How to fix a steamy bathroom?

[HahaHarrie]

The bathroom in the house we recently moved into gets very steamy. There is no heating in the room, the towel rail looks like it should be heated but as far as we can tell it isn't attached to anything. We open the fanlight window letting in a lot of cold air but makes little difference to the bathroom being engulfed in steam. Everything is covered in condensation, especially the mirror which is a real pain and takes awhile to clear even with the window open. We need to be careful when opening the bathroom door so the escaping steam doesn't set off the smoke alarm on the landing. I'm on top of the cleaning but I'm also worried about mould.

Any idea how to fix it? Would one of those heat and fan light combinations do the trick?

Thanks.

If the only openable window is a fan light then you need an extractor fan.

The best extractors are mounted above the ceiling, in the loft, with a duct to take the steam away and through the wall or eaves.

A cheap weedy fan has an extract rate of about 80 cu metres per hour, which is adequate if you have baths and leave the fan running for extended periods, but not enough if you have hot showers.

Yes, get a decent extractor fan fitted, which is set to come on with the light and last a few minutes after the light's turned off. Or you can get moisture controlled extractor fans which will come on any time it's steamy. Even if you can't do the loft set up that Piglet mentions, a decent extractor fan will still make a big difference. You can get quiet ones that still have power - see the quietmark website.

If the bathroom is cold, you might also want to replace the towel rail with an electric heated rail or radiator that you can switch on when you use the room (or get one plumbed in to go on with your heating, but that will be a lot more hassle).

Thank you so much. Any idea if installing an extractor fan is a big job/expensive? In the next 6 months we are having a some renovation work done so maybe I'll add it to the list.

Installing an extractor fan is not at all a big job. A core drill can make a 110mm round hole in a wall for the duct, the rest of it is just electrical work. Use rigid duct not flexible, and slope it slightly so that condensation runs outside.

Look for an extractor of about 240 cu metres per hour capacity. A ducted inline fan in the loft, coming on with the light switch. It is very quiet.

As for heat, if you have a hot water cylinder in or adjacent to the bathroom, a plumber can easily add a radiator off the primary pipes. It will need a thermostatic valve. Towel rails emit little heat, and next to none when they are lagged with a thick insulating layer of towels.

Brill, thanks!