Fleetwood American Eagle 2006 Owner's Manual page 70

Living With Your Motor Home
Here are some frequently asked questions about
condensation and some answers that will help
you understand more about your RV and how to
keep it comfortable.
Q. - In cold weather, my windows and walls
look like they're sweating. Is that con-
densation?
A. - Yes. Your windows are a good way to
know if the humidity in your RV is too
high. All air contains water vapor. When
air is warm it can hold much more water
vapor than when it is cold. When the air
cools, the water vapor "condenses" back to
a liquid. Since your windows are usually
cooler than the air, the water collects on
the surface of the glass.
Q. - Where does all the water come from?
A. - Moisture in the air comes from many
sources. Some of the most common are:
06-8
Cooking - Meals prepared for a family of
four can add up to a gallon of water per
day into the air from cooking.
Bathing - An average shower can put
between Y. -
y,
pounds of water into the air.
Dishwashing - Doing the dishes for a typ-
ical day's meals can add up to one pound
of water to the air.
Floor mopping - When an 8' x
10'
kitchen
floor is mopped and rinsed, almost 2
y,
pounds of water can be released into the air.
Clothes drying - After 10 pounds of clothes
have been washed and spin-dried in a
washer, they still contain about 10 pounds
of water. If these clothes are dried inside,
that water is released into the air in the RV.
Propane appliances - When Propane is
burned, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water
are given off into the air. For every 1000
cubic feet of Propane burned, nearly 88
pounds of water is released into the air.
Humidifiers - Humidifiers are designed to
put moisture into dry air - up to two
pounds per hour. So in a 24-hour period,
an uncontrolled humidifier can put almost
50 pounds of water into the air.
House plants and aquariums - Plants give
off almost as much water as you put on
them. Open aquariums permit higher rates
of evaporation than closed types.
People and animals - A large source of
water in the RV is the inhabitants them-
selves. A family of four can put up to 12
pounds of water into the air per day
through breathing and perspiration.
As you can see, just the normal course of living
adds a great deal of water to the air.
Q. - What will all this water do to my RV?
A. - The least it will do is fog your windows. If
it is really cold outside, frost or even clear
ice could form on the inside of the glass.
Excessive moisture in the air could show
up as water running down or dripping off
walls, ceilings or fixtures. It may look like
your roof or windows are leaking. This
water may stain woodwork, carpeting,
ceiling panels or even furniture.
But the most damage is caused by water
you can't even see. Water will penetrate
almost any material - except glass and
metals. Water vapor in the air always
wants to move toward dry air. Scientists
call this "vapor pressure" action. It will go
through walls, floor covering, plywood,
paint - just about anything. The water that
gets trapped in these materials can cause
warping, mildew, paint failure and rotting.
The damage caused by excessive humidity
can be invisible, and worse, expensive to
fix. Please remember that this damage is
not covered under the warranty.
Q. - What can I do to reduce or eliminate
condensation problems in my RV?
A. - The two most important things are:
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