Have you ever heard an HVAC expert speak about sweaty ductwork? Are you noticing signs of moisture dripping from the vents in your home?
When you have sweaty ductwork and moisture dripping from the AC vents, the ductwork is experiencing condensation. This happens when warm air meets the cool surface of the AC ducts, turning vapor into moisture.
It’s important to act fast to get rid of the condensation in AC ducts, as it can lead to several problems both for the system and your household. For instance, this is the perfect environment for mold to grow in your home.
What Causes Duct Work Condensation to Form?
Summer is when many regions experience high heat and humidity, especially indoors.
It’s thus the most common time for condensation HVAC ducts issues. During this time of the year, vapor in the ducts turns into moisture through a process known as condensation.
Generally, there’s warm, humid air flowing through the cold surfaces of the AC ducts. And when the two meet, it creates an ideal environment for condensation to take place.
As this happens, the result is moisture that you can start to notice dripping from the AC vents in your home. There’s also moisture in your AC ducts, which continues to form more condensation.
Typically, your AC ducts and vents need to remain moisture-free in a perfect setting. It’s the best way to ensure good air circulation in your home. But, if there’s moisture in your AC ducts and vents, the results can be disastrous.
Another cause of moisture in your AC ducts can be a leaking roof. This causes moisture from the roof to drip into your AC ducts.
In such instances, the AC duct has poor sealing, meaning that it’s not airtight. As a result, moisture finds its way into the ductwork in your home.
At the end of the day, it’s important to ensure you have proper duct sealing to prevent any leaks. This also keeps you safe from the harmful side effects of having moisture in your AC ducts and vents. And, you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg to fix the problem.
Why Is It Dangerous to Have Moisture in the AC Ducts?
Is it so bad to have moisture in the air ducts? Yes, having moisture in the AC ducts isn’t something to ignore. In fact, if you notice any leaks from the vents, hire an HVAC expert soon to take a look.
A moisture buildup in your AC ducts can harm your health and well-being. The more water that accumulates in the AC ducts in your home, the greater the risk. Plus, the damage in your AC ducts can cost you a fortune to fix.
When the water in the AC ducts keeps accumulating, it has to find ways to drain away. As a result, you start noticing patches on your walls and puddles on the floor. These small streams can cause extensive damage to your walls and floor if the puddles are in secluded spots.
Apart from damage to your home, your health is at risk. Moisture in the AC ducts and warmth create the best environment for mold to grow. In fact, given the right conditions, mold only needs 24 hours to start forming in the ducts and walls.
Mold, especially black mold, is harmful to your health. And since the AC is still running, mold spores get blown into your home. Soon the spores are part of the air you breathe daily, resulting in health issues.
Mold can lead to rashes, breathing problems, coughing, sneezing, and fatigue. If you don’t act fast to solve this, you can have worse problems in the future.
Therefore, it’s prudent to hire an AC expert once you notice moisture in the AC ducts. In addition, always get AC maintenance to ascertain there’s no moisture in the AC ducts.
How to Stop Condensation in AC Ducts Like a Pro
As mentioned earlier, moisture in your AC ducts can negatively impact your home and health. Therefore, it’s essential to hire an HVAC expert to fix condensation in AC ducts.
An HVAC expert will offer an immediate and lasting solution for your AC ducts. They’ll remove the moisture in the ductwork and ensure that no more ductwork condensation takes place.
Here are the best fixes to stop condensation in your AC ducts:
- Duct Cleaning
If you aren’t well-versed with the AC unit mechanisms, get an HVAC expert to clean your ductwork. When an expert comes to your home, the first thing they do is to remove the moisture in your ductwork.
In addition, they can do duct cleaning and check to see if any dirt and gunk is inhibiting proper airflow. It’s also the perfect time to see the gaps and spaces causing moisture to leak into the ductwork.
- Duct Insulation and Sealing
After cleaning and noticing the gaps in the air duct, it’s time to seal the ductwork. Upgrading the duct insulation guarantees proper airflow and no more issues with moisture accumulation. The expert will insulate the ductwork as per the area code standards.
When this happens, the warm air flowing through the ducts will now meet the insulation rather than the cool metal surface. There’s no chance of condensation, which leaves your AC duct nice and dry.
At the same time, check for places where there are gaps and spaces. Sealing these ensures less warm air accessing your ductwork, preventing sweating AC ducts. Plus, you get to enjoy cool air throughout summer, which is the purpose of the AC.
- Add a Dehumidifier
Adding a dehumidifier can be a great solution if you live in an area with high humidity all summer. It ensures you always maintain low humidity levels in the AC ducts. The humidifier will keep the moisture levels in your home low, which also adds to your comfort.
Consult with an HVAC expert, like one of our team members at Anderson Air, to learn more about the best dehumidifiers for your home (since there are quite a number of them in the market). It’s possible even to get them in different sizes depending on the moisture level in your home.