Pam Bryan with the hvac school podcast in HVAC our school comm. Today, we're headed out to make a diagnosis on a really big house that has some pretty major problems: they'll get crown molding, that's cracking they've got really expensive, paneling on the wall, that's having issues and so we're gon na use a blower door. We're going to use some pressure pans, we're going to use some thermal imaging cameras to find the source of the problem, hopefully give them a diagnosis. That's going to help them not have these problems and also maybe be a little more comfortable.

There's a couple different categories of problems that customers have in their homes that we can help diagnose with tools like a duct leakage, tester like a DM 32 high-precision manometer that we use in this house and also pressure pans and blower doors. Those sorts of things and those categories are comfort. So if the customer is uncomfortable in certain rooms, health and a lot of cases, it's the customers having symptoms, respiratory problems, maybe they're, seeing some growth, maybe they're, seeing a moisture issue, different places and then also efficiency and longevity of the systems in their home and the Homes itself, in this particular case, we've got a customer who has the third problem where they have some actual paneling and some crown molding that's having issues. So we need to find a diagnosis for that also they're, noticing some places where it looks like there's been moisture, especially on the ceilings, so we're going to look for ways of preventing moisture intrusion into the home or possible causes, at least this video.

The humidity will be a seven-speed, there's max Max is assembling the boiler door. Well, the alarms going on so just another normal day and he needs at the pressure pan that the blower itself, a thermal-imaging camera and our secret weapon max we're also going through and testing all of the equipment checking air flow with the true flow. True flow grid. We've gone through and confirmed, growth is humidity with the test, oh for 40 IAQ, and it's actually not bad inside the house.

There seems to be some challenges in different zones different spots due to infiltration, but in general the relative humidity is actually pretty decent. This is the test, Oh for 40 IAQ and using that to measure relative humidity inside the house. It's generally read about 50 percent, but in the attic we're seeing much higher than that actually getting some data logging up by the up by the ceiling in the front. Just to see what we've got a little bit little bit higher now we're gon na do some thermal imaging and the blower door.

I'm gon na do simple imaging beforehand in some of the areas of challenge. As you can see, the main the main complaint is cracking all around on the crown molding and this copper ceiling, there's cracking cracking along the north wall, some cold wall complaints. You can see here on this thermostat we get an April thermostat and it's showing a forty. Nine percent relative humidity, with the weather that we've got outside it's in there in the mid 70s outside we're also getting cracking along the paneling along on the wall.

So just a lot of cracking the paneling there's. Actually, some cracks up there along the edge we're being Brauer love you. We have to take them away while you're working level right. So let's go through a few scenarios as though you were able to get to 50.

Okay, so do the set pressure. So I get hold so I can hold these numbers and the fan dies and they'll stay here. So even if I want to, I can go back and hit CFM and read those numbers until I get hold again it'll. Allow me to do any other calculations.

It's telling me here: I have effectively key Geryon square inches of around 13,000, something time whatever the square root of 13 thousand. Is that stadium told me how big my hole was? She has square root of 13 and 16 what times what equals 13 16. That tells you how big of a hole in this house is special, so normally to them nice square foot. Thanks worked at home um, so normally when you're able to get to 15, so your process would be.

You know set pressure 25 check, your mechanic mixture and your arrange matches that they handle right. So you would do a set pressure, 250 right and you're going to look for your percentage, that's happening here. We run ever since it wasn't worth doing this. Okay, so usually you should be around here from 40 - that's saying 70 % whatever that percentage is now, I'm going to go back and get acceptance speed.

This is speed ratio. This is a hundred percent, all full long, which is where we were versus zero and often so if I were to go 70 percent reason we want to do that is in case somebody walks in and out like. Oh, I left that in the truck and something opens that door and they change the pressure and they close the door at the same low pressure, no pressure. I want to fly out of here and I get a set speed.

It doesn't matter anybody opens are close to the doors it just changes. Our reading, in terms of how leaky the houses and stuff you're gon na go opening out so set speed means a fan, we're just running a normal speed. It's not trying to match pressure. Okay, so you're set pressure since I got to get to 50.

Whatever I got going to get 15 well big hole, more pressure, more fan holes closed and I don't want to do with that. So we're ever gon na. Do the Diagnostics you go ahead and do set pressure 50 future readings and then read your percentage we'll take in my percentage. I do set speed and whatever the percentage is 55 say this is we've done here? Normally, these kind of Diagnostics are two people, so one person's checking things outside doing a few things.

Somebody said warned or next person setting a bunch of tubing like we did run stuff and you go around and document quickly together. Take pictures do all that. Okay, I got a matter because we'll get your sidekick max is the sidekick yeah actually well he's kind of that he's kind of the front kick yeah, but then the sidekick is the one who talks to the customers okay and plays defense yeah yeah yeah, that's very Common, not Erika, Fraser, see this fuzzy stuff we're getting across this area here. So it's a framing separation.

This is probably a little rim. Joist shows up, so you have difference of ceiling heights walls, potentially, okay, I would expect to see something like the window. Purplish fuzzy yeah yeah, so it's kind of fuzzy. This wasn't here earlier, so we that's why we always do a check with the camera before right, knowing that afterwards we're getting something, that's different.

