A contractor accessed the roof hatch of my relatively new condo 30 days ago), and after rain, I discovered the hatch wide open. Water entered the attic, leaving a puddle on the closet floor and wetting some attic insulation, nearby drywall, and ductwork.

A restoration company placed a Dri-Eaz Revolution LGR F413 dehumidifier in my primary closet (approximately 7.5 × 5 feet).

The technician initially advised keeping the closet door closed, but the unit’s inlet temperature reached 110°F, and my thermostat sensor triggered an alert at 116°F. Opening the closet door brought the inlet temperature down to around 99°F, but it climbed above 100°F again during the day.

Is this setup appropriate? Should the closet door remain open, or should I open the adjoining bedroom door to the rest of the house? Should the HVAC be running? I’ve also noticed a dirty sock smell when running the AC, so I’m currently leaving it off.

Photos of Setup and Temp Reading

Thanks!

docketbuilder

1 | 8 hours ago

I’d open the closet door and call the restoration company with those temps today. Those big dehumidifiers put out a lot of heat, and in a closet that small it builds up fast. They should be coming back to take moisture readings anyway, so let them set it up the way they want.

But the attic is the bigger problem. A dehumidifier in the closet won’t dry wet insulation up there. Ask whether they’ve checked the attic insulation and the drywall by the hatch with a moisture meter, and whether the wet insulation is coming out. Same for the ductwork that got wet. I’d tell them about the dirty sock smell and keep the AC off until they’ve looked at it.

juhcobywonkenobi [OP]

1 | 7 hours ago

Really appreciate the insight into this. Yea, I let the technician know about the HVAC and he said it’s fine to run. I’m pretty concerned with this level of what seems to be incompetency if they are also potentially going to do the demo and rebuild…

The temps are rising to 102 with the closet door wide open. I’m thinking of also keeping the bedroom door open to the rest of the home to keep it at least 100 or below. I’m just not sure how much that affects the dry-out if I keep the doors open.

Water intrusion after rain — is this dehumidifier setup correct for drying an attic/closet?