Dehumidify a room ?

[Jethro_uk]

Following on from the "Mushrooms growing on wall" thread, we had a roofer inspect, and he found the felt on our storm porch had rotted and water coming down the valley was sloshing through, and getting into the roof behind. Causing the internal wall to get damp - hence mushrooms (cellar cup).

Anyway, roof has been re-timbered, and re-felted, and since he was here, we had him fix our ridge tiles with the roll-fix system.

So what is the best way to ensure we dry the room out properly ? And how long should we wait before redecorating ?

[stuart noble]

Central heating will dry it out quicker than anything. Redecorate in the Spring?

[Tim Watts]

On Friday 29 November 2013 12:31 Jethro_uk wrote in uk.d-i-y:

I got one of these:

to dry out the new screen in a conservatory prior to tiling.

After that I think I will shove it on a timer and leave it there to manage the humidity when there's no heating.

There's a big brother 10litre version.

I'm pretty impressed - in about a day and a half it pulled out about a gallon of water (half a bucket). It has 2 modes - fast and normal. Fast does put out a bit of heat (useful in my case). But it's obviously not as efficient as a heatpump type dehumidifier. However it does work down to 1C which is why I got it.

If you do intend to put it on a timer, get the SIMPLE not the CLASSIC. The CLASSIC has electronic controls and I believe will not just come on in response to mains being applied. The SIMPLE will.

HTH

Tim

[Tim Watts]

On Friday 29 November 2013 13:46 Tim Watts wrote in uk.d-i-y:

^^ screed

[Jethro_uk]

Hmm, I'm very impressed by the reviews. Since we're completely double glazed, we have an ongoing battle with condensation. Particularly in the bedrooms. I wonder how many of these we'd need to keep the whole bungalow dry ?

[meow2222]

If you heat the place, a traditional refrigeration based one would be more efficient and cheaper. If you put one in the centre of the house you might find it gradually does the whole place. I'd be looking for the cause(s) first though.

NT

[Jethro_uk]

Dehumidifier/dp/

The cause is 100% (cheap) double glazing (no trickle vents) including the Front and back doors. Opening windows does eliminate condensation, but is not very popular this time of year !

[RobertL]

you can get ventilators with heat-exchangers in them so the air gets changed but the heat is retained. Vent Axia do them for example.

Robert

[harryagain]

You would be better to get rid of the huimidity at source, eg with cooker hood/shower extract fan.

[Tim Watts]

On Friday 29 November 2013 16:47 harryagain wrote in uk.d-i-y:

I would actually be more efficient to use a dehumidifier.

Otherwise you are blowing hot air outside and sucking cold in. At least waste heat from the dehumifier unit will go to heating the house.

[Dave Liquorice]

+1

The damp deep in the struture can only move through so fast, a dehumidifier might increase the "moisture gradient" a bit. I have my doubts that it will have much effect on the drying rate of a wall in a heated and vaugely ventilated space. The exposed surface of the wall isn't going to get significantly dryer.

Different matter if the space is unheated, like after being flooded and the place has been gutted back to the bricks.

[harryagain]

You don't have these extraction fans running continuously. Unlike a dehumidifier which runs for long periods.

Also by removal at source, the humid ait does not get chance to disperse around the house causing mould problems.

[Gazz]

Do you practice what you preach, and cut out the humidity source that is from the human breathing in the house.