So some, if you weren't careful you'd, be like all your missing insulation, but no installations. There. You have an air leakage issue the colors toasty moving around like this and I'm totally lost yeah. I can't change again so here's your potential signs in the of air leakage.

That means now see it's very granular and fuzzy that right-hand corner of the wall. Yes, this is spot, it's not just the peasants, the corner, barely between lack of ceiling on there and not necessarily a lack of insulation. Yes right here you go, Eric insulation is not here soon. You see right here right, molding, yeah up up and by this crown molding, where it's cracking there's some spots and then here yeah the whole crack the whole side of where it's meeting there go.

So let me do this right, cracking to the it's actually a little bit lower here. Yeah is where the fuzziness is up I'll. Take some pictures of that yeah that going back for my pan, which one now just this just this edge here. That's this big crack here on the pressure differential between here and here there's none right.

It sounds like zero and, if you're never sure like well, what's what the number is absolute. So for some reason, if that was negative, six means you have the wrong port right. Even the number is relative to that blower going on okay, so we're all in getting 20 right, so the highest I could have really get is 20 and in theory you make it slightly over if there's wind in the attic or something but in general closer. I am to 20 means that I'm directly connected outside, so I'm connected outside, but not so much that it's a direct connection, which means there's an indirect pathway.

That's going from here up behind that drywall of out through the attic vents. Okay, so there's actually a ratio between this number and how much leakage is coming in here, but I can tell sir yes, sir, to grow fast, but in connectivity is kind of a way to visualize it. So you have significant connectivity. I think max got it locked.

Didn't he yeah, I told you that I told you that Max is a smart kid. Didn't I yeah it was oh, don't say that other thing. I'd say that other one we never use on blacks at all level, one or survive. No, you need to give us an email, that's why I asked you that whole question.

Instead, you went off and changed the subject on me. What should my guys get? What do they need? Did you? Maybe I didn't? Maybe I didn't read it as you see a wiki drank booze. Well, we know that boots not good to anyway, because you can just look and see something whatever we call it well all of the boots. The boot tops are resting.

Ok, so here my authority does not connected see the difference here between the temperature December's you're, very consistent right now you need to temperature difference right or over here. This whole thing is: it could be potential leakage or issues behind it's either better. That B's a trim. This completely different temperature - and we probably have leakage - is going down behind that wall over this hole.

This is a drop down, so this whole ceiling drops down it's this frame, no you're just going down this framing. It sounds right right, slightly deficient in this going to be pulling for the experts, the American taxpayer - that's envy bowlers and probably right yeah you're, complaining about the cold wall in here right yeah in the bathroom yeah. You want to get that you want to get the pressure pan and check this Max, and I fixed that, based upon the temperatures we have out now, yeah, oh whoa, hello. That looks like a horse that looks like a horror movie.

I watch really mild horror. Movies horrors and building Zion some and I'm a fan exactly right. I don't think it changes back corner changes, that's lure the next year right and any complains about this floor. Being super super cold which could be pulling in right.

You'll actually watch it with it under who wants to look better into here, don't-don't-don't, except except up here, whoa. What's that bow, that's a bad thing! Well, cuz! I'm left with the Batman, oh yeah, that right definitely connected all right, quick check. Your cameras, whoa yeah, this one's 16. Now I'm before this is a 16 plus ya.

Yin. You check the vent to seal the vents. The vents aren't, aren't bad. No, oh sassette focus up now.

Okay, so you got sure it's a small little doll, yeah ready, so you got to hold this and this okay. As far back, I need to go. Alright, you want to make sure that doesn't default fall for us. In conclusion, I want to thank Jim medow for helping out so much with this video, a really smart building science guy somebody who you're gon na hear more of he's partnered with the Hayward score, which is a great way for you to find out from your customers.

What health issues they're having in their homes, healthy home score, find out more by looking at a word score online and then what we found in this house was there wasn't a single problem. There was multiple small problems that added up the biggest problem that we're gon na have a really hard time. Addressing is that front wall where you saw the stone and we could see that there was some intrusion into that wall when we were using the thermal-imaging camera. That's gon na be a tough one to solve.

Obviously, it's gon na require some intrusive action, but we did find that we could use some additional leak sealing in the second floor. That's something we'll be able to deal with pretty easily doing some leak. Sealing we're also gon na bring in some outside air with the dehumidifier. Not only will that help and it never hurts to have a little more humidity control, but we're gon na bring in outside air and pressurize the space to help reduce some of those negative pressures that can exist inside the home.

That draws air in and so it'll. Hopefully, hopefully solve some of those problems. Truth be told in a big house like this. The best way to solve the problem is to not have it in the first place, so it's so important to think about proper design when you're building a home to make sure that you are all properly air sealed and you've gone through all the proper design procedures.

Looking at dehumidification looking at proper attachment of the crown molding a lot of what we see going on in this house, we believe to be due to the way that the crown molding itself was attached and the sealant that they use. Thanks for watching we'll talk next.