Moisture problems in regular account. Opinions please

[BradFenstermaker]

I have an account that we clean every 2 wks. The last 6 wks I have had moisture problems the next day. The account and myself cannot think of anything each is doing differently.

Cleaned last nite on a traffic area. Used no more than 20 gals. Areas that where not touched feel damp to the touch and are pinging the hydro sensor. This is a atleast a 4,000sqft carpet area.

Area cleaned is definetely wet. Hydro force prespray, scrubbed, extracted at 350psi and dry stroked.

No other issues between our residential and commercial jobs in this time period.

I think it may be a ventilation problem with main Central AC. Air is left on all the time between 69-74 degrees.

We need opinions please! I AM STUMPED and account is very frustrated.

Thanks,

Brad

 

[Ross Buettner]

What rig are you using? Need way more info.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Brad is it cooling off enough at night that the system is not coming on regularly to allow for drying?

If the system doesn't run then the moisture you've added will have a difficult time drying in a closed environment.

 

[Walt]

...Cleaned last nite on a traffic area. Used no more than 20 gals. Areas that where not touched feel damp to the touch and are pinging the hydro sensor. This is a atleast a 4,000sqft carpet area.

I'm confused. Do you mean that you cleaned 4000 square feet with 20 gallons of water?

Or there are areas that you didn't clean that are damp?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

The temperature setting on the AC isn't as important as making sure the FAN is set to ON and not "automatic".

What is the relative humidity there BEFORE you clean it?....and after?

 

[joe harper]

Brad...what equipment..?

Are you cleaning with the doors OPEN....?

You are certainly AWARE...that for the last 6 weeks...the relative humidity has been 95%
in Georgia ...! If you are introducing that type of humidity into a building... :idea: It can
take the AC system 5 to 6 hours...just to dehumidify the air in the building... :shock:

Until the air is "DRY"......the carpet canNOT dry... !gotcha!

This may explain why the NON-CLEANED area's are pinging your Hydro-Sensor....
The concrete SLAB'S will HOLD humidity and even SWEAT... :!:

you are fast LEE...

 

[Desk Jockey]

Lee is right the fan alone will exhaust the moisture out.

 

[daniel@procarpet]

You might want to check to see if the ac vents are leaking from condensation.

Sometimes they will drip and over time it can add up.

I would say it is not from the humidity in the building.

Also traffic areas can develop low areas that water will pool under the carpet. The moisture level could be building up slowly for weeks.

This would only be in isolated areas and not the whole building.

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Guys I am using a Vortex 777. Last nite I only cleaned about 240 sqft of a 4000 sqft area.

No beeps from hydrosensor before cleaning except near kitchen exit onto carpet and near a interior wall on kitchen side. No odor was detected by my nose prior to cleaning.

Used grime release with citrazyme and scrubbed with rotary and extracted at 350 psi did dry passes.

This morning an odor is present where I did not clean. And all the other carpet feels damp and cool. Hydrosensor is beeping on concrete subfloor. Elevated booth base on plywood is also beeping and wasn't cleaned since a week ago 08/01/2011 monday nite.

Cleaned area is still very damp this morning. The AC has been left on.

We have called EVERY JOB in the last 10 days and each reported dry times of 8 hrs or less.

Cleaned my filters over the weekend and my vac tank elbows are free of debri.

Customer is convinced that moisture is there from last cleaning on 08/01/11.

I never take humidity levels on a regular basis. I do not have a humidity meter to do so.

No issues like this in the last 2.5 yrs of 2 cleanings a month. Third time in a row the last 5 wks that we have moisture issues on this one account only.

We both want to figure this out.

Thanks,

Brad

 

[Desk Jockey]

Is their condensor working? Does it feel like conditioned air?

As small an area as you cleaned it doesn't sound cleaning related.

Temp and humidity would be nice to know both inside and outside and at the process air from the vent.

They've only had this issue when you clean or are they trying to pin a malfunctioning HVAC unit on the cleaning?

Something going on with this job, I think HVAC makes the most sense to have checked.

 

[joe harper]

Is the kitchen flooring ...TILE...?

Have they changed their cleaning procedure of the kitchen floor...? Power washing..?

Moisture may be penetrating the base of the kitchen wall..?

Over-flow float in the AC drip pan may be stuck or malfunctioning...?


EITHER WAY...not your baby..!

Carpets do not 10 days to DRY... :!: EVEN with a VORTEX...

 

[bob vawter]

HAIRBALL??

 

[Lee Stockwell]

It's not voodoo, or female, so there's a measurable physical reason for it.

A simple meter isn't expensive.

 

[BradFenstermaker]

They have a gray rubber floor in the kitchen area. Apparently Eco Lab wash n walk is used both on lobby tile and kitchen. Disperse cleaner they lightly scrub then squeegy to drain and leave to dry.

