Condensation issues

[gaz1]

from the pics its the left side outside wall

the first door pic this is a point of change of air from the house it will also catch the most heat change from warm to cold ( heat rises the rooms cold and therefore you get a swap of air at the doorway ) you can see the line from the doorway across the wall to the window they should be more discolour of the matt paint there due to the air in the rest of the house



2nd pic same wall left side of the bath



from what i can see theres not enough radiator heat within that room other than the towel radiator and that isnt enough to heat that size of bathroom ( that means the room is cold )

the walls will soak up any high heat when the shower or bath is in use and will pull in the damp air into the walls ( change in air temp )

the wall above the bath itself i recognise it to a degree as the roof with eaves outside wall is there any damp discolour to that wall at all ?

you fit trickle vents into that window it will make that room colder as the air will change more due to being sucked out via the shower fan hole as heat rises it causes more air changes unless its vent blocked to the outside to stop the suction from happening ( a second radiator in that room will be needed ) a vent closer when the fan is not in use

 

[Blue Chips]

Wall surface temperature is falling below the dewpoint of the air in the bathroom. The solid walls are probably the main issue but, if you can't do anything about those, then heating the room is one option, and removing the moist air is another (or both in combination). Is the bathroom close to the kitchen, or is there a clothes dryer/airer kept nearby?

ventilation will help ,,, in any and every form , overrun on fan is a must at the minimum , its just a product of surfaces being colder than others ,,, its a pain and the persistent problem with rentals , tenants wont ventilate as its letting the heat out and so it starts

My spouse likes to take really long, hot showers, and right after we bought our current home in Brunswick, Maine, it was always like a steam bath when she showered, and there was a lot of condensation dripping down the walls, mirror, window, etc. I removed the old extraction fan and installed one with about three times the airflow capacity, and it made a huge reduction in condensation. Now, there's only a little condensation on the top of the mirrors after she showers, and none at all after I shower. When I replaced the fan, I also installed a larger-diameter duct, and the new fan is quieter than the old cheap one that the original builder had installed. The fan has its own switch, so I can leave it on as long as I want. I should probably install a timer switch for it, although it usually doesn't have to stay on very long after a shower to do its job.

If a fan has to force the exhaust air through a long duct, especially if it's convoluted or of inadequate size, its effective airflow is going to be reduced considerably. For the upstairs bathroom that I'm currently building in our 'project' house in Alna, Maine, I installed a through-the-wall fan, partly to eliminate any ducting and related losses or problems, but also because it was a simple installation...and it's a very quiet fan. You can see the large vent hood in this photo. (BTW, since this picture was taken, we've applied another coat of paint to the house and attached a storm window to the large bathroom window, which helps maintain the historic look of the house and should be almost as effective as double glazing. The small window is the shower window. I hope to complete this bathroom in the next few weeks and will post a few photos).

 

[OJCar]

why dont you keep out of it if you have nothing better to say

there was no need to have a dig or have to say something from another post of mine and certainly not on a post that has nothing to do with the subject

instead of bullying and taking the p*** out of a member or could i claim that you are a second account holder on the forum to cause trouble via another account

why arnt you doing something about this then wazaaah as it is against the forum rules that you are actively allowing this to happen, for a forum admin dont you think you should do something about it ?

i can take a joke but some members are actively trying to intimidate, bully, goad members into losing there cool

I suggest you select Ignore.
I have.

 

[Gareth J]

My spouse likes to take really long, hot showers, and right after we bought our current home in Brunswick, Maine, it was always like a steam bath when she showered, and there was a lot of condensation dripping down the walls, mirror, window, etc. I removed the old extraction fan and installed one with about three times the airflow capacity, and it made a huge reduction in condensation. Now, there's only a little condensation on the top of the mirrors after she showers, and none at all after I shower. When I replaced the fan, I also installed a larger-diameter duct, and the new fan is quieter than the old cheap one that the original builder had installed. The fan has its own switch, so I can leave it on as long as I want. I should probably install a timer switch for it, although it usually doesn't have to stay on very long after a shower to do its job.

