Is your heating ON or OFF?

CapricornLass

Can I ask a question?

We used to have the heating on only in the evenings when we came home from work,  and switched it off at night.  However, we also started having tremendous problems with condensation and mould.  We got a specialist damp surveyor in, and one of his recommendations was that the house was kept at 18C as a minimum all the time.  We have followed his advice and it has helped.

As many of you are only just switching the heating on now, how are you dealing with these issues in your houses?

SuzeQStan

CapricornLass said:

Can I ask a question?

We used to have the heating on only in the evenings when we came home from work,  and switched it off at night.  However, we also started having tremendous problems with condensation and mould.  We got a specialist damp surveyor in, and one of his recommendations was that the house was kept at 18C as a minimum all the time.  We have followed his advice and it has helped.

As many of you are only just switching the heating on now, how are you dealing with these issues in your houses?

Good question - we have a window Hoover for condensation.  And have a dehumidifier.  I wipe round the window sills regularly as well and open windows for 15 minutes every day whatever the weather.

Mee

Re: condensation
I ventiliate as much as possible. My AM routine is to open affected windows if necessary and wipe away condensation. I do some as soon as I wake up which may be as early as 05:00 especially where I have plants (to keep pests at bay) and others after I've washed and dressed. Most of my windows do have vents which I keep open.


I only have mould on my grouting in the bathroom (near taps) which I need to address.

I put on the central heating in some rooms for the first time this morning just long enough for me to wash and dress, otherwise it is off all day.

Skint_yet_Again

Suze how long do you run your dehumidifier and at what humidity do you set it? Do you find it makes a difference? 

SuzeQStan

Hey SYA - we are new to our dehumidifier - have it set at 50% on ‘smart mode’ 24/7 at the moment.  The house feels warmer and seems to heat up more quickly (probably wishful thinking on my part 🤣).  Going to decrease the running time though to reduce energy costs though I think.

how are you getting on with your dehumidifier?

Skint_yet_Again

My heating is now on during the day when I am home, set at 17’.  I turn the heating off at night before I go to bed and back on about half an hour before I get up. I have a portable thermostat which moves around the house with me. 

I have a dehumidifier in the kitchen. One side of the kitchen is cold and can be 14’ while the other side with the radiator can be 17’. I am having another radiator put in on the cold side to try and even up the temperature. 

Sometimes the dehumidifier turns its condenser off if the temperature drops to 14’. I have thick lined curtains and foil reflectors behind the radiators. Not sure if I should run the dehumidifier all day or what humidity to set it at. I still get a small amount of condensation on my windows. 

Since my dad passed away the unoccupied house insurance insists on heating his house 24/7 set to 15’. There are 2 dehumidifier’s on timers but still there is a small amount of condensation on the windows. I’m thinking of changing the settings but not sure what to. 

Has anyone stopped condensation altogether?

Primrose

Check your outside wallls to ensure no guttering leaks.  This is probably unlikely but if you have a window cleaner who uses poles and your plastic gutterings are elderly there,s always a risk the,poles slip at times and weaker plastic gutters, damaged by age, become cracked and leak water down your external walls.

SuzeQStan

We also have a cold kitchen @Skint_yet_Again - mainly due to awkward underfloor heating.  Our dehumidifier is in there for now and I’m regularly emptying it (18l tank!) but luckily our dehumidifier works at low temperatures.

 Hope the new radiator gives a good solution to the problem.  I reckon most homes have some kind of window condensation this time of year - I know it doesn’t help but you aren’t alone! 

Nelliegrace

I use the economy wash for laundry, but in winter it gets an extra fast spin so it adds less moisture to the air as it dries on the airer in front of the radiator. I turn and move the clothes so they dry quite quickly and put them away as soon as they are dry so they don’t block the heat. 

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks Primrose and Suze 

I’m in a terrace. Roofer has been and done guttering, pointed/ cemented / replaced flashing on the chimney and it has insulation inside. So hopefully the new radiator will do the trick. The dehumidifier says it will work down to 5’ but when it goes down to 14 the defrost light comes on and it stops dehumidifying and starts defrosting. According to the instructions there may be ice on the coils 😳 Anyway sorry don’t mean to go off topic. My heating is definitely on!