condensation

[fanjodisfunction]

Please tell me good housekeepers, how do you keep the condensation at bay?

We wake up every morning to puddles of water on our window sills, and we are very consious that we dont want mould. DH has asthma and well its not good for anyone.

Whats the secret?

I don't know but will watch with interest, we're the same. We get mould really quickly too so have to bleach the window sills and the walls around them twice a week. We get mould in the bathroom too, no matter how often I clean it away.
I think it's something to do with heating? We're in an apartment and I find when our neighbours have their heating on the condensation is less. Cooking makes the condensation really bad here.

leave a window open, just a tiny crack. not enough to make the room cold but just enough to ventilate. we used to wake up with the whole window covered in condensation, but now it's just a little along the bottom.

other thing to try is a bowl of uncooked rice left on each window sill. that is supposed to help absorb excess water.

I just replied on your other thread about this.

condensation occurs when the moisture load inside a house is too great.

Basically two ways to deal with it

1. send the moisture outside the house (ventilation)

2. reduce the moisture load. The most common cause of condensation, damp and mould in UK houses is people who drape wet washing around the house or over radiators. Wet washing contains vast amounts of water, you might as well throw mugfulls at the walls.

thanks peeps, I have been taking notes, I also posted this in chat.
We have come up with a plan to keep the window open in the bathroom, drying the washing either in that room or when its sunny out on the balcony. Also the put all windows on vent during the day and when we come in from work, closing them and then having the heating on in the evenings, even if it is on low.

thanks again.

an extractor fan in the bathroom would be a big improvement.

see here

get a dehumidifer. they really work so well

dehumidifier

We had puddles of water too, even with opening the windows a lot and drying outside when we can. Now usually no condensation at all. Cheaper than fitting an extractor I would have thought and you can move it from room to room depending on need.

I bet the running costs of an extractor fan, at 50 hours for about 10p, are lower than the running costs of your dehumidifier.

But fitting an extractor fan is not as simple or cheap is it. ie take out of box, plug in.

Can't remember how much leccy ours uses tbh but its not much.

you might have to pay someone to fit it for you. How much did your dehumidifier cost to buy?

more than this cheap fan, I bet

was it more than this fantasically powerful loft-mounted one?

Sorry didn't realise it was a competition.

It was a christmas present from my mum so I don't know but I do know it has solved our condensation problem. Plus being portable is a bonus for me.

We too have a dehumidifier. Much more efficient than the extractor fans in the bathrooms. Also portable. We tend to keep it in the utility room and dry the washing in their.
Does not take much electric... Does not register on the electric use meter thingy that British gas gave us.
So if it is a competition, dehumidifiers win hands down. :-)