If a fan has to force the exhaust air through a long duct, especially if it's convoluted or of inadequate size, its effective airflow is going to be reduced considerably. For the upstairs bathroom that I'm currently building in our 'project' house in Alna, Maine, I installed a through-the-wall fan, partly to eliminate any ducting and related losses or problems, but also because it was a simple installation...and it's a very quiet fan. You can see the large vent hood in this photo. (BTW, since this picture was taken, we've applied another coat of paint to the house and attached a storm window to the large bathroom window, which helps maintain the historic look of the house and should be almost as effective as double glazing. The small window is the shower window. I hope to complete this bathroom in the next few weeks and will post a few photos).

View attachment 399887

I really like the shower window. I occasionally resent the fact that, behind the mirror in my ensuite is great view that's not overlooked.

 

[Blue Chips]

I really like the shower window. I occasionally resent the fact that, behind the mirror in my ensuite is great view that's not overlooked.

Thanks. The little shower window also doubles as a shampoo bottle niche in the shower wall. This is the view through the shower window (photo from last year, with temporary scaffolding visible in the corner). I'm hoping that condensation won't be an issue with the new bathroom. We added extra insulation when we framed it in, and as previously mentioned, the exhaust fan should be more than adequate. We also used mildew-resistant paint on the bathroom walls and ceiling.

 

[gaz1]

most houses ive seen with your type of bathroom have the damp over the bath area closest to the roof ceiling

it really catches mold and damp there

fitting vents will reduce the damp issue due to alot of air changes within that room but it will make it colder the same can be said with fitting a larger fan to clean the air from the room but any external high up vents will suck air out of the building

fitting another radiator will make that room warmer also reducing the damp issue as the walls wont suck the warmth in as much

if you paint on thompsons water seal you wont beable to paint it for 2 years

 

[gaz1]

If the condensation is really bad you could consider whistling up a Hydrafoil.

I suggest you select Ignore.
I have.

whilst your second post on this thread was not only inappropiate to what was asked, it was also childish to drag the reference of hydrafoil from another forum post
your intention was against the forum rules

Forum Rules

you was trolling

 

[drjim]

Single room MVHR through the wall
e.g.

BPC Ventilation: Heat Recovery Systems | Home Ventilation System

We are the leading independent suppliers and designers of heat recovery systems to domestic and commercial applications suitable for trade or DIY.

www.bpcventilation.com

 

[Gareth J]

One thought that just sprang to mind, considering the current well presented state of your room; anti condensation paint. Not the anti fungal, liquid additive, the one with little glass spheres.

Sounds like snake oil, but I have read real life reviews suggesting noticeable improvements. About your only wall option, without retiling anyway.

Maybe that, with a room fan heater used when showering, to raise just the very inner surfaces of the wall's temperature a bit would keep condensation from forming - on the painted bits at least.

 

[Welderpaul]

One thought that just sprang to mind, considering the current well presented state of your room; anti condensation paint. Not the anti fungal, liquid additive, the one with little glass spheres.

Sounds like snake oil, but I have read real life reviews suggesting noticeable improvements. About your only wall option, without retiling anyway.

Maybe that, with a room fan heater used when showering, to raise just the very inner surfaces of the wall's temperature a bit would keep condensation from forming - on the painted bits at least.

The anticon stuff?

 

[Shox Dr]

The simple answer is more ventilation.

Painting the walls and ceiling or covering them, will NOT get rid of the humid air. It will move the problem somewhere else.

Ventilate
Ventilate
Ventilate

 

[Newlands]

I use a Karcher window vacuum to remove as much water as I can from the shower enclosure and tray every use. Wet towels are put straight in the washing machine, or hung on a line outside on a good day. Then open the window and leave the fan on for 10-15 minutes. There is also a heated towel rail which gets left on most of the time (I don’t had a rad in the bathroom as we have electric storage heating). It doesn’t take long for the room to dry out completely, maybe 5-10 minutes. The fan is ceiling mounted of course (water vapour is lighter than dry air).

