Steamy Windows / Dehumidifier Advice Please

[loonyl]

Open your bathroom door?

 

Put sponges at the bottom of the windows?

 

Liam

 

[ 25. October 2002, 01:56 AM: Message edited by: loonyl ]

[Richard Harvey]

Thanks for the replys so far Guys ! This what i wanted to get , lots of different thoughts, I'm just trying to sort through them now and work out whats the best solution.

firstly it's the whole house that is the problem, upstairs at the moment and as it gets colder outside then the downstairs windows too.

I have double glazed sealed units in wooden frames but like i said they don't have the trickle vent slots like the newer double glazing.

The bathroom window gets opened for a while after showers or baths, the kitchen window gets opened when cooking.

Newt , i know if i used a De-Humidifier on full bore then i would probably wake up dried like a prune but some of the models i have seen have a dial that you can set the humidity level by % . Also as you say hot air holds less water than colder air then i guess as the air in my house is heated then it has to give up some of it's water and it does it on the colder window glass and frames, my thinking is that if a dehumidifier removes a percentage of the water first then there will be less to condence on the windows so it will ease it to some extent :confused:

Some of you have said about moving air around,do you mean circulate or ventilate to the outside air ?

I have thermostatically controlled central heating with thermostat valves on the upstairs rads.The heating is not on between 11pm and 6am as there temp is comfortable enough without in on.

I guess 5 adult sized persons ( i still haven't matured ) and a dog must put out a lot of moist air.

I thought i would get just a few replys about peoples experiences with dehumidifiers but i'm finding the other help interesting too.

Thanks ,Richard.

[Newt]

Richard - I think if you had fans moving the air around slowly, your moisture problems would largely go away.

 

Ideal IMO are the large ceiling fans that will move a good amount of air even when running on a very slow speed. They offer the additional benefit of moving the warmest air in the room from the ceiling where it isn't helping you down toward the occupied part of the room.

 

And if you have lots of condensate on double-glazed windows, they aren't right somehow. The inner surface shouldn't be enough colder than the room to cause what you are seeing.

[davidP]

Something you probably don't know Newt - it is illegal to have an electric wall socket in the bathroom in the UK (unless it's a special one for razors). My wife couldn't understand it when she moved over here, until I pointed out that 240 volts in the bathroom with all that water probably wasn't a good idea.

[Jim Roper]

Richard Harvey:

I have thermostatically controlled central heating with thermostat valves on the upstairs rads.

Are your radiators under the windows?

 

Jim Roper

[chesters1]

Something you probably don't know Newt - it is illegal to have an electric wall socket in the bathroom in the UK (unless it's a special one for razors). My wife couldn't understand it when she moved over here, until I pointed out that 240 volts in the bathroom with all that water probably wasn't a good idea.

 

so to use an electric fire that you balance on the side of the bath an extension lead is reconmended

[Newt]

davidP - that particular picture probably wasn't a very good one to have used since it does show a long, external cord for the fan.

 

Much more common is a fan wired in the ceiling to a line leading to a wall plate / switch.

 

As to bathroom wall outlets, it looks like a circuit with a GFI (ground fault interrupt) fitting either in the bathroom outlet or at the circuit breaker panel would give enough protection.

 

I know the present US building code requires one or the other for new bathroom and kitchen wall outlets. Granted, we are only dealing with 120V current for most of the house but even with 240V the things trip quickly enough to avoid harm.

 

[ 26. October 2002, 01:06 AM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[loonyl]

Coz heat rises

I'd close all upper room doors during the day

then at night,

keep all upper rooms closed &

open the letter box & leave all lower doors open.

 

If that doesn't clear it,

leave the upper doors open at night too.

 

Bet that'll work

 

Liam

[chris]

Hi richard.If u get a dehumidifier and it works ,let me know please and i'll buy one.I suffer the same problems as you and also get condensation on some of my walls(when its really freezing).I have real doubts if one machine can cope with keeping the whole house clear though,hence never having bought one.Certainly air circulation is a main cause,if you have chimney breast's with no vents then vent them>(I cant cause they have been removed).Unfortunatly the more you insulate,and the higher the heating temp and colder outside temp,so the problem gets worse.I have found that having the heating on for longer periods at lower temps helps somewhat,but still have to mop up the windows in the mornings. :mad: chris

[Nugg]

Dehumidifiers do work but can be expensive to run on a continuous basis, plus the noise.

The black mould can be avoided by not opening the window in the damp atmosphere, I had this advice some time ago and it works, begger the fresh air, I don't like decorating either.