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Property/DIY

Putting heating in a walk in wardrobe - cold and damp smelling

18 replies

GiraffeNecked · 26/10/2020 06:59

Previous owners put in an en-suite and walk in wardrobe next to each other Bot are v cold in winter and clothes are starting to smell A bit damp.

Wardrobe is probably 150 cm by 250 cm. we are getting the en suite com0letely re done and I wondered about asking the plumbers to run a hot water pipe through the wardrobe as a mini radiator.

Is that a stupid idea? Is there another solution?

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FindMeInTheSunshine · 26/10/2020 07:02

Sounds like a great idea. I'd ask the plumber for his advice as well though, if he's good he'll probably know the best thing to do.

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Pikachubaby · 26/10/2020 07:07

Check if the outside walls of en-suite/wardrobe are actually insulated,

If it’s just brick, it is hard to get rid of the damp as it’ll keep creeping back in through the wall

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FredaFrogspawn · 26/10/2020 07:14

I’d run a de-humidifier for an hour or so a day too.

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GiraffeNecked · 26/10/2020 07:25

It’s a 1908 stone wall, v v thick. No insulation, they are putting insulation in the en suite...

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Pikachubaby · 26/10/2020 07:47

If you can’t insulate the wardrobe, you need really good ventilation (into your bedroom) + some kind of heater/dehumidifier (but the steam/humidity needs to be able to go somewhere)

Damp is such a bad smell

I have a few built in cupboards against thick brick wall (conservatory) and have just given up tbh, I put dehumidifying boxes in there and would pull out pints of water in a week or 2, could not get on top of it

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Loofah01 · 26/10/2020 08:41

En-suite requires ventilation plus get some vents put in to the wardrobes. Do your windows have trickle vents? You can dry line the back of the wardrobe perhaps, it might help a bit but you have to get rid of the moisture build up

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CMOTDibbler · 26/10/2020 08:45

I'd get a dehumidifier and run it on a timer in the wardrobe. It'll make it warmer and less damp

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Alternista · 26/10/2020 08:47

Under floor heating?
But yes, some sort of vent too.

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GiraffeNecked · 26/10/2020 08:49

The windows are single glazed original....they don’t need trickle vents!

En suite will be vented and insulated. Just wondered if a hot water pipe running through the en suite would help. But it might need a vent of some kind too.

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sunshinesupermum · 26/10/2020 13:19

I have a radiator in my airing cupboard so yes it can be done - it doesn't have a vent and I rarely need to put it on. If your ensuite is being redone you may find the problem you currently have will go away.

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PigletJohn · 26/10/2020 20:22

you need a powerful extractor fan in the bathroom, with a timer so it runs on for 20 minutes after you turn the light off. Have you chosen one yet? Will it vent through a duct straight through the wall; or a vent passing above the ceiling that then goes out through the eaves? It can be difficult to core through stone walls.

Have you got a hot-water cylinder, and is it close to the wardrobe?

I might go for a towel-rail or a low radiator in the wardrobe. It can be fitted with a TRV so it does not get too hot.

Do you have solar panels?

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Chumleymouse · 26/10/2020 20:56

Get one of these on a timer ? Only 40 watts , like a lightbulb .

Putting heating in a walk in wardrobe - cold and damp smelling
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Al1langdownthecleghole · 26/10/2020 21:16

We have a walk in cupboard in the corner of our bedroom with two outside north & east facing walls.

I'd say 95% of the year is absolutely fine, but for just a few colder days we tend to leave the light on (old 60w lightbulb) or if really cold we have a small oil filled radiator we put in for a few hours during the day.

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GiraffeNecked · 27/10/2020 08:03

It doesn’t need much. So maybe something like that heater would do.

@PigletJohn the new fan in the family bathroom is going through the roof, we had a velux put in and they put a vent in at the same time. There’s ducting through the roof in the en suite already so they are going to use that. Can’t remember what the fans are but we asked for decent ones on a timer.

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PigletJohn · 27/10/2020 11:49

OK. Ventlation of the bathroom is especially important to remove the water vapour. Provided the bathroom door is kept shut it will draw dry air in through the gap under the door, and steam will not diffuse into the bedroom. If you can identify the fan used I can see how powerful it is.

Modern extractors with ball-bearing motors can be amazingly quiet, especially if they are mounted on a padded board on the loft, so you will not hear them through a solid door. For auditory privacy I recommend a solid core or fire door on an en-suite bathroom. Not a hollow one.

We don't know if you have a hot water cylinder. This is relevant because a towel rail or other heater can be plumbed to come on whenever the cylinder is heated, typically during and after a bath or shower. If you put a towel rail or radiator in the wardrobe, have a TRV on it. Don't dry damp clothes or towels in there.

The tubular heater mentioned is very suitable for keeping a wardrobe or other small area dry. I use one as an anti-frost measure under some pipes in the garage. The one illustrated is listed as having its own thermostat, but due to the low power requirement, pretty well any wall-mounted CH thermostat can be used. A thermostat means it will only run when cold, making it economical. I have solar panels, so it costs nothing in hours of daylight. They are supposed to get no hotter than a teapot, but I'd suggest getting the wire mesh protective cage, as you might not notice if a garment fell on it at the back of the wardrobe. There are various sizes, the longer ones give more heat.

You can also line the wall inside the wardrobe with insulating foam board, and this can be painted or wallpapered to match. Do not have gaps in the insulation as this is where condensation will form.

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Loofah01 · 27/10/2020 11:54

@GiraffeNecked if the moisture source isn't sorted then any additional heating isn't going to sort the damp out, it will just shift it about. Def go with a powerful extractor in the en-suite

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GiraffeNecked · 27/10/2020 12:00

We've got a megaflow... just been fitted.

We are getting TRV's fitted on every radiator.

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GiraffeNecked · 27/10/2020 12:00

No solar. Though we are thinking about it.

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