Advice for a studio window

[splashjam]

Hi everyone,
I have set up a studio in Batangas, so far the rehearsal room is finished and looks nice, but before I have the control room completed I need to rework the control room window.
Here is the problem.... condensation.
I used a double window and the sound isolation is exellent, however when the aircon is turned on I get condensation inside the two panes of glass. Its already full of silica gel bags so that will not help any more. Its sealed with silicone sealant and I know I'll have to remove one pane of glass to fix this but I'm not sure how.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thankswww.splashjam.com

[starfugger]

i havent experienced this in the studio so far, but i have seen this happen inside cars without air conditionining on a rainy day.  perhaps there s a huge difference in  temperature between the booth and control room?

[KitC]

My guess is that the silica gel is already spent. You will have to 'reform' it by baking it in an oven to evaporate the accumulated moisture. Condensation appears because either the wood in the framing hasn't been kiln dried properly or there is a significant temperature difference between the adjoining rooms with the cooler side  causing the condensation. Equalizing the temps between the 2 should minimize condensation.

[mikep]

Re-route your air conditioning ducts (if any).  Do not have the air con diffusers hit the glass.  I believe your air con supply duct or diffuser is very near the window glass.

FWIW

[splashjam]

The aircon unit is several metres away from the glass but you are right the condensation is caused by the temperature difference.
The glass is fitted in a double wall, approx 0.5m deep. This is the problem area when the gap in the double wall is significantly warmer that the rooms on either side. Maybe The silica gel bags are probably useless now, but I have some more, would anyone recommend a de-humidifier inside the wall or routing the aircon inside the double wall?
Thanks for your help again!
www.splashjam.com

[mikep]

Is your aircon unit ducted or wall mounted?  Do you have a separate aircon for the booth and the control room?  Are your windows really sealed?  Are your wall all the way up to the slab?  The usual culprits are bad sealing of windows and vents of the aircon hitting the glass.  I normally just place 2 small (as in the size of a medicine capsule in all the window studios I have designed and/or build with not problems.  If your air con is ducted, maybe there is a part of it that passes through the window that adds cold air into the inside of the double pane glass.  If the window is well sealed, the inside part is a vacuum, thus, it does not matter whether temperature changes - it is not affected at all.  But, as I said, the usual common culprit is the vent of the aircon hitting the glass. 

FWIW

[splashjam]

The windows are totally sealed. The aircon is wall mounted. As I don't have much knowledge of aircon I did not expect this problem. I am not a Filipino either so the issue with heat and moisture in the air is quite different for me. I am used to things being constantly cold!! (I hate the cold though)
Now that you mention it I am not sure if the wall is sealed all the way up to the roof, maybe there is moist air getting in through the top.
Thanks for all the advice, I don't have aircon in the control room yet.
Phil
www.splashjam.com

[KitC]

I don't have aircon in the control room yet.

There's the source of your problem.

Ambient humidity is higher here than in colder climates/latitudes, especially if you are closer to sea level. You might have to re-do the window with fresh dessicant, but just plain equalizing the temps between the 2 rooms should solve your problem.