Southern Mildew Problems: Weather and Psychrometrics

Abstract

Mildew, a costly consequence of excessive moisture in homes, was addressed in a survey of 560 Florida families. Sixty-five percent of the participants reported they had problems with mildew. Attempts were made to correlate mildew problem with building treatments such as weatherizing (a possible cause in Northern areas) and various family living practices. The high incidence of mildew problems in this poprlation indicates a potential gap between the dehumidification needs people have in their homes and the amount of dehumidification they are getting with their air conditioning . Recognizing the contribution of misture from outside the home led to the incorporation of psychrometrics and weather data into tables and graphs to assess the latent heat removal necessary to produce an interior environment that would be less likely to support mildew growth. Terms for the sensible cooling demand and the latent heat removal demand were designed, calculated, and plotted against months of the year for nine locations in the state. This series of figures provides new insights into the demands for sensible cooling and latent heat rermval that can be applied to meet local Florida conditions. Comparisons of other U.S. coastal areas are also included.