Avoiding condensation in such cold weather

kai_lani

I wonder if anyone can help.

I live in a rented all electric flat with storage heaters in main living areas but no heating in kitchen. 20'x10' One long and one short side are external walls.

We have no tumble dryer and use pans with lids to make most efficient use of the cooker heat. The kettle boils like any other.

Despite keeping the window open wide whilst cooking I can't seem to stop the walls from becoming wet through when cooking, or simply making a cup of tea. The cold outside and the same cold inside due to lack of heating in kitchen seems to be causing condensation rather than ventilation. After all cooking I'm having to wipe down walls with towels to avoid a damp problem developing and it's beginning to do my head in.

What can I do that doesn't involve using extra electrical kit in the kitchen?

Thanks for suggestions.

BitterAndTwisted

Heating and ventilation are key. If it's not possible to do either then a dehumidifier will be necessary to prevent mould. Dehumidifiers can either be bought or rented and they don't cost a fortune to run either. Why not hire one from somewhere like HSS for a months and see how you get on? Then you'll know whether buying one makes sense for you. If you're wiping down the walls DO NOT dry any cloths or towels in the same room or you're not dealing with the problem. Maybe try paper towels and chuck them outside.

kai_lani

as I said, I'm trying to ventilate, but the air just seems too still/cold to be effective.

as for the towels, they're dried out in the heated bathroom, the dumped in laundry to be dealt with at the launderette.

dehumidifier's an idea. are they particularly expensive?

kai_lani

oh, and the bathroom's fan ventilated so no worries there

olly300

Do a search for dehumidifiers generally and you should come up with some prices.

If the kitchen isn't heated unfortunately there is no way to stop this happening in this weather. I've lived in places with an unheated kitchen or bathroom.

BitterAndTwisted

I have an unheated kitchen of about the same size as the OP also with two external walls. I do get water dripping down the window when cooking if I don't open it but certainly not on the walls. The OP's must be ruddy freezing!

kai_lani

'tis indeed freezing. so cold in fact that OH will only go in between 11am and 3pm.

the thermometer in there says it's about 11d. it took 2 days for a bottle of frozen milk to defrost!!!

kai_lani

olly,

any recommendations on dehumids? quickly looking around, the ones i see seem to need emptying really often, (e.g max draw per day 5.5l, draw container 250ml)
is it best to run all day, or just as needed?

BitterAndTwisted

You can get hold of dehumidifiers which have a hose so it can drain into the sink. My sitting-room thermostat currently reads 10 degrees centigrade, I've no heating on and it does feel chilly but not completely unbearable. Well, not with all the layers I've got on anyway.

kai_lani

don't get me wrong, slippers, wheatbags and hot waterbottles are great. and of course it's an excuse to go to bed earlier...

lounge and bedroom are around 15 with storage heaters on lowest setting - just enough to live responsibly, no worries there at all. just worry a little about the vapour settling onto the walls as it is the room producing most vapour.

richardc1983

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

You can get hold of dehumidifiers which have a hose so it can drain into the sink. My sitting-room thermostat currently reads 10 degrees centigrade, I've no heating on and it does feel chilly but not completely unbearable. Well, not with all the layers I've got on anyway.

Your brave, may I ask how old you are?

10C is very very cold to be sat at a computer... I do worry for people who dont have any heating on.

@ the op... you need to ventilate but you are doing this it seems but due to the cold walls you will find any moisture or steam will condense on the walls much the same way as the windows would.

Can you leave the kitchen door open when you are cooking? Other than that get a dehumidifier, they are cheap enough and dont cost much to run.

At this time of year they should be run all the time, they will also add a little heat into the room as warmish air blows out the front.

It takes moisture out the air much the same as your cold walls are doing but it collects it in a tank, it then heats the air back up but doesnt use elements.

Works on same principal as a fridge, cold inside, warm at the back!

People in this sort of weather leave them on all the time, there is usually an adjustable humidistat on the unit kind of like a thermostat but for moisture that you can adjust so that the unit comes on and off as it needs to so when your cooking it should come on and stay on as long as is needed until moisture is removed.

The do work better if the room they are being used in is warm so try with different rooms and leave internal doors open.

I found this one on argos... http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4250478/Trail/searchtext%3EDEHUMIDIFIER.htm

Cheap and should do the job.

Hope that helps.