Humidity-control switch – always on
We have a bath exhaust fan, controlled by a “Panasonic WhisperControl Humidity Sensing Switch”. This switch works great in the heating season, automatically clearing moisture ( Humidity Control Advanced Sensor Technology which detects relative humidity and temperature and will turn on the exhaust fan automatically to keep it in check. The fan automatically turns off when the appropriate combination of humidity and temperature is reached, in all climate zones for all seasons. The WhisperControl Condensation Sensor also has a manual on/off control and a countdown timer. )
However, in summer (coastal Rhode Island, no air conditioning) the fan runs continuously for days/weeks at a time. The bathroom windows are generally left wide open; and this seems a bit silly. I had planned to put the same switch into an apartment now under construction, but…
Is there any way to adjust the sensor? Other suggestions?
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Replies
Curtis,
I just got off the phone with a technical help person at Panasonic. He said that the switch you are talking about cannot be adjusted by the user. If it runs for 24 hours a day during the summer, he suggested that you override the control by using the "off" switch.
I would imagine the inability to adjust the dehumidistat control is a serious drawback (a design flaw, really) for use in humid climates, where the ventilation air itself can be fairly humid. Using the countdown timer would probably cut it. Putting a few cheap AcuRites or similar humidity monitors around the house, as well as in the bathroom would let you know when the excess humidity from showering etc had been neutralized.
Thanks Martin - you did better than I did with Panasonic. They referred me to their vendor, "One Stop Buy" which seems to be a distributor for Leviton; at that support line, they said they don't make this particular switch, and sent me back to Panasonic.
Overriding with the "off switch" does shut off the fan, at least for a while. But it seems to turn back on eventually. (How long? I have no idea, not something that is easy to check out in a reasonable time frame!)
Another Panasonic support person pointed me to a different vendor: DewStop.com, in Seattle. The nice woman who answered the phone asked where I live, and explained that humidity levels can be much higher on the east coast (never mind my recollection of Seattle weather); DewStop has a less sensitive model, and will mail me one (no charge!) to try.