Condensation

lilsis

Hope I'm putting this in the right place. I live in an apartment and at the moment, probably cos of the drop in temp, we have quite a big condensation problem but it's just in the bedroom. So every morning I get up, I squeegee the window catching the water in a superadsobent cloth and wringing it down the sink and I open the window and all the condensation clears. We have an extractor fan in the bathroom though it's pretty crap and take ages to clear all the steam but I always leave it on after a shower until all the steam is clear. I always turn on the extractor fan over the hob when cooking. We do dry our clothes in the apartment but it's in a different room to the bedroom and we have the heating on it there and the window open and there's never any condensation in that room. It's just in the bedroom. So when we go to bed at night there's no condensation in the room and I would have had the window closed in there from when I get home around 5 . But every morning we wake up there's condensation again, and it's not a little, it's quite a lot. Because there's none anywhere else that makes me think that it's just coming from us breathing but shouldn't the vent clear that? I looked at the vent, which by the way is nailed on so can't even get it off handy, and I can hear some noise through it but not as much as I thought I should be able to so is it possible it's blocked with dirt and stuff? Sorry it's been so long, i just wanted to give all the information I have. Any advice is welcome! Thanks.

BryanF

lilsis wrote: »

Hope I'm putting this in the right place. I live in an apartment and at the moment, probably cos of the drop in temp, we have quite a big condensation problem but it's just in the bedroom.

1. So every morning I get up, I squeegee the window catching the water in a superadsobent cloth and wringing it down the sink and I open the window and all the condensation clears.
2. We have an extractor fan in the bathroom though it's pretty crap and take ages to clear all the steam but I always leave it on after a shower until all the steam is clear. I always turn on the extractor fan over the hob when cooking.
3. We do dry our clothes in the apartment but it's in a different room to the bedroom and we have the heating on it there and the window open and there's never any condensation in that room. It's just in the bedroom.
4. So when we go to bed at night there's no condensation in the room and I would have had the window closed in there from when I get home around 5 . But every morning we wake up there's condensation again, and it's not a little, it's quite a lot.
5. Because there's none anywhere else that makes me think that it's just coming from us breathing but shouldn't the vent clear that?
6. I looked at the vent, which by the way is nailed on so can't even get it off handy, and I can hear some noise through it but not as much as I thought I should be able to so is it possible it's blocked with dirt and stuff?

Sorry it's been so long, i just wanted to give all the information I have. Any advice is welcome! Thanks.

1. leave the window open at night, problem solved. we breathable out a lot of water vapour in the course of a nights sleep
2. if its crap get your landlord to change it
3. moisture does migrate from room to room
4. as per 1.
5. apartments are notorious for poor air circulation - get your landlord to check the vent - but this may still not be enough ventilation at night, so open the window
6. as per 5.

best of luck with it. we could start talking about how houses are now too well sealed and need whole house mechanical ventilation systems and how the windows U-values are no good and probably have a surface temperature thats to low etc etc. but if your renting open the window...

lilsis

Hey thanks a million. I probably will get the landlord to change that fan and check the vents then. Only thins is it takes him ages to do stuff. So need a temporary solution. We have a dehumidifier plug in dehumidifier, so I was wondering if it's safe to use it at night when we're asleep? I don't like leaving the window open at night because the bed is by the window and then there's a horrible cold breeze on my head! I get sick a lot so that's the last thing I need.

maddragon

Try and get that vent off. They are often blocked with cling film behind the grill. 2 people will give off around 2 litres of water vapour at night so thats where your moisture is coming from. Also, a permavent can be retrofitted to the window frame if the existing vent isn't big enough. If all else fails get the landlord to give you a dehumidifier. The new ones are fairly silent so shouldn't keep you awake. We always have one running especially in the room where we dry clothes. About 10% of the expense of running a tumble dryer...

Sorry just read that you have a dehumidifier. No problem running this when you are asleep but don't set it too high or it may dry out your sinuses too much.

lilsis

Hey thanks. Was chatting to my Dad as well this evening (he's a jack of all trades) and he said it's probably the vent as well so I'll try and get it off, just hope I can get it on again! I'll work with the dehumidifier then until I can get that vent off! What is a permavent though and where would I go about looking for one?

maddragon

A permavent is a thin strip of a vent that is on top of the window frame and can be opened or closed with a small lever. A window company will be able to install one for you. They work well because the vent is in the area where you expect moist warm air to condense ie. the window frame and glass.