Why am I experiencing moisture on my windows and frost around my door handle and deadbolt?

Last updated over 5 years ago

It's likely that there is too much humidity in your home. During winter time, humidity levels should be maintained at a lower level than during the summer. Please consult the chart below. If you find humidity has exceeded these levels due to activity in the home such as cooking, run your air exchanger on high until the humidity level drops. Then return your air exchanger back to its normal setting.
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Tips for reducing condensation:
  • Leave your blinds up a few inches overnight to allow warm air to pass over the glass and not trap humid air
  • Remove all screens from your windows
  • Keep air and heating vents located near windows uncovered and free of furniture or appliances so the warm air can reach the window pane
  • Keep bedroom and bathroom doors open
  • Using the timer switches in bathrooms can reduce excess moisture from bathing/showering
  • Run the furnace fan continuously to evenly distribute heat throughout the home
  • Run the HRV system continuously during extreme cold weather, or if you are noticing excess condensation (as opposed to smart mode or only intermittently)
  • The kitchen exhaust is not through the HRV but through the over the range microwave that is exhausted to the exterior and should be used when cooking
  • Shut off furnace humidifier and any other supplemental humidifying devices in the home, particularly during the winter months
  • Floors wet from mopping can add large amounts of moisture so be sure to run the HRV while washing your floors
  • If your home includes a fireplace, open the damper to allow moisture to escape
  • Plants, laundry, showers and cooking are major sources of water vapor
  • Add a basement dehumidifier (when necessary)
  • Have the heating/cooling/exhaust system checked annually by a certified contractor