Mold and Humidity Control Presentation

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction
AFE ASHRAE IAQ Seminar Manchester, NH February 2011
Lew Harriman
Active in ASHRAE since 1976
Handbook revisor - desiccant technology
Technical committees 1.12 and 8.12
Committee Chair ASHRAE Mold Position Document
Lead author for ASHRAE Humidity Control Design Guide,

ASHRAE Guide for Buildings in Hot & Humid Climates
Elected ASHRAE Fellow - 2009
25 years Mason-Grant Consulting (MasonGrant.com)
Building investigations Moisture/Mold & IR/insulation
Design consulting Humidity control & mold avoidance
Research & publishing
Mold avoidance and mold response guidelines USAF & U.S. EPA
Industrial process dehumidification
Energy retrofits of existing buildings (Single-family & commercial/institutional)

New Hampshire AFE-ASHRAE Joint Workshop 2011
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Purposes of this presentation

1. Help you prevent mold in buildings
2. Keep costs to a minimum as long
as no mold grows
3. Understand the relationship between
HVAC and mold
Poor HVAC design, installation & operation often
contribute to the most spectacular problems and...
Good HVAC design, installation and operation can
prevent most mold problems

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The Facility Engineers secret guide to

controlling mold keep all materials dry

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Mold Growth - Stage 1

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Stage 2

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Stage 3

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Stage 4

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Growth rates depend on the species, the food

source, its moisture content and temperature

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How long before mold growth in real-world situations?

Research presented at ASHRAE IAQ conference Nov 2001
After saturation,
gypsum board and
ceiling tile develop
stages 3 and 4 growth
within 48 to 72 hours

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Role of HVAC in preventing mold

1. Keep humid air out of the building
Dry all ventilation air down to 53F dew point all the time
Maintain positive pressure with dry air all the time
2. Keep indoor air dry enough (55F dew point) to remove any
internal moisture (wet carpets, envelope leaks, spills)
Keep ventilation air dry (below 53F dew point)
Install dedicated dehumidification equipment and controls
3. Keep the guts of the HVAC system clean & dry

New filters every month
Specify cooling coil air velocity under 400 fpm, to prevent droplet
carryover
Drain all condensate quickly with deep-trap drain lines

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Common mold problems and their HVAC-related solutions
Under vinyl wall covering

Behind baseboard molding
On carpets
Behind furniture
On ceiling tile
Inside walls
Inside ducts
On supply diffusers

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Behind vinyl wall covering
Humid air inside the

wall...
Interior vinyl is cool...
Vinyl traps vapor, so
moisture condenses
behind the vinyl, in the
paper facing of the
gypsum board

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How can humid air get into a wall? the HVAC

system often pulls it in from outdoors!

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Preventing mold behind vinyl

Seal all exhaust and return
ducts and air handlers
Provide & maintain positive
building pressure using dry air
Tight seal on all exterior joints
Roof parapets
Under windows
All wall penetrations and joints
Avoid vinyl on the inside of

exterior walls

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Vinyl baseboard molding

Floors wet from
mopping
Water wicks up
behind cove
molding
Mold grows on wall
board and/or on
adhesive for cove
molding

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Preventing moldy baseboard

Install any wallboard with a 0.5 gap
between floor and wallboard
Fill that gap with sealant (for sound
and fire protection)
Keep indoor dew point below 55F to
help dry any wet surfaces quickly

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Carpets
Problem #1 - high indoor
humidity
Carpet fibers and collected dirt
absorbs moisture from air &
grows mold
Problem #2 - wet carpets

Carpet cleaned with hot water,
but stays wet & grows mold
Problem 3 - condensation on
cold slab
Jeff May My House is killing me
ISBN 0-8018-6730-4
Johns Hopkins University Press 2002

Concrete cold from winter, rising

humidity in springtime
condenses under carpet,
growing mold
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Solution to moldy carpets in commercial buildings

Keep the indoor dew point below 55F in
the summer & below 35F during winter
Prevents fibers from absorbing moisture
Allows quick drying of carpet after cleaning
Prevents under-carpet condensation in most
climates

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Furniture
High indoor dew point
allows fabric to absorb
moisture
At high dew points, mold
grows on surfaces that do
not have a flow of dry air
Behind pictures and mirrors
Behind file cabinets
Behind couches pushed
against walls

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Solutions to moldy furniture
Keep the indoor dew point below 55F... all the time
Keep the relative humidity below 55%... all the time
In other words... maintain humidity control during off-hours!

