V bad condensation in bathroom

[CrabappleCake]

Live in north west so usually cold, damp and wet outside so leaving window open seems counterintuitive.

Water running Dow walks after shower or bath.

We've got a heated towel rail that comes on with the central heating for a couple of hours in the morning and in the evening.

A fan but it's ten years old.

It's an old Victorian house with a big north facing window and an unoccupied house next door so no heat from there.

Do we need to open window more, get a higher powered fan, leave the towel rail on all the time? Some combination of the above..

[wowfudge]

Change the fan - modern ones are more powerful and quieter, don't just buy a really cheap one - and use it. It needs to run for around twenty minutes after someone has had a shower.

Is the ceiling above insulated? That will make a difference because the moisture from a shower will condense on the coldest surface(s) in the room.

Is the heated towel rail a radiator of the right output to heat the room or just a towel rail? If it's a radiator, take the towels off it and give it the chance to heat the room as that should reduce the condensation. Consider replacing it with a normal radiator as towel rails are not very good at heating more than what is draped on them.

[borntobequiet]

Get a dehumidifier ASAP as others will come and tell you.

[FinallyDecidedOnUserName]

@borntobequiet is right. I’ve always had
at least 1 dehumidifier - they’ll do the trick.

[Humptynumpty02]

We've recently had our bathroom refitted, however we still get pretty bad condensation on the single pane window we still have (replacing it next year). We have an extraction fan on but use an absorber to suck up the rest if the condensation and it works really well. We use this.

www.wilko.com/insulation/unibond-aero-360-moisture-absorber-450g/invt/0286745

[Sallylondon]

But if you just open your window wide for ten minutes after your shower, you wouldn’t have to faff with any of these fans or dehumidifiers.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

I open the window in the summer and faff with fans and window vacs in the winter. Window is quicker (I have very geekily used a humidity gauge and timed it) and cheaper but then dh complains that the bathroom is freezing.

[Harvestmoonsobig]

We had a dehumidifier that was installed in the attic. It was brilliant. Noticeable that clothes drying inside took less than 24 hours to dry and air. Downside, even though it was on the lowest setting, I had dry eyes with it. But that disadvantage outweighed the benefits.

[borntobequiet]

Opening the window doesn't always work, especially when it's cold and wet outside.
If I opened my bathroom window at this time of year half of my house would become so cold as to be very uncomfortable (very old house).
My dehumidifier pulls astonishing amounts of water from the air. I've recommended a dehumidifier to a number of people and they now wouldn't be without one. Anyone who dries clothes indoors on radiators could do with one, the water of course simply goes into the air, causing condensation, and makes the house more expensive to heat as you are warming up all that water vapour as well.

[ihatethecold]

Just ordered one of those Wilko’s contraptions. My bathroom is a nightmare in winter. I think my extractor fan is useless.

[FinallyDecidedOnUserName]

Bit of a tangent here but I keep a sock filled with cat litter in my car - used to get awful condensation in it but now - absolutely none.

[OhSoTotallyLost]

I use a karcher window vac on as many surfaces in the bathroom as possible after every shower then leave the window open as long as possible. Since using it on the shower walls etc and not just the window it’s made a huge difference. I have also just bought a dehumidifier but that’s more for the bedroom where we dry clothes but I leave the bathroom door open when it’s running just to get rid of the excess moisture.

[johnd2]

We are exactly the same, summer it clears with the window open, winter the walls are running literally.
We have a terrible fan a about eye level next to the window.
In winter the dehumidifiers is like magic, leave it in the room, door closed for an hour or two. The window drops the humidity whether it's summer or winter but the surfaces don't dry in winter due to lack of insulation and cold room.
We've noticed that above the fan and window is like a cloud but below is not so bad.
We have just fitted a plinth heater connected to the central heating to warm it up which should help, and also we've bought but not fitted a more powerful fan which will have a grille in the ceiling above the shower rather than elsewhere at low level.

[SilverSpot]

How do you plug in the dehumidifier in your bathroom?

[ijustwannadance]

Like PP, the karcher window vac is great for condensation. If you do all tiles and walls after bath or shower, it only takes a minute and you'll be shocked at how much water you collect.

[borntobequiet]

Silver, I run the lead under the bathroom door to a socket outside.

[TroelsLovesSquinkies]

We put extractor fans that come on with the light. Then they carry on running or 10 mins after the light goes off. The house is much warmer and no more wet bathroom walls.

[ihatethecold]

I bought a moisture absorber from Home Bargains yesterday for £3.50. It’s a revelation.
When I showered last night the walls stayed completely dry.

[BoutrosBoutros]

I just got a dehumidifier and it's amazing. We live in an old damp house and I'd get up every day and Kartcher the windows, mess about with window opening etc. It's a decent sized 4 bed house but just got a Meaco 10l model - within 24 hours of turning it on there was no more condensation upstairs. Can't get over what a difference it's made.

[johnd2]

As above we just plug the dehumidifier in outside the bathroom and it only just stretches to get the unit in the room and the door closed (ISH)
You could get a switched fuse unit like you do for wall mounted heaters and boilers fitted in your bathroom, and connect it to that, but then it becomes harder if you need to move it elsewhere in your house eg drying washing.

[DOLLYDAYDREAMER]

Having any type of electrical item plugged in inside a bathroom is illegal and very dangerous. it doesnt matter that it is plugged in outside. It if it is possible to touch any water ie tap, bath, sink and the item you could get a shock. Things run through fused spur inside bathroom have to be high on wall out of reach from any water so not even above bath unless very high up. You are all taking a very big risk. The way to combat condensation is more heating and better ventalation. If there is no heating in bathroom then put on fan and have door to house ajar

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Dehumidifier all the way. It is the only thing that will quickly suck the water out of the air. The Wilko thing and others like it might help with maintainence but they won't fix the initial problem.

Remember to leave the loo lid down and windows shut when running it.

[78Indigo]

Sounds like you need a PIV ventilation system fitting, makes a huge difference.

[johnd2]

Not sure what @dollydaydreamer is meaning "Having any type of electrical item plugged in inside a bathroom is illegal and very dangerous. it doesnt matter that it is plugged in outside. It if it is possible to touch any water ie tap, bath, sink and the item you could get a shock. Things run through fused spur inside bathroom have to be high on wall out of reach from any water so not even above bath unless very high up. You are all taking a very big risk. "
Every single assertion in the above quote is false!.

[PurplePillowCase]

Opening the window doesn't always work, especially when it's cold and wet outside

simple physics: warn air can hold more moisture than cold air.
when you open the window, as long as the air outside is colder than in, the warm moist air inside will be replaced by colder, dryer air from outside. even when it's raining.

[DOLLYDAYDREAMER]

Johnd2 - It is not assertion or opinion. Its informed advice. www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guides-and-advice/around-the-home/bathroom-safety/
What you do in your own home is up to you but advising others that it is safe is irresponsible.