 

[Gareth J]

The anticon stuff?

Was thinking of a mix in additive. Sure there are loads of options and I've not tried it but something like this;

Microceramix 450gr Additive Painting Insulation Thermal Anti Mold Microspheres 8058964996817 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Microceramix 450gr Additive Painting Insulation Thermal Anti Mold Microspheres at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

The simple answer is more ventilation.

Painting the walls and ceiling or covering them, will NOT get rid of the humid air. It will move the problem somewhere else.

Ventilate
Ventilate
Ventilate

Increasing ventilation alone won't be sufficient. If you ventilate to the maximum, wall temperature=outside air temperature. That's fine, when the weather is warm and dry. But, in winter, could result in wall temperatures of 5C or lower. They'll condense out steamy shower vapour for fun and you have water running down the walls.

Need to try to keep the surfaces warm, by minimising ventilation and increasing heating when air inside is relatively dry, then, when there's a lot of moisture about, ventilate, to let airborne vapour out and to let wetted surfaces (that are hopefully now warm) dry off and the evaporated water out. Ideally, before the increased ventilation cools surfaces too much, the majority of water has left the building and you can again reduce ventilation and increase temperature.

Again, you can greatly reduce the ventilation burden by squeegeeing and wiping surfaces that will be wet. We did not scrape/wipe our shower last night, the Humidistat controlled fan was running most of the night. Normally, once the shower is dried manually, it stops straight away.

 

[gaz1]

Maybe that, with a room fan heater used when showering, to raise just the very inner surfaces of the wall's temperature a bit would keep condensation from forming - on the painted bits at least.

i wouldnt advise a fan heater due to steam and water is present within a bathroom

heater elements still exist in bathrooms most have been taken out some have replaced with infa red heater elements instead

wet underfloor heating is a good option so is electric until it goes faulty for keeping the bathroom tiles warm therefore youve created a heat store within your tiles

walls are different but they still do warm up when you have central heating on even tiled walls heat up a little but they do retain cold rather well

 

[brightspark]

2kw wall pull chord fan heaters are suitable for bathrooms and heat up real quick

 

[Gareth J]

i wouldnt advise a fan heater due to steam and water is present within a bathroom

A wall mounted one, obviously!

Winterwarm WWDF20E Wall-Mounted Fan Heater 2000W 229 x 242mm - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Downflow fan heater with pull-cord operation. Provides rapid warmth and adjustable heat output at installation. Once activated runs for 30 mins before turning itself off. Can be stopped sooner or reactivated by pulling cord again. Plastic and steel construction...

www.screwfix.com

 

[brightspark]

you can pick em up from toolstation for 30 quid

 

[MattF]

2kw wall pull chord fan heaters are suitable for bathrooms and heat up real quick

I have one in my bathroom. It's been there at least 4 year, & still works fine.

 

[dave h 2]

And the report someone had done:

View attachment 399813View attachment 399814

Funny how the chalk flat matt is pulling moisture and therefore bad.
Diatoms that absorb (pulling) moisture is good.
The mould is not damp related, but we'll seal the outside walls.

Are the boards in the roof space above insulated?
I had a boarded roof (flattened ammo boxes so the labels said) filled with blown cellulose fibre back in the 80's, that's newspaper to you blown under the boards. These days Poly beads or wool are used same as cavity walls.

 

[Welderpaul]

Calling the electricalisists.. @sparkysy @brightspark

Not sure why anyone would wire a fan like this but we have got what we have got.

The model of fan in there does have a timer (A Manrose QF100TX5) but it only has a switched live feed. Switch on, fan on....switch off, fan off.

Trying to pull a new 3 core from the switch to the fan is doable, but will mean chasing which i don't want to do. This would let me use the existing fan.

Alternatively I can fit a humidity fan (another Manrose so it fits the same hole/screw centres etc) and alter the wiring so the fan feed comes from the common rather than L1 and is therefore a permanent live. Do humidity fans just require a permanent live - its hard to make out from generic Manrose data?

..or is there another way?