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It was crazy hot and humid this summer (2025). Lot's of problems homeowners did not realize were problems reared their ugly heads. This old house in Glassboro was no exception. The client has lived here for 5-years but has never seen anything like this before: his ductwork in the basement was raining condensation! Just look at this BEFORE picture. Condensation on ductwork can only occur if the temperature of the ducts is below the dewpoint of the basement air. What was causing this and what was the remedy?
It's difficult to keep moisture out of the basement in a 120-year old house. Water vapor comes right thru the thin concrete floor because there is no vapor barrier under the concrete. Believe it or not, concrete does NOT stop moisture migration. Moist outdoor air also leaks in around the wooden rims of the house where the framing sits on top of the foundation. And finally, ducts that are too cold because of inadequate airflow during the cooling season can lead to sweaty ducts.
We took a three-step approach to solving this problem. Step one was to increase the fan speed of the furnace so it moved more air thus raising the duct temperature. The problem improved but did not disappear. Step two - we sealed the wooden rims of the house with high density spray foam to prevent air leakage. Again it improved the problem but did not eliminate it.
After trying those two steps, we pulled out the Big Gun: A Sanidry Sedona high efficiency dehumidifier. This dehumidifier will remove up to 100 pints of water per day from the air. That's 12-1/2 gallons per day! It's Energy Star rated and features a high capacity blower that moves the dry air clear across the basement unlike ordinary cheap dehumidifiers.
One month after installation and the ductwork is no long sweating. The client also reports the basement smells so much better. Lots of wins with this one!
These home owers are so excited to now have their back room comfortable all year long.
"Customer just moved in and wasn't comfortable in the kitchen and bedroom. Her air conditioning bills were also very high. We removed the old insulation, sealed the house, created a storage deck, and added cellulose insulation. She could feel the difference immediately and referred us to her mother! "
With a decades old boiler and outdated hot water heater, this owner's system was unreliable and cost a fortune to operate.
Finding a more efficient way to heat their home and provide hot water, a Bosch Greenstar Combi System was installed to provide 95% efficient heating and water heating. A "combi" unit is an innovative and space-saving solution providing heat and hot water in one insulated unit.
This Customer purchased a vacant duplex wanted 2 furnaces replaced.