching the desired humidity. It is what it is.
We do have variable speed compressor and variable speed furnace and air handler.
We do not have a dehumidifier. Which I will look into.
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Old 07-24-2019, 05:40 PM
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I don't know anyone in The Villages who has a whole house dehumidifier, but that is really the only type worth buying. I don't think a portable dehumidifier will do much good at controlling the humidity in the house, and most of them require you to empty the water periodically, which is a pain. Basically, a dehumidifier will cool the air to remove moisture, and then reheat the air to the desired temperature.
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Old 07-24-2019, 06:03 PM
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Installing a Whole-House Dehumidifier the Right Way | PV Heating & Air

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Old 07-24-2019, 08:52 PM
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My house is set at 78 degrees, and the humidity stays at about 46 percent. Night and day, very comfortable.
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Old 07-25-2019, 05:33 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billethkid View Post
I did a search on TOTV but did not find much about humidity levels in the home.

When I google humidity in the home, most recommendations are for below 60% in the home.

When I set our air conditioning thermostat for 76 degrees and the humidity level for 60 degrees the cooling continues below the
76 degree set point. The unit is obviously running to drive down the humidity level to 60.

Our previous system did not have a humidity setting and thus operated on room temperature only. We never really measured the humidity and all seemed fine.

Now with our new system and smart thermostat, the house can become uncomfortably cool/cold as the actual temp gets down to 75 and below while the unit is attempting to reduce the humidity.

Using the air conditioning to drive down the humidity just gets the actual room temp too low for comfort.

I will try setting the system to run on thermostat only and ignore the humidity setting.....it should then operate as our previous unit.

Comments/advice regarding incorporating the humidity level in the settings are welcome.
I ordered a portable dehumidifier.
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Old 07-25-2019, 05:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobnBev View Post
My house is set at 78 degrees, and the humidity stays at about 46 percent. Night and day, very comfortable.





78 & 50 here
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Old 07-25-2019, 05:44 AM
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I reread your original post. One way to achieve good humidity control is long system runtimes. A system with a variable speed compressor and variable speed air handler, as you indicated you have, will achieve this by running for long periods of time with the compressor at a low speed and the air handler at a low speed. If your system is cycling on and off frequently then it may not be operating correctly (i.e. not running at a low speed most of the time) or it is oversized for your house. On typical summer days, your compressor should be running at a low speed continuously and pop into higher speeds perhaps for a few hours in the afternoon. Have you spoken with your HVAC contractor? Does your house feel more humid than with your previous system?

In a previous house, my system had a two-speed compressor and 10-speed airhandler and it would accurately maintain the relative humidity I set it at (40%) most of the time without resorting to cooling below the temperature set point. There are, of course, limits. For example, on cool days, precisely maintaining a specific humidity will be a challenge.

Quote:
Originally Posted by billethkid View Post
We do have variable speed compressor and variable speed furnace and air handler.
We do not have a dehumidifier. Which I will look into.

Last edited by biker1; 07-25-2019 at 06:40 AM.
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Old 07-25-2019, 07:05 AM
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I'm watching a house for a neighbor and the facts are the Thermostat is set to 75 Degrees the Temperature in his house is 92 Degrees and the Humidistat is set to 60.

He said other people who have watched his home have had the same concern as me but he said as long as the Humidistat is at 60 then things are Kool.

I feel terrible about leaving his home like that but I followed his direction to a T.

Could it be correct? I could use a hand here. It's Bleeding Hot In That House!
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Old 07-25-2019, 07:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nucky View Post
I'm watching a house for a neighbor and the facts are the Thermostat is set to 75 Degrees the Temperature in his house is 92 Degrees and the Humidistat is set to 60.

He said other people who have watched his home have had the same concern as me but he said as long as the Humidistat is at 60 then things are Kool.

I feel terrible about leaving his home like that but I followed his direction to a T.

Could it be correct? I could use a hand here. It's Bleeding Hot In That House!
Yes that is correct. It concerned me also. I called Munns and they said thermo at 76 and humidity set at 60. When you're away you worry about humidity creating mold. If the humidity gets higher then the AC kicks in. The 2 homes that I watch are set this way and the house temp is 86. One stays cooler because it's better insulated
Steve

Last edited by anothersteve; 07-25-2019 at 07:33 AM.
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Old 07-25-2019, 07:55 AM
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We had a problem with humidity due to a problem with the fan never shutting off probably due to a power surge. The system would run in the AC cycle and when desired Temp was met, the fan would continue to run picking up moisture from the condenser and pumping it back into the house raising the humidity. This could also happen if users set the fan to run continuously.

We do have a humidity indicator ($10 Type) to monitor the master bedroom, bathroom, closet, and shower area which is essentially our more humid area. I have a portable Dehumidifier set up to keep the humidity in this area at no more than 50% when we are gone for extended summer periods. It is set up by removing the collector bucket and attaching a short hose run into the walk in shower drain.
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Old 07-25-2019, 08:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anothersteve View Post
Yes that is correct. It concerned me also. I called Munns and they said thermo at 76 and humidity set at 60. When you're away you worry about humidity creating mold. If the humidity gets higher then the AC kicks in. The 2 homes that I watch are set this way and the house temp is 86. One stays cooler because it's better insulated
Steve
Thank's Steve. I felt like when I reported the numbers to the owner that I had a firm hold on exactly what he wanted. It is set the way I described and it is the way he wants it.

It's all about the $$ MONEY $$. If it was me I would feel better at 82 Degrees, No Humidistat and call it a day.

The bottom line is you helped me to feel that I didn't misunderstand and that I won't be letting this Perfect Neighbor down. Thank's Again .
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