Humidity check
Cold but clammy: the humidity check
A humidity visit finds out whether your house needs cooling, drying or both, before anyone talks about equipment.
A thermostat reads temperature. It says nothing about the water in the air. We bring meters, put them in the rooms that bother you, and read your system's run time, so the first recommendation comes from numbers and not from a catalog.
Readings in the rooms you name, not just the hall
A look at the drain, ducts, attic hatch and door seals
A written scope, or a plain "you don't need us"
Signs you need it
What clammy looks like, and what it often points to.
A sign is a reason to measure, not a diagnosis.
Sticky at a comfortable temperature
Humidity is high while the temperature is fine. An oversized system or short cycles are common causes.
The inside of the windows fogs
Wet indoor air meeting cooler glass. It points to humidity, and to air leaking in around the house.
A musty smell when the system starts
A damp coil, drain pan or duct. A cleaning can help, but the cause still needs finding.
Mildew in closets and bathrooms
Rooms with little air movement and little supply air hold moisture the longest.
Sweating ducts, vents or ceilings
Cold surfaces in wet air. Missing duct insulation or weak airflow is a usual reason.
Doors that stick, floors that cup
Slow swings in moisture over a season or more.
What happens at the visit
Five steps, about the length of an afternoon.
- 01
Step 1: Arrive and ask
We ask which rooms, which hours and what changed: a new roof, an addition, a different thermostat setting.
- 02
Step 2: Measure
Humidity and temperature meters go in the rooms you named, and we read the system's run time.
- 03
Step 3: Look for the source
Drain, ducts, attic hatch, bath fans and door seals.
- 04
Step 4: Talk it through
What we found, in plain words, and what we'd do first.
- 05
Step 5: Written scope
You get it in writing before any work is booked: rooms, units, what each does, what is left out.
What drives the cost
What moves the price of fixing it.
No dollar figures here. The written scope has them.
How many rooms are affected
Two rooms is a different job from six.
Mini-split, dehumidifier or both
Each solves a different part of the problem.
The load in each room
Sun, windows, ceiling height and what's overhead set the unit size.
Line-set length
How far the outdoor unit sits from the indoor one.
Electrical
A new breaker and a disconnect, where the panel allows.
Condensate drain route
Where the water goes, and whether it needs a pump.
What we might recommend
Sometimes the answer isn't a new unit.
A mini-split in the worst room
Where one room carries the problem, one unit is the smallest fix.
A dehumidifier
Where the whole house is damp, or a room needs drying without cooling.
Fix the source
A clogged drain, a loose duct or an open attic hatch: we say so, and tell you who can do it if it isn't us.
Questions about the visit
Do you test for mold?
No. We measure humidity and look for moisture sources. If you can already see mold, we'll say so and suggest a mold professional, and we'll fix the moisture so it doesn't come back.
How long do you leave the meters?
Some readings take minutes. In a room that's only bad at night we may leave a meter for a day or two and collect it. We tell you when you book.
What if my humidity is fine?
Then we say so, and you've paid for the visit, not for equipment. Sometimes the answer is a drain or a filter.
Start with a reading.
Tell us the rooms and the hours. We'll set a time for the meters.