Bigger isn’t always Better

Why Condensation Happens…

On a sweltering hot summer day, an icy cold soda can be the perfect refreshment. So you grab an ice-cold soda from the fridge and head outside to bask in the sunshine.

You pop the top and let the “fizz” serenade you, as you take your first few sips. Delicious and refreshing!

You find a picnic table nearby to set your coke down, forgetting it for about 20 minutes. Once you remember your soda, it is covered in condensation, with a ring of water on the table where the soda sat.

But what would happen if your soda only sat on the picnic table for five minutes? Condensation may have started to form on the outside of the can, but there’s no ring of condensation left on the table.

Why does the amount of time you leave the can out, effect the amount of condensation?

Condensation occurs when warm, humid air meets cooler surfaces, causing the moisture in the air to condense. Simply put, the hot summer air holds more moisture than cold air, as the hot air touches the cold can moisture in the air changes to water vapor and is collected on the can.

What your HVAC Contractor doesn’t tell you…

Now, think of your HVAC system as an extremely large can of soda. There was very little condensation on the can of soda that sat in the sun for five minutes. Similarly, if the HVAC system in your multifamily home is only running for brief five-minute increments, it cannot change the moisture in the air to water vapor. An oversized HVAC system produces a large “poof” of cold air that almost instantly brings the temperature down to the set point. During the HVAC’s quick cycle some condensation may form on the coils, unfortunately, as soon as the unit shuts off the moisture on the coils just evaporates back into the air. An HVAC might not be the solution you need.