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Ceiling tiles
Problem #1 - high moisture
allows tiles to absorb
moisture
Problem #2 - high indoor
dew point with cold supply
air causes condensation
anywhere the duct leaks air
Problem #3 - Leaking
supply air duct chills tiles
low enough to cause
condensation

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Solutions to moldy ceiling tile

1st - replace the tile!
Keep indoor dew point below 55F ...
all the time
Seal all supply, exhaust and return
air duct work tightly

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Inside walls
Problem #1 - High-dew point
air inside walls allows
materials to absorb moisture
and grow mold
Problem #2 - High dew point
air inside walls contacts cold
piping or duct work and
condenses moisture

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Preventing mold inside walls

Keep air dry inside the walls
Seal all ducts tightly, preventing humid air infiltration from outdoors
Provide positive air pressure inside the building, using dry ventilation air

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Inside ducts
Problem #1 - Droplets carried
downstream of cooling coils
Problem #2 - Excess food for
fungus (dirt) on or downstream of
cooling coils
Problem #3 - Cooling coil drain
pan does not drain, but
overflows, leaking water

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Preventing mold inside duct work

Keep dirt out of ducts - change filters monthly
Keep excess moisture out of ducts - dry the
ventilation air below a 55F dew point all the
time
Keep coil face velocities under 400 fpm and
specify fins @ 10 fins per inch or fewer
Make certain that drain pans drain fully and
continuously
Trap all condensate lines
Size condensate lines at least 1.5in in diameter so they
wont clog with crud
Brush all crud out of drain lines annually

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On supply diffusers
Cold supply air chills the metal diffusers surface...
High dew point air inside the space condenses on the cold
diffuser

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Preventing mold on supply diffusers

Keep the dew point in the space
below 55F all the time
Dry the incoming ventilation air
Seal up all duct work to prevent humid
air infiltration into the building
Keep dirt out of the system (new filters
monthly)

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Getting rid of mold

Use EPA guidelines
Limited PPE
Under 10 ft2
N-95 respirator, gloves and goggles
No containment required
10 to 100 ft2
Limited or full personal protective
equipment (judgement)
Limited containment
Over 100 ft2

Full personal protective equipment
Full negative air pressure containment

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Summary
Mold requires moisture in its food source.Preventing

moist food prevents mold growth!
How to keep fungus food dry:
1. Keep the indoor air below 55F dew point ALL the time, and below
35F during winter months.
2. Dry ALL incoming ventilation air below 53F dew point, ALL the time
3. Keep other humid air out of the building
Seal up all the duct work completely
Keep the building under positive pressure with dry air

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Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

AFE ASHRAE IAQ Seminar Manchester, NH February 2011

Lead author for ASHRAE Humidity Control Design Guide,

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Purposes of this presentation

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

The Facility Engineers secret guide to

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Mold Growth - Stage 1

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Growth rates depend on the species, the food

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

How long before mold growth in real-world situations?

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Role of HVAC in preventing mold

3. Keep the guts of the HVAC system clean & dry

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Common mold problems and their HVAC-related solutions

Under vinyl wall covering

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Behind vinyl wall covering

Humid air inside the

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

How can humid air get into a wall? the HVAC

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Preventing mold behind vinyl

Avoid vinyl on the inside of

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Vinyl baseboard molding

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Preventing moldy baseboard

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Problem #2 - wet carpets

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Concrete cold from winter, rising

Solution to moldy carpets in commercial buildings

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Solutions to moldy furniture

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Solutions to moldy ceiling tile

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Preventing mold inside walls

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Preventing mold inside duct work

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Preventing mold on supply diffusers

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Getting rid of mold

Over 100 ft2

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

Mold requires moisture in its food source.Preventing

Humidity Control & Mold Risk Reduction

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