Ask The Energy Expert - "Snow Birds" Humidity Problems
My last two articles have struck a chord with the readers. I’ve gotten emails with questions about what to do with your homes here in Florida when you go back north for several months per year. Many of you have written that even with your best thinking and efforts you have not solved your dilemma. You still are returning to your Florida home after several months only to find a damp and musty home. Some folks have a thermostat/humidistat combination on your cooling system. The way this system should operate is when the thermostat is satisfied but the humidistat is not, the system will continue to run till both temperature and humidity settings are achieved. In Florida, the majority of the time the temperature will be satisfied first. But some readers have said they set their temperature at 80-85* while setting their humidistat at 70% relative humidity. That is a problem! As the graph shows the ideal humidity is between 40-60%. I would even recommend 45-50% is better yet. If you have both and set your at 50%, your temperature will end up being cooler than 80* because the system will run till the humidity is correct. This will eliminate the dampness but you will see higher utility costs for the summer months. Unfortunately, you can’t have a less humid home and lower costs at the same time. Winter months in Florida are also a problem. We may have days that are 55-70* where neither heat nor AC come on, yet our humidity is still in the 70-90% range. A humidistat set at 50% would cause your system to come on.
Separate dehumidification systems, which are stand alone models, have issues of their own. They may raise your electric bill from $25-$50 per month. They also do not do much to circulate the air. Finally, you either have to continually empty the bucket or connect a drain to the outside or to a drain.
The best solution is a properly sized and installed HVAC system with thermostat and humidistat tied to the system. There is also residential dehumidification or desiccant systems that are directly tied into your HVAC system. These are more effective than the stand alone models because they use the HVAC system to circulate the air, thus aiding in the dehumidification process. For all these type decisions find a reliable HVAC contractor and discuss your options. For all energy related questions or comments email sranck@fpuc.com.
Scott Ranck is Senior Conservation & Energy Specialist at Florida Public Utilities Company. Mr. Ranck is a state certified energy rater 1. He speaks all over the state of Florida on energy related topics. Mr. Ranck is available to speak to your group, HOA, Realtors Group, County Builders Association, classroom or any other group on energy related topics.
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