Might Have to Run Furnace to Reduce Humidity

[WarmGuy]

Our bedroom and master bath is at the opposite end of the house from our Regency insert, and just doesn't get much heat. That's OK with us, since we like it cold when we sleep, and the shower is warm.

The problem is that in our coastal climate (relative humidity usually over 80%), we're constantly fighting mold and even rusty drywall nails in that bathroom.

I'm either going to have to run our forced-air furnace more or buy a dehumidifier. I have one more trick to try before I resort to that, and that's to buy a strong box fan that will sit in the window, and help the ceiling fan [meant to say exhaust fan] to evacuate the moist air after a shower.

Any other suggestions?

 

[pgmr]

You could just turn on the furnace fan during and after your showers for a while to distribute the humidity throughout the rest of the house (assuming it's not too humid in the rest of the house).

 

[d.n.f.]

Why not use/install a bathroom fan that vents to the outside (not the attic)? You can have it on a timer or even on a humidistat. Use it every time you have a shower or bath.

Some people even set em on a switch that turns on when you enter the bathroom.

Panasonic makes some super quiet very efficient ones that push tons of air.

 

[tutu_sue]

These inline fans have many times more cfm and are very quiet and won't rust - http://www.fantech.net/bathroom.htm. So quiet you can forget to turn it off so we use a timer switch from Lutron that does 5, 10, 15 and 30 mins. You can vent through the roof, sidewall or soffit. Additionally, you can add wyes for more than one room. Also make sure your attic insulation is fully covering the bathroom. The bathroom humidity with a very cold ceiling can be a root cause of condensation problems.

 

[pgmr]

...help the ceiling fan to evacuate the moist air after a shower.

I assumed the ceiling fan he mentioned was an exhaust fan. Perhaps it's not working properly or not running long enough. Humidistat or timer are both good suggestions to allow the exhaust fan enough time to work.

Our Bryant Evolution furnace is always running on low speed fan when not calling for heat or cool. Does a good job of keeping air in the house well mixed and only draws about 90 watts.

 

[granpajohn]

I am in a similar situation. Our house is in a fairly humid micro climate, near the swamp. We did put a dehumidifier in the master bedroom. Don't be afraid to play with the controls as needed to keep it from running unnecesarrily. I also changed the bathroom fan switch to a timer style switch. This was good because the fan can run the amount it should, even though I have to leave for work; (used to just shut it anyway.) And, now my wife can't forget to turn it off and let it run all day; which is a fire hazard. It's not expensive, and I've been pleasantly surprised with the way it is working out.
Forgot to mention, there is a humidistat type switch available for bath fans. I grew up with this system, and I prefer the timer style. Humidity is not easy for a switch to sense, and the fan can sometimes run all day with that thing too.

 

[WarmGuy]

there is a humidistat type switch available for bath fans.

That's a good idea. We have a timer on our exhaust fan, and it does vent to the outside.

 

[James04]

Warm guy do you leave the bathroom door open when it is not in use. If you are heating with wood and the bathroom door is always closed. It will be cold and cause excessive condensation. Then that would be a sure recipe for moisture problems. I have a pet peeve regarding people who leave there bathroom doors closed all the time and then when you go in there you can actually smell the mold. Yuk.

James

 

[begreen]

How about a heated towel rack? They are low wattage, some come with a user settable thermostat. It will very gently heat the room and will keep it drier. Plus you'll have warm towels and no noise or maintenance.

 

[WarmGuy]

Yes, we keep the door open. But it's a long way from the heat source. Fan is on for an hour (with timer) after every shower.