Confused about condensation

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HomeSealed
Posts: 2996
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2010 3:46 pm
Location: Milwaukee, Madison, SE Wisconsin

Re: Confused about condensation

#31 Post by HomeSealed »

WindowsDirectCinci wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:54 pm Im no HVAC guy but my thermostat/furnace at my house and most around here have a humidity control. Set the dial and it controls the humidity in the home. Im sure your trying to trip me up on the terminology and thats fine I'm a window guy not a an hvac pro. Once again Wisconsin it may not be right for that climate and no different than choosing the appropriate low-e. but blanket statements about how something is snake oil because you may or may not have it as a product offering is pretty ludacris. I don't think replacing Pella windows has to do with their glass offerings, they have had a 10-15 year lifespan way before any new glass technology. What every they are doing I hope they keep doing it though :lol: About 8-10% of our customer base ops for the i89 and we have no issues and will stand behind any product we offer fully and so will the manufacturer.
I'm not trying to trip you up on terminology. In the vast majority of the housing stock that we both likely work on, the only control of humidity via thermostat would be adjusting the level of the humidifier/"Aprilaire". This only adjusts the level of humidity that is ADDED to the air, it does not have the capability to remove humidity from the air if that system is not in use. This is a very common occurrence in tightly sealed homes (moisture needs to be removed even without a humidifier operating), at least when those temps get frigid. Where an HRV/ERV exists can be control, but those are pretty few and far between around here. Perhaps every home in OH has an HRV/ERV system and that is why I stated that maybe things are different in your area, but I'm betting that is not the case.
My statement about it being snake oil was not a "blanket":
1) I specified in cold climates, and later added that "very cold" may be more appropriate for the strong criticism.
2) I did also add that while some manufacturers and dealers properly apply what is good technology, MOST have more nefarious motives in attempting to get a poor window to meet Energy Star certification for U value without disclosing the effect on condensation resistance. Perhaps my definition of most is skewed by that fact that I'm in a very cold climate where the application value is very limited, but there really could not be a better item/feature/option IMHO to be called snake oil in this case. Its a sleazeball move when improperly applied, I trust that you are not improperly applying it so please don't take offense to that if it is a correct assumption. A sales gimmick at best, although unlike many other sales gimmicks, this one is not simply hollow, it can actually have negative ramifications for homeowners. Once again, this is with the caveat of a use in a cold climate. Please read through the paper that Todd linked on the subject. Its very informative and provides facts and data as opposed to anecdotal experience and hearsay.

Lastly, again you've insinuated that perhaps my opinion may be influenced somehow by the availability of this package to me or lack thereof. I don't know of any manufacturer that can't get an option like this WDC. That doesn't make any sense. It can certainly be a pain in the butt to explain to the homeowner that the window that seems to have a U value that is .01 better yet a CR that is 15-20 points worse is not in their best interest, but I can assure you that there is no aspect of envy. After all, an apples to apples comparison shuts that down pretty quickly. If you are having success selling this type of glass against triple pane in your area and not seeing any issues with dissatisfaction or condensation complaints then I guess it is what it is, but that's playing to close to fire for my tastes.

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