Crawlspace Conditioner Nashville

The problem with crawlspaces is that they are fundamentally a bad idea. They are not technically in the living area, but they can have a profound impact on the interior living space. In the southeast, we have high humidity in the summer. If the foundation vents are opened, hot, humid air enters the cooler crawlspace. With normally insulated air conditioning vents carrying 50⁰ air, dew point will be reached and condensation frequently occurs. Closing the vents, sealing the crawlspace, and installing a dehumidifier traps earth gases in the crawlspace which can possibly enter the living area. If only there was a way to economically exhaust earth gases while drawing in dryer air.

Crawlspace Makeovers has developed the Crawlspace Conditioner system to solve the problem. For less than half the cost of a professional encapsulation system, the Crawlspace Conditioner system will provide dry air to your crawlspace and exhaust the potentially bad air inside the crawlspace. A large exhaust motor is installed at one end of the crawlspace at the foundation vent. At the other end we pull conditioned air from the house and exhaust it into the crawlspace. This creates a cross-breeze of conditioned air which keeps the subfloor dry and the crawlspace free from the build up of humidity and earth-gases, like radon.

Isn’t it bad to exhaust air from the house and create a negative air pressure? Are you concerned about negative air pressure when you run your dryer or bathroom exhaust vent? Our system exhausts about the same amount of air. If your home is extremely tight, we would recommend a fresh air intake system installed on your air conditioner, preferably using an efficient heat exchanger like an ERV.

Isn’t it expensive to run? The fans used are high-efficiency, commercial fans which consume less than 1 watt each. More energy is used to start an electric motor than when it is running, and our system is designed for continuous operation. We estimate it costs between $3 and $5 per month. However, studies have shown that a conditioned crawlspace puts less load on the HVAC system than a humid, non-conditioned crawlspace, so the costs are probably offset.

The Crawlspace Conditioner:

• virtually eliminates condensation on the ductwork and plumbing pipes.
• reduces the moisture content of the structural wood in the crawlspace down to a level at which mold will not grow
• makes termites less interested because of the low moisture content of the wood
• prohibits the growth of wood rotting fungus
• exhausts radon and other earth gases
• has a 2 year warranty but we have some units that are still going strong after 20 years

The Crawlspace Conditioner solution is simple, economical, and effective. The average price is around $1,400 installed.