So my main concern is the mold. I find no evidence of leaks outside the shower pan or beneath. However I know mold is below the tile, as I can clean the hell out of it and mold creeps up in the cracks within a couple days again. I’m concerned that with good prep paint won’t hold. Is this work even worth it or should we just abandon this shower until we can fix it right?

Honestly I’ve considered it…might be a terrible look but I think it could work

Drink your milk, it's galvanized. And don't forget to paint it before it rusts.

Someone will be along shortly to crap on the thin metal and stitchwelds. You ignore this and stack that wood. Its nice. I like it.

Dear Santa, bring this person a brake for Christmas.

The dew point of 68F air at 55% rel. humidity is 51 F.

I.e. if your windows (and the air touching the glass) hit 51 degrees F, condensation will form. Try to lower the humidity in your house.

Thank you for the response. I think this would be a real pain too. I was thinking in buying new cable in a DIY like store and try to soldering them on the buds, but don't know if this would work

had to check I hadn't written this in my sleep, I check all those same boxes and have this same issue. I also have a lot of allergies and sinus issues so dropping humidity to 30% isn't an option, we actually run humidifiers in the winter to increase. I just use towels on the window sills on the days it is really cold outside. Figure that is cheaper than the $45k for new windows.

Just throwing a practical suggestion or two, crack a windows when showering and turn on the vent hood or open a window when cooking. Should help a little.

I have a humidifier that's connected to the furnace. I can set it first to 'Summer' or 'Winter' setting, and then have another one that indicates % humidity to pump.

TIL.

Thanks.

55% is about 5% higher than the recommended maximum, the first website I checked says 30% to 50% is recommended. The windows are probably coldest in the mornings.

You likely caused the leak by using the valve. That's very common with old gate valves. There's usually a packing nut you can tighten down to stop it, but ultimately the valve may need replacing.

There are Manufacturers that do use constant torque motors in residential furnaces though. Trane S8X2 S8X1 and S8B1, Carrier Comfort and Performance series, York TM9Y, Bryant Preferred and Legacy Line are just a few that use constant torque motors for the blower fan. Basically every Manufacturer offers a lineup that consists of different series that use VCA (Variable Speed Constant Airflow), VCT (Variable Speed Constant Torque) and FCT (Fixed Speed Constant Torque).

As outdoor temperatures drop, you need to adjust your indoor humidity down in relation to how cold the outdoor temp is but not below 30%. 50% is optimum for health but as temps get colder, it OK for humans and wood inside your home to go no lower than 30%.

how did you do that? Is there some attachment you can put on your ac/heater?

Using the electronic humidity gauge from my cigar box, by the windows it shows 55%. Is that a lot? I only see the condensation in the mornings, so could it be drastically different at night?

Get a Hygrometer. Winter humidity may hover around the 40% mark. Anything greater than this can lead to condensation issues within your home. Do you have exhaust fans in bathrooms?

> In a constant torque motor the fan would increase amp draw as it attempts to overcome the higher external static pressure.

... is that the type of fan used in whole-house HVAC systems?

... no.

[Edited to add, see below, in some cases, actually yes]

Holy fuck why waste your time? Just get new ones.

Another idea for how to fix this: This is a bit risky and very tricky, and only might work, but is less invasive than properly isolating and repairing the individual wires.

The part of the cord that's broken contains 2 even tinier wires. It's possible that these 2 tinier wires are themselves intact (except for the insulation) and are just shorting out on each other. IF this is the case, you may be able to get away with isolating the 2 tinier wires and then casting them in epoxy. You'd probably need some kind of tiny hook-like tool and a magnifier sufficient to work with the tiny individual strands. If both conductors are unbroken and you are able to physically separate the strands, that ear bud should start working again. If successful, the area could be cast in epoxy to add some insulation and rigidity.

Building on what others have said regarding high indoor humidity being the cause. Some other things you can do:

Make sure there is good airflow to the windows. During the day open curtains or blinds, move obstacles that might block airflow (like a big couch in front of the window), take off screens if they're on the inside. All of this will help get warmer air to the windows to dry them. (Mine get some condensation overnight, but then dry during the day).

Make sure you're getting enough fresh air in (in the winter, this fresh air will also be dry air). Ideally through an HRV, but if not, run your exhaust fans for a while to draw some in.

As others mentioned, if it persists and this stuff doesn't help, try a dehumidifier.

...long ago a cat wrecked the cord for my $100 Sony studio 'phones and I attempted to repair the wires.

I had 2 years of electronics in high school and another 2 in college, both of which had a lot of practical training - in other words I'm no stranger to soldering.

I ended up buying a new cord for it that wasn't a hell of a lot less than a brand new pair.

I would just leave it.

Seconding this. It can be done, but is a major pain to do so. The little part of the cord that's broken has 2 different even tinier wires inside (in addition to the unbroken cord next to it, which also contains 2 tiny wires). Both wired need to be separated and repaired. You'll likely need to very carefully cut off the little plastic strain relief piece there (this in itself may be quite difficult to do without causing further damage). After removing that piece, the individual wires need to be separated and individually repaired, probably with solder and heat shrink tube. Soldering stuff that small isn't easy and you'll definitely need to get some spare material to practice on if you haven't done it before. Then add a larger piece of heat shrink around both repaired wires. Rebuilding the strain relief piece might be tough, but doable if you build an epoxy mold for it or something.