Attic Ductwork Condensation

It can also feed mold growth and cause ceiling joists to rot and sheetrock to disintegrate leading to unhealthy air quality in your home and the need for costly structural repairs.

Attic ductwork condensation.

Condensation on air ducts can be a serious problem. Even though the air conditioning equipment appears to be operating normally humidity inside the house is between 60 and 65 and return ducts located in the attic show significant condensation. First water dripping off of your ducts and onto your insulation can cause the insulation to compress which decreases it s r value or ability to insulate. Condensation will begin to drip onto your attic insulation making it less effective at regulating temperatures inside your home.

When ductwork is touching it forms a very cold spot where they are touching thus condensation begins. The 1 746 square foot house has r 19 insulation between the rafters and between r 15 and r 20 of rigid foam above the roof sheathing. Over time condensation dripping from your ductwork onto attic insulation can cause it to compress which lowers its r value. It s a natural process and similar to the way a chilled soda begins to sweat once you take it out of the refrigerator on a hot day.

When water condenses and drips into your attic or home it can cause a some serious secondary problems. There are two main ways to solve this problem. As the humidity level rises outdoors condensation will gradually begin to form on the surface of your air conditioning ducts. For more information on this.

Ductwork located in an attic must be hung properly so that the insulation can do its job. Let s say your ductwork is in your attic. You can install insulation on the attic side of the register boot and you can make sure that your duct is adequately. The colder the air is inside the duct the greater the chance of ductwork sweating.