Do Crawl Space Fans Control Humidity?

Could adding fans to control crawl space humidity be doing more harm than good? Michael Church of Crawl Space Ninja joins us to dispel a common misconception in the crawl space repair and pest control industries. He explains why relying on ventilation fans might not be the best tactic, especially in humid climates like the South. Michael shares his expertise on how these fans can inadvertently draw in more humid air, ultimately making the problem worse. His insights are backed by years of experience and research, providing a fresh perspective that challenges conventional wisdom.

Tune in as Michael highlights the importance of using a properly sized crawl space dehumidifier instead of depending on your HVAC system or ventilation fans. While fans can be effective for venting soil gases, they fall short in managing moisture levels. He emphasizes methods that will help you achieve a healthier, drier crawl space environment. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to improve their crawl space repair strategies and ensure long-term effectiveness.

Check out Michael's book, "Crawl Space Repair Myths-Busted" now available on Amazon!

Need help: https://crawlspaceninja.com or https://diy.crawlspaceninja.com

Transcript

Speaker 0: 0:00

Hey, michael Church, crawl Space Ninja. We are continuing our misconception series and today I want to talk to you about many of the professionals out there in the pest control industry and in other crawl space repair talking about using fans to control humidity. Is that a good idea? When I got started in crawl space encapsulation, it seemed like everybody was doing the same thing. They were putting down a loose lay vapor barrier and installing crawl space ventilation fans to control humidity. And I got to thinking you know, we live in the South where it's really humid outside. So if I put a fan in the crawl space vent and some people would install them in the door if I put a fan and I'm pulling in wet, humid air into an already wet crawl space, how is that really controlling humidity and drying out the crawl space? I've even done some moisture readings where the fan itself was blowing in 80% relative humidity inside the crawl space. And then you got those ones that argue about well, you blow the fan out to control humidity. Well, it's still pulling makeup air from the outside into the crawl space. If all of the other vents are open, that makeup air has to come from the outside into the crawl space. So whether you point the fan blowing out or you point the fan blowing in, the makeup air is what is determining the humidity level of the crawl space.

Speaker 0: 1:27

So what we have found over the years? Research has shown over and over and over again that you need a dehumidifier. Don't use your HVAC system for reasons that I've mentioned before, and if you check out the misconception series, you can learn about that. Install a crawl space dehumidifier that is properly sized and also have the ventilation fan to blow out those soil gases but not to control humidity. So we feel like that's something a lot of companies should stop doing is using fans to control humidity. You can use it to control soil gases. Michael Church, crawl Space Ninja. We hope you make it a happy and blessed day and we'll see you later.