From steam to humidity...

Timco

See pictures in new thread, today's mess. This should help. These replys really help. Thanks,

Tim

Timco

So I got the job to fix a broken steam return. Bad traps everywhere and steam shooting out of a totally broken return. Question is, after the 'vapor cloud' is gone, how long is the moisture still in the air? This leak is in a crawl space by a 'chase' that ends up in the attic. The apartment on the 3rd floor (4th including basement level) has a soaked ceiling and the attic area is like the inside of a rad with water dripping off (condensing against) the frozen roof. Does the air hold that much latent steam (moisture) to cause this much damage? Really hard to explain how a crawl space leak is ruining the ceiling of the 4th floor units.

Thanks, Tim

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Remember that pure steam is invisible so the cloud you see is just that--a mix of saturated air and water vapor.

The warm saturated air will naturally rise in that chase--cooling and condensing as it goes. As you've noticed however much of that saturated air makes it all the way to the top where it condenses on the cold roof and ceilings.

Water vapor tends to distribute itself evenly and quite quickly in a structure, but in the case of a 40' or so vertical chase that's even fairly well sealed the chase itself will begin to act like its own structure. With frequent, large injections of steam/vapor the poor chase will stay extremly humid with lots and lots and lots of condensation occurring--particularly near the top.

don_185

open

Open all the windows and ventilation vents and lets some cold dry air get in.

I once went to a person home when I walked in the walls and ceiling were sweating thru out the whole house.
The system was forceair geo with aircleaners and, a steam humidifider.
Found the humidistat wires shorted together bypassing the humidistat.