Odd Question - My freezer is sweating??? WTH?

[CobyRupert]

Could just be a simple as a leaky door seal that lets cold air seep through, that when it hits the humid room air condensenses it and drops the water out of it. Check the seals and push the door closed tight.

 

[missouri massey man]

Hopefully your issue is now resolved....but for reference, a DE-humidifier is nothing more than an air conditioner whose condensor coil is directly downstream from the evaporator. The evaporator draws the moisture out of the passing air, then the drier cooled air passes immediately over the condensor coil to re-heat the air so there is no temperature change within the space. The amount of heat extracted by the cooling will just be dumped right back in...with just a little added heat that is the result of the "heat of compression".

In theory, if you have an old 6,000 or 8,000 btu window a/c just sitting on the shelf collecting dust...(doesn't everybody??)... you can sit it over a basement drain and plug it in with the thermostat set to a low setting. The front will blow cold (of course) and the back will blow warm and the space temp should remain close to the same. Except with less moisture.

Yeah, it may freeze up.... but unplug it and let it defrost and do it again. Its just a suggestion if you HAVE a window unit laying there and don't want to spend the few bucks for a DE-humidifier that may not see a whole lot of use...

 

[ray66v]

It's not important whether the freezer has a heated door, or if the door seal has an issue. There would not be that much moisture condensing on it, unless the humidity is high.

The OP has said the basement is humid. Getting the humidity down to 50% or lower is the only thing I would be concerned about right now.

 

[EddieWalker]

Condensation is caused by the amount of water vapor that can be held in the air. Warmer air can hold more water, so when you lower the temperature in a warm area that has high humidity, the water vapor turns to liquid water. This is most common with a cold drink on a warm day. The air around the glass or can is cold enough to lower the temperature of the air right next to it enough to exceed what the air can hold

In the case of the freezer that is "sweating," the freezer is lowering the temperature of the air next to it in those areas that are wet. The freezer is poorly insulated in those spots and lowering the air temperature around it to the point of creating condensation.

Your options to stop this from happening are to fix or replace the freezer, relocate it to an area where the air temperature is controlled or reduce the amount of humidity in the air, or leaving it as is and dealing with the moisture. Lowing the level of the humidity is either going to be expensive or short term depending on the amount of water left in the area from the flooding. Did this ever happen before the flood?

Moving air is the best, most effective method for drying out wet areas. A cheap box fan is extremely effective at this and if it's just a short term fix, that's what I'd use.

Mold is easy to kill with household bleach. If you see any discoloration, or you just want to make sure none starts to form, spray with laundry bleach. If you have it already, the box stores sell a higher concentration of bleach that is designed for outdoor cleaning that works well. If it's really bad, I use swimming pool shock that I buy at Home Depot by the gallon. It is the strongest concentration of bleach that I'm aware of that you can buy. It will make your eyes water and you will smell it all through the house for at least a day. It will turn lumber that is black with mold back to looking brand new with a few application. I use a squirt bottle and just soak everything. This is something that is pretty common in bathroom remodels and it's proven to be a very cheap and effective way to deal with mold.

Good luck
Eddie

 

[ray66v]

Mold is easy to kill with household bleach.

Mold is killed by contact with household bleach. But is only effective on non-porous surfaces

If the surface is porous, like wood, or cinder block, bleach is only effective on the surface mold. This is because the VOC's that kill the mold mostly evaporate before they can soak into the pours. What is left after the VOC's evaporate is mostly water. Which can help propagate the next batch of mold, requiring future treatments.

Bleach is also toxic, and smells bad.

It's better to use a product like Moldex. It's very effective, has no offensive odor, and inhibits the return of future mold.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Last night I put some of those "Damp-Rid" things that pull moisture out of the air and by morning it was already better.

I just plugged in a 70 pint per day de-humidifier that is rated for 3x the space that I have in my basement.

Once again, TBN saves the day!

Thank you one and all!

Be well,
David

For the record, my favorite response was the one with Beer... :drink:

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I set it to 30% and after 15 minutes it is reading 76%.

Yup, I needed it.

Thanks guys!

David

 

[ray66v]

Use any fans you have to move air around down there, that will help the dehumidifier get it all.

It could take a while to dry it out, depending on the size of the basement.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Ray,

1400 square feet. I set up a couple fans also.

I just came in from mowing and had to empty the 2 gallon bucket.

I will try to set up the hose tomorrow...

Thanks again, Be well,
David

 

[ray66v]

Two gallons in 6 hours?

I'd set up the hose tonight!

 

[CobyRupert]

It's not important whether the freezer has a heated door, or if the door seal has an issue. There would not be that much moisture condensing on it, unless the humidity is high.

The OP has said the basement is humid. Getting the humidity down to 50% or lower is the only thing I would be concerned about right now.

:banghead: Ughh. You may get the humidity down to where leaking cold air escaping doesn't condense water out of the room air. But your wasting so much energy running a leaking fridge and a dehumidifier, when the problem may just be the fact air can move between the cold inside and the humid outside. Seals.

 

[s219]

There is a product called Concrobium you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes (usually in paint aisles) that is great for neutralizing mold (it encapsulates the mold and spores). It's real safe for humans, pets, and building materials too -- I think it's similar to baking soda. You can even fog it in a room to cover everything (Home Depot rents the foggers).

Be *very* cautious using bleach in any concentration on building materials that contain metal. Bleach, and the salt it leaves behind when it dries, is *extremely* corrosive. It can rust and corrode nails, bolts, fasteners, brackets, wiring, pipes, ductwork, etc.... I have used bleach on bare wood that can be cleaned afterwards, but keep it far away from structural framing containing fasteners/brackets, beams, wiring, HVAC, plumbing, etc -- anything metal and important. Mold control companies don't use bleach for this exact reason, as it can cause more damage over the long term from rusting and corrosion. Sure, it knocks out the mold, but if your nails all rust to oblivion after 10 years, that's not too good for the structural integrity of the home!!