Don't understand how that removes grease from a floor but thats the description I have.

The building feels cool to me so I think the units are cooling. I would think that it would be unbareable for guest to eat if it was broke to bad.

Think I found a Heat n Air company to meet me there this afternoon for a quick look. They can take Humid reading hopefully.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Digital combination hygrometer/thermometers start at around $20. The "professional" versions start at around $55 (Extech).

Cheap insurance.

 

[Desk Jockey]

So they added humidity to the air too.

If it felt really humid then I would say it condensated on to the cooler surfaces.

I'm suprised if the AC is working that it wouldn't just dry as normal. :?:

 

[BradFenstermaker]

They have moved from my company to try someone else. I am no longer cleaning there.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Brad

 

[Desk Jockey]

thathurts

Sorry man!

 

[bob vawter]

NEVERMIND. I am no longer cleaning there.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Brad

Hairball.......?

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Bob I have not ran a towel through the hoses yet. My vacuum definetely seemed sufficient last nite.

How would a hairball in vac wet the other 3500 sqft of carpet even 8 inches off the floor under the raised booth tables?

Only 20 gals used from start to finish. All jobs yesterday reported dry within 8 hrs or less.

Thanks

 

[bob vawter]

sometimes i'd pickup a lollypop stick or a hairpin....and after a while there would be a lint and fuzzball buildup from hell.....
mine would be right where it dumps into the waste tank.......

jus tryin' ta hep..........!!

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Hey Bob just dropped 3 towels in 200ft hose on driveway. Would be fun to fit in the hose for a ride. Inline filter only had towels and a few strands of hair and crumbs.

No substantial blockage. I think other jobs would have issues too if something major wrong with truck. Don't you?

Yesterday evenning I picked dried hair and soil out of my wastetank elbows. So if anything I should have had improved vacuum from 08/01/2011 cleaning.

My run last nite was only 100ft at 350 psi. It should have been much drier or dry this morning.

Just frustrated I have no real answer to the problem. I now you are helping me out in a pinch.

Shoulda bought a Genie PTO already.

Later

Brad

 

[Jim Martin]

concrete may be sweating due to high humidity or rain..... or....the joint just isn't breathing and the air is getting saturated.......

 

[KevinD]

The humidity was so high here two days ago I opened the doors to a apartment I own to (Air It Out) and the wood floors started to sweat.

 

[bob vawter]

wastetank seal?

Shoulda bought a Genie PTO already.

ya! shiteatinggrin

 

[Scott Rogers]

This customer has add to the problem with there applications of daily fumigating and deodorizer.

The hard surface floors in the building were very wet and nasty and in my opinion definatly a contributing factor.

Judging by the way they are improperly maintaining the hard surfaces, they are likely over applying or improperly applying their deo and fumigation chems.

This building also has small amounts of visible mold growth, and when brought to their attention said it was only due to lack of staff wiping down the walls properly.

From the videos I have seen, Brads truck was operating more then sufficiently to get reasonable dry times, He even did a paper towel test on the area he cleaned last night immediately after cleaning. He had to use quite a bit of body weight to get the paper to pick up moisture.

Regardless, Brad cleaning 240 sq ft using only 20 or so gallons would not leave behind enough moisture to dampen the other 4000 sq feet of carpet that tested dry before cleaning.

 

[kmdineen]

Not your fault, the surface temperature of the floor is falling below the dew point temperature of the air. This causes condensation (dehumidification of the air) on the floor.
1, decrease the amount of moisture (specific humidity) in the air to lower the dew point of the air.
and/or
2, Raise the temperature of the floor above the dew point of the air.
See IICRC S500 third edition, page 126

 

[BradFenstermaker]

waste tanks are nice and tight. After running rags I blocked off end of 200ft and climbed up to pull vac relief closed.

There was no hissing of air anywhere. Pulled the motor down real nice though.

Well all I can possibly hope for is the other company has similar issues and someone figures it out. I hope the best for the Restaurant as well. They have had roof checked and somebody in to check the walls.

Not sure what the problem is but other issues could be there. No complaints from other jobs about drying or odors.

Do think the mold on the interior wall in the dining area is a little scary. Not just a dust dirt issue.


Close to 1000sqft of tile n grout is wet down with wash n walk nightly and left to dry as well.
I have guessed some of that seeps to carpet at times.

This account has been very good to my Company it will be missed for sure.

Time to move on, dropping the key and invoice tomorrow.

Thanks

 

[bob vawter]

Do think the mold on the interior wall in the dining area is a little scary. Not just a dust dirt issue.

YIKES......mold........AND you lost the job........
the process server will be bye shortly......really....!

 

[cucu]

has anyone looked for a slab leak