bowgus wrote:
How does a house get too humid in the Winter?? I've had a hydronic
system in the houses/apartments I've lived in for the last 25
years. There is no such thing as "too humid" during heating
season.


Here in Canada, with current codes, and high efficiency furnaces or
electric, houses are so well sealed that in winter, and with all the
windows closed, there is very little air exchange (and so air
exchangers are a health necessity). We've got plants, and aquariums,
and pets, and people breathing ... anon anon anon. Or, it can get humid
to the point that the condensation on windows begets black mold/mildew.
Now, in an older leaky home, like my last one, this doesn't happen. And
so by too humid, I mean considerable condensation gets dumped on e.g.
windows causing in turn mold/mildew.

There is such a thing as "too humid" during the heating season.


HVAC south of Canada tends to leave out the V part.

Homes recently built in Canada are indeed so tight that controlled
ventilation is needed, almost required, for health of people and pets.


A thoughtful home buyer south of Canada with the funds to make it happen
can get her/himself a home built that has the same issues with
ventilation that our neighbors to the north have. That is, we must PLAN
for the introduction of fresh air to replace the air we exhaust when we

1. Turn on a Bathroom light/exhaust
2. Turn on a gas/oil furnace
3. Turn on a gas water heater
4. Operate a clothes dryer
5. Operate a range hood

And we want to maintain a positive pressure inside so that when we open
a door, outside air is pushed away from the opening, at least briefly,
so that pollen/dust/mold spores stay outside.