 

[ray66v]

:banghead: Ughh. You may get the humidity down to where leaking cold air escaping doesn't condense water out of the room air. But your wasting so much energy running a leaking fridge and a dehumidifier, when the problem may just be the fact air can move between the cold inside and the humid outside. Seals.

:mur: You are worried about a freezer door, which is probably doesn't have a thing wrong with it, and will take care of it's self, once the humidity comes down from nearly 80%, while the entire basement is in jeopardy of growing potentially dangerous toxic mold, after being flooded, and not properly dried out.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

OK, so the basement is MUCH, MUCH dryer!

Things have dramatically improved. I've got the hose hooked up and the dehumidifier runs constantly. I've got my last two fans running constantly also.

Right now the lowest reading I've seen is 60%. this is Virginia, and it is spring so some humidity is inevitable.

When do I decide it is good enough and only run it on an as needed basis?

Just asking...

David

 

[missouri massey man]

OK, so the basement is MUCH, MUCH dryer!

Things have dramatically improved. I've got the hose hooked up and the dehumidifier runs constantly. I've got my last two fans running constantly also.

Right now the lowest reading I've seen is 60%. this is Virginia, and it is spring so some humidity is inevitable.

When do I decide it is good enough and only run it on an as needed basis?

Just asking...

David

I turn mine on in the spring with a setting that allows the humidistat to cycle between 40 and 50% RH and leave it on continuously. If yours doesn't have a humidistat that shows the actual setpoint, slowly adjust it lower day by day until the desired conditions are met. The motor that runs continuously is just a couple hundred watt motor to circulate the air. The humidistat cycles the compressor off when setpoint is met.

If you are still seeing moisture accumulating on portions of the reefer....closely inspect the door gasket all the way around the perimeter with the door closed. A leaky gasket will not be sticking securely to the face of the appliance and that will be noticeable. The door gasket is merely a long strip magnet enclosed in the soft pliable rubber seal. The seal must remain pliable for the weak magnet to hold it against the metallic surface.

I'm thinking you solved the majority if not all of your issue with the dehumidifier. Oh yeah, another possible option for high humidity in basement areas is to cut a return air opening in the basement duct and install a grille that can be opened and closed. Probably 6 x 14 or so. Drawing humid basement air from the basement through your a/c coil will slowly assist in moisture removal from that humid space. Close the grille in the winter....

The de-humidifier is the sure fire and best solution though.....

 

[s219]

You may as well set the dehumidifer to a reasonable level and leave it there to turn on automatically as needed. I leave the one in our garage set at 55% if I remember right. (Note, the humidistat on most dehumidifiers is not super accurate, so I calibrated against a handheld hygrometer to know where to set the dial). There is a magic number for humidity, below which mold can't grow. Set it to that, and let it come on as needed. I hear ours cycle on 10-12 times a day for a 5-10 minutes each time.

 

[jerrybob]

Mold is killed by contact with household bleach. But is only effective on non-porous surfaces

If the surface is porous, like wood, or cinder block, bleach is only effective on the surface mold. This is because the VOC's that kill the mold mostly evaporate before they can soak into the pours. What is left after the VOC's evaporate is mostly water. Which can help propagate the next batch of mold, requiring future treatments.

Bleach is also toxic, and smells bad.

It's better to use a product like Moldex. It's very effective, has no offensive odor, and inhibits the return of future mold.

We live in a pretty wet area........I just bleached the eves of our house and the cedar shake siding. We had some little black mold dots appearing under the eves and some shake was starting to turn black. After the treatment......eves are white.....looks like we just painted and the shake looks new. As for humidity......some boat owners use a dryer/dehumidifier product like the one below......I use one in our travel trailer.....works well.....never have a moisture problem with it.

Amazon.com : Davis Instruments Air-Dryr 1000 Dryer : Boating Equipment : Sports & Outdoors

 

[teejk]

We live in a pretty wet area........I just bleached the eves of our house and the cedar shake siding. We had some little black mold dots appearing under the eves and some shake was starting to turn black. After the treatment......eves are white.....looks like we just painted and the shake looks new. As for humidity......some boat owners use a dryer/dehumidifier product like the one below......I use one in our travel trailer.....works well.....never have a moisture problem with it.

Bleach is good for killing the black spots but I think it is also a bit corrosive on wood so a good rinse is required. As for travel trailers, my in-laws were snow-birds. They didn't scrimp on their RV's but did scrimp in most other things. Epson salts sewed into cloth bags...apparently the salts soaked up a lot of moisture. When saturated the bags became rock hard...take them outside in the sun and get them back to epson salts with a little dropping/banging and start over. Their trick, not mine.

 

[jerrybob]

We live in a pretty wet area........I just bleached the eves of our house and the cedar shake siding. We had some little black mold dots appearing under the eves and some shake was starting to turn black. After the treatment......eves are white.....looks like we just painted and the shake looks new. As for humidity......some boat owners use a dryer/dehumidifier product like the one below......I use one in our travel trailer.....works well.....never have a moisture problem with it.

Bleach is good for killing the black spots but I think it is also a bit corrosive on wood so a good rinse is required. As for travel trailers, my in-laws were snow-birds. They didn't scrimp on their RV's but did scrimp in most other things. Epson salts sewed into cloth bags...apparently the salts soaked up a lot of moisture. When saturated the bags became rock hard...take them outside in the sun and get them back to epson salts with a little dropping/banging and start over. Their trick, not mine.

Yea.....a good rinse is required for the bleach. Up here......people use bleach for roofs, driveways, fences and houses. Works well but good rinse is required.