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To understand the stack effect, you must one basic rule: warm is lighter than cold air.

 

The stack effect is most common during the winter and the summer. It refers to when warm air moves upwards in the house and cold area settles at the lower levels.

Winter is the most common time you will experience the stack effect. This is because in the winter months the indoor-outdoor temperature is great. Cold air is dense and heavy while warm air is light. during the winter when the winter when the indoor air is warmer than the outdoor air, therefore it raises to the upper levels of the house and escapes through the windows, vents or cracks in the building.

 

Once the warm rise and get out of the house, this reduces the pressure in the base of the building. This, in turn, forces the cold air from outside to infiltrate through any openings in the house. They could be open doors, windows, and vents.

 

The stack effect in generally causes cold air infiltration at the lower part of the house and exfiltration on the upper floors.

 

The stack effect is a simple explanation of why you need to ensure your home is air sealed.

what-is-stack-effect

 

Is there an appliance that can affect the air pressure in the house?

Mechanical equipment like clothes dryers, built in vacuum cleaners, dust collection systems, bathroom exhaust fans and range hoods, can cause negative pressure.

 

Negative pressure happens when too much air is pumped out of the house than what is induced through the available ventilation spaces. All exhaust air from a building contributes to negative pressure inside the building. If the house is air sealed this negative pressure can greatly affect the structural integrity of the house.

 

In the summer the stack effect is reversed, since air outside is warmer and rising, while most home with air conditionals which make the indoor air mass fall. This means that most of the air in the house is cooler than the warm air outside.

This cause a total reverse of the stack effect where most of the air is cold air house air exfiltration at the lower floors and warm air infiltration through upper floors. Thus the greater air pressure is experienced at the lower floors or in the basement.

 

air infiltration in the home is caused by the stack effect, wind and mechanical equipment.

 

What are the effects of stack effect?

The stack effect basically allows air from the lower floor to move up to the upper floors. Here are some of the negative impacts of the stack effect :

  1. High humidity – a house with a basement or a crawl space, is known to have increased levels of humidity in this space. Through the stack effect, the high humidity is able to move from the basement into other rooms in the house. High humidity causes damage to the house and any items in the rooms.
  2. Poor indoor air quality – damp basement air is able to find its way to the rest of the house. This can make the home very uncomfortable for the occupants. Mold spores and mildew are able to spread from the basement or the crawl space. This can cause Eye irritation, A stuffy nose, Allergies, Wheezing or sneezing when in the house constantly, Respiratory problems like asthma, Constant recurring headaches, and Indoor discomfort.
  3. Mold growth  - once the high humidity is able to move into other room and condense on the walls and on items, it greats the perfect environment for mold to grow.
  4. Damage to property  - when the high humidity is able to move to all the rooms in the house this cause a lot of moisture damage in the rooms. This cause an increase in the cost of the house maintenance.
  5. Pest infestation – pest are known to like warm moisture environments if the humidity is able to get to other rooms in the house. This will attract the pest move to all rooms in the house.

stack effect house

Want To Learn More?

Control the humidity levels anywhere inside your home with BaseAire products.

Whether you're located in the Atlantic coastline states, the central states, or the Pacific coastline states, humidity remains an important factor in our daily lives.
The humidity levels change throughout the year depending on different seasons changing. You will never see the increase in humidity, but you will feel it.
Most warm regions, especially along the coastline, are known to have high moisture and humidity levels.
High humidity is not only the biggest threat to the structural integrity of your home, but it can also affect your household belongings and physical health.
At BaseAire, we show our dedication to helping you control the humidity level in your home and commercial workplace by offering a variety of dehumidifiers, different in:

- Capacity
- Size
- Airflow capabilities

Our specifically designed dehumidifiers will:

- Decrease the humidity level to below 50%
- Eradicate mold, mildew, and dust mite infestation
- Cleanse the indoor air of any mold spores, odor, and other impurities
- Reduce allergy triggers

The effects of high humidity:

i. High humidity levels in your home will make it feel warmer and stuffier.
ii. Increased humidity will make your home the perfect environment for mold, mildew, and dust mite growth! Known as some of the most common allergy triggers, this can cause health issues.
iii. Skin allergies.
iv. Wood warping – since wood can absorb some of the excess moisture, this makes the wood warp, causing wooden floors to feel uneven as well as wooden doors and windows not closing properly.
v. Appliance failure – in your home, if the excess moisture can condense inside the appliances, this can cause fluid damage to said appliances.
vi. Wallpaper and paint will peel within a space with excess humidity.
vii. Wood rot – wet wood provides the perfect place for fungi growth which causes the wood to rot at an accelerated rate.
Repairing the appliances or replacing the rotting wood can be expensive for many homeowners, hence the importance of a BaseAire dehumidifier.

Common signs of high humidity in the house:

You can easily determine the humidity levels of your home using a hygrometer. But if you do not have access to one, here are some of the signs that show the presence of high humidity in your home:

- Constant reoccurring condensation on window planes and glass doors, especially in the morning.
- Water spots on the walls and ceiling.
- Black mold growth on the walls or ceiling.

In heavily moisturized spaces, like the basement, you will see condensed water on the walls or floor.

How does a dehumidifier work?

Dehumidifiers are electric appliances that extract excess humidity from the air.
We designed our dehumidifiers to pull the air from the house into the unit where it then passes over a series of coolant coils that condense the excess moisture. This removes odor, mold spores, and other impurities from the air. The unit then collects condensed water in a collection tray or pumped out of the unit depending on the model of BaseAire dehumidifier you buy.
The air is then warmed up and pumped out of the dehumidifier back into the room. This process repeats until the relative humidity level of the space lowers below the set level.

Why should you invest in a BaseAire dehumidifier today?

We have a wide variety of dehumidifiers designed for residential and commercial use. Our engineers have gone a step further, designing need-specific dehumidifiers for the basement, crawlspace, garage, office, and storage room. BaseAire dehumidifiers will lower the humidity levels in your home, making it impossible for harmful allergens like mold, mildew, and dust mites to grow. So, if a customer needs a humidity issue in their home fixed, our dehumidifiers will exceed their expectations. Improve your indoor air quality today! Speak to us about your humidity issues and our water damage & restoration experts will help pick the right dehumidifier for you