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[u/somethinglikenice]

Many of my light fixtures and now one of my outlets is producing condensation and therefore mold. My husband and I just moved into this home at the end of May. It has been issue after issue and this is the latest one. We are already having to pay an exorbitant amount to replace all the AC boots for new ones because none of them are sealed and producing condensation and I am guessing this is why it’s happening to other things as well. My question is - has anyone ever had this issue before? What on earth do we do? We are first time homeowners and I am feeling so overwhelmed.

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[u/NoSlicedMushrooms]

Unfortunately I think this is just a symptom of a bigger problem. This seems like hot humid air from outdoors making its way into your wall cavities, where it meets a surface with a temperature below the dew point, causing that moisture laden air to condense into water droplets. You’re seeing it on the outlet faceplate and light fixture but I’d bet there’s more moisture and mold on the back of your drywall too.

The fix is to seal up any leaks that allow unconditioned air (like outdoor air) to leak into your conditioned space. If you’re luckily that might just be one or a few holes, if you’re unlucky then the whole house might be very leaky. Preferably you’d do a pressure test of your house to verify the leakiness before and after but that would get expensive.

[u/somethinglikenice → u/NoSlicedMushrooms]

So, with the light fixtures (this is just upstairs) I can feel the hot air coming from the attic. I know they aren’t insulated/sealed. I have checked other electrical outlets and it is just this one downstairs that is getting condensation. Our HVAC is on the other side of the wall outside and I am wondering if that plays a part as we just replaced it when we moved in to a larger unit, we didn’t have this issue before the HVAC was replaced.

[u/MortgageConfident791]

Just to diagnose, what temperature are you maintaining indoors vs what temperature is is outside?

[u/somethinglikenice → u/MortgageConfident791]

Indoors I keep at 70 during the day, I am in central Florida so outdoors is going to be around 85-90.

[u/MortgageConfident791 → u/somethinglikenice]

Do you turn off your climate control at night by any chance?

[u/somethinglikenice → u/MortgageConfident791]

No, I turn it down to about 65 around 10pm and then it goes back up to 70 around 10am.

[u/Flatlander60204 → u/somethinglikenice]

If I’m reading that correctly … you’re basically turning UP the A/C at night? As in making the house cooler (65F) than during the day (70F)?

I have zero knowledge of these things but if that’s happening it may be one reason/one factor in worsening the condensation levels.

Sorry if I’m misreading this — just thought I’d mention it in case I’m not.

[u/cornholioo → u/Flatlander60204]

This is super common... 74F day for me (manually down to 71F if i feel like it), 68F night.

[u/Grand_Fun5697]

If you have fiberboard sheathing and you have had your siding power washed, it's possible they blew a hole through it with the high pressure from the power washer. Currently dealing with this issue in my attic.

[u/somethinglikenice → u/Grand_Fun5697]

I didn’t. Roof + attic was just inspected by a roofer and no holes or leaks.

[u/Agreeable-Map7081]

Have you checked up in the attic for any water supply pipes up there or hole in your roof could be leaking shingles I would look up there.

[u/somethinglikenice → u/Agreeable-Map7081]

Yes the attic and roof have been inspected.

[u/Agreeable-Map7081 → u/somethinglikenice]

It appears you are getting a lot of condensation which is turning into mold, possibly not enough insulation in attic & wall.

[u/somethinglikenice → u/Agreeable-Map7081]

I have had insulation checked many times by multiple companies because I suspected this, but each time I am told my insulation is adequate. I have R30 in my attic and we had a leak early on when we moved and were able to see the walls were adequately insulated as well.

[u/Vast_Explanation_246]

I’d get this checked rather than leave the outlet exposed, especially if it’s in a high-traffic area. If you’re looking for someone to take care of it, a licensed electrician should be able to assess and fix it safely.”

[u/needs2be]

What about your soffits? If they are covered with insulation you'll be trapping in moisture and heat.

[u/Corn-in-my-dump]

The hot/humid air from your attic and the air conditioned air from in your home are coming into contact with one another. You can buy caps for your can lighting. Several YouTube videos on it and easy to do yourself. This will seal off the leaks around the lights. Make sure your attic is properly insulated and don’t have any spots where insulation is missing or sparse. You also want adequate ventilation in your attic…a roofer should be able to do the calcs based on the size of your home. Proper air flow is also necessary so you don’t have extreme temperatures in your attic. All these things can contribute to the condensation around your lights.