What does Condensation on Windows Mean?

If you’re seeing condensation forming on your home’s windows, it likely means your indoor air is more humid than it should be. This doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with your windows. They just happen to be located where inside moisture can be easily seen.

Let’s look more closely at how window condensation forms:

• The warmer the air, the better it contains moisture.
• During colder weather, warmer air generally can be found away from windows toward the middle of a room.
• When it moves toward a window, it cools, which means it cannot hold as much moisture as before.
• That moisture condenses and leaves the air, then attaches to available surfaces, including windows and walls.
• If the surfaces are cold enough, due to low outside temperatures, it can even appear as frost.

Yet, it’s not just winter when condensation can form on windows and other surfaces. If the temperature varies enough between outside and inside, in whatever season, condensation can form on windows.

If indoor humidity is high enough, not just windows, but all surfaces will see moisture, resulting in a clammy and damp indoor environment, plus potential damage to wooden furniture and fixtures.

Controlling indoor humidity

The obvious way to reduce condensation on windows is to reduce moisture in indoor air. Dry air doesn’t hold as much moisture so won’t condense as easily.

But just because you’re not seeing moisture on windows doesn’t mean you’re home free. A home that’s too dry can have its own problems, ranging from

1. the discomfort of dry skin to
2. static shock to
3. cracked furniture.

Ideally, indoor humidity, in whatever season, should be controlled so it’s not too high, not too low.

If your home is equipped with whole-house humidity control – a humidifier and/or dehumidifier – reducing or increasing moisture in the air is as simple as turning a knob on the equipment. The same applies to smaller areas or rooms if you’re using portable or room humidifiers or dehumidifiers.

However, there are other ways to control humidity if your home lacks whole-house humidification.

Other ways to control indoor humidity

Use exhaust fans in bathrooms and the kitchen.

These areas are most likely to experience moist air and other dirty or contaminated air. And if it’s not removed via an exhaust fan, that muggy air is likely to move into other parts of the house.

Look for areas where water might be leaking or standing in your home.

It could be coming in from the outside or from pipes. Keep a wary eye out for damp spots on walls and ceilings. That could indicate a bigger problem than just humid indoor air, especially if the dampness seems confined to one place.

You might need to contact your Cincinnati HVAC repair resource. If you don’t have home, call Jansen Heating & Cooling. We are always happy to help.

Close windows and doors during very humid weather, and use the AC.

Air conditioning is designed to remove moisture along with heat energy, though when it’s excessively muggy outside, many central cooling systems struggle to keep up with humidity control. If you overdo it, like for example expecting a central air conditioning system to cool a home to 66 degrees when it’s 95 and humid outside, you could end up with a broken AC.

If your AC stops working, call a Cincinnati AC repair contractor.

Window condensation in the summer

During warmer weather, you might see moisture forming on recently installed replacement or energy-saving windows that block heat transfer between the outside and inside.

Don’t despair, however; in most cases of this type, the moisture is actually forming on the outside of the window. It basically means that your windows are doing their job.

That moisture outside the window does not pose a threat to indoor fixtures or furnishings, and won’t contribute to health issues for home occupants, such as occurs with moisture-aided mold growth.