Fleetwood Southwind Owner's Manual page 56

Living With Your Motor Home
Floor mopping – When an 8' x 10'
kitchen floor is mopped and rinsed, almost
2 ⁄ pounds of water can be released into
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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
themselves. 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
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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:
Reduce moisture released into
the air and increase ventilation
To reduce moisture released inside the
RV:
1. Run the vent fan when cooking and the
bath vent fan (or open the bath vent)
when bathing.
2. Avoid making steam from excessive
boiling or use of hot water.
3. Remove water or snow from shoes
before entering to avoid soaking the
carpet.
4. Avoid drying clothes inside (except
in the dryer, if equipped). The water
drying out of the clothes goes into the
air.
5. Vent appliances to the outside. Your
clothes dryer should always be vented
according to the dryer manufacturer's
installation instructions. (Some dryers
are designed to be ventless and do not
require a vent to the outdoors.) Check
the vents periodically to be sure they are
not blocked.
6. If you operate or use vaporizing
inhalers, or similar devices, always
provide adequate ventilation.