Huge condensation in the bathroom, what to look..?

sujsuj

Norman_Castle said:

Hopefully the fan is normally fitted to the ceiling and not hanging down as pictured. 2-3 minutes over run isn't long enough, is there any adjustment on the fan? If so try 10-15 minutes. The peeling paint could be from poor preparation such as not cleaning the walls before painting or from using standard emulsion. Its now failing due to the excess condensation.

How long is the teenager showering for? Longer showers create more condensation.

"Other doubt I have is about the bathroom paint, its not seems to absorb any water.."

What?

"Other doubt I have is about the bathroom paint, its not seems to absorb any water.."

i mean...in the second bathroom paint is not pealing off and bathroom with issue paint seems to be glossy.  other bathroom paint is matt finish and it absorbs some moisture ...???

BTW how do I adjust timer of this type fan..? currently it work for 5 min after light off...

Bendy_House

sujsuj said:

Norman_Castle said:

Hopefully the fan is normally fitted to the ceiling and not hanging down as pictured. 2-3 minutes over run isn't long enough, is there any adjustment on the fan? If so try 10-15 minutes. The peeling paint could be from poor preparation such as not cleaning the walls before painting or from using standard emulsion. Its now failing due to the excess condensation.

How long is the teenager showering for? Longer showers create more condensation.

"Other doubt I have is about the bathroom paint, its not seems to absorb any water.."

What?

Its a shower light extractor fan kit..I removed it to seal duct around the light firmly with tape fearing thats what causing this issue..I will it back after that. Extractor fan switches off 5 min after light off. need to see how can I adjust this. 
I checked loft and its kit with fan in the middle duct to both ends, one end of duct to bath/shower around light other end to outside. see pic from loft.

Surely paint issue is due to condensation. Bubbles appears in the wall and paint peals off.

Yes, the paint is being affected by the large amount of condensation forming on the coldest surfaces - the walls. This could be due to the silk paint not having been applied correctly (surface underneath not prep'd fully, for example), or simply because the silk paint has been overwhelmed by the amount of damp.

From what you describe about the wet surfaces, it's as likely to be the latter.

5 minutes overrun should be ok, but it's clear that the fan just isn't coping in 'real time'; whilst you cannot expect zero condensation whilst it's running - mirrors will almost certainly fog, and walls might be a bit damp in places - an effective fan should be able to prevent walls from running with water, or from droplets forming!

Yes, the situation can also be improved by adding insulation to the walls, but that's a big task. A simpler version could be to adhere wall panels to the walls - the poly type with air gaps in them, whilst not being the strongest, might well add a useful level of insulation, will/should reduce condensation, and will certainly be waterproof - ie they won't be affected by any condensation that still forms. That could be a relatively cheap solution (in conjunction with a better fan), and you might even prefer the finish.

The overrun timer will almost certainly be inside that fan unit, near where the cable goes in. Make sure it's FULLY isolated before opening. Check the ducting run for kinks. Test the inlet using a piece of bog-paper - it should be sucked positively up to the grill, perhaps from a half or one inch away.

With the light fitting detached as in your pic, the extraction should actually be at its max. So, if it doesn't keep the room pretty clear without that partial restriction in place, then I think you should be looking at a more powerful fan. Check watts and cubic metres per whatsit. And try and straighten the ducting as much as possible, but recover it in loft insulation afterwards.

sujsuj

Maskface said:

I had condensation and peeling paint in my bathroom caused when the previous tenant painted the walls with a silk finish which attracted the moisture. As soon as I painted over it with Matt emulsion the moisture stopped clinging to the walls. 

Yes, here I feel condensation is on a water proof paint, glossy paint. Other bath seems to have more matt finish

koalakoala

You must heat the bathroom also

sujsuj

Emmia said:

I'd also crack open the window(can you open and lock it slightly open) it will really halp reduce the humidity and dampness, although I realise it's less than ideal with the road

road and cold both will not help in this...Asking a teen to open window after using shower is pointless. 

sujsuj

Bendy_House said:

Hi SS.

I think the solution has been outlined by others - you need a FAR more effective fan running in that bathroom, and for a LOT longer.

The part dangling from the ceiling - is that just a light, or does it also contain the fan? Especially if the latter, I bet that's an asthmatic model at best, with a pitiful little fan that wouldn't blow out a candle. Are there other lights in the bathroom (please say 'yes')? If so, dedicate that unit to being purely an extractor - lose the light fitting that is just restricting the inlet.

Got access to the loft above? Cool - consider an in-line fan as these can often be more powerful. Choose a beast. Fit one that causes panic in toupee-wearers. Seriously consider going 5", and have just a grill in the ceiling. Yes, the outlet vent will likely be 4", but - if you cannot replace that too - just reduce it down to that size as close to the outlet as possible. Check the ducting - is it fully open? No sharp bends? Not partially collapsed?

And have it on a timer. Or humidistat. Or both.

Silk emulsion is usually more resistant to moisture, so the fact that 'silk' is peeling speaks of the sheer volume of 'wet' in that room. 'Matt' isn't going to sort that problem - only extracting the condensation will do that. You might, tho', want to consider 'proper' bathrooms paints, as i suspect they are more resilient?

I checked loft and its kit with fan in the middle duct to both ends, one end of duct to bath/shower around light other end to outside. see above pic from loft.

How do I change timer, I can see a box near fan is that one to open or its just for power..?

FreeBear

sujsuj said:

Emmia said:

I'd also crack open the window(can you open and lock it slightly open) it will really halp reduce the humidity and dampness, although I realise it's less than ideal with the road

road and cold both will not help in this...Asking a teen to open window after using shower is pointless. 

It is also self defeating, especially during the winter. Open a window, and you let cold air in which lowers the temperature of the room. Cold air will not hold as much moisture, so it has to drop out of the air. Usually on any surface that is a little cooler (i.e. walls & windows). As a result, you get a build up of moisture.. Heat the room up, and the air has a greater capacity to hold moisture and it can be sucked out by the fan.

BTW The flexi ducting you have in the loft has kinks & bends in it. this will restrict the air flow. If you can straighten the runs and smooth out the kinks, it will improve the performance of the fan. Even better if you could replace it with rigid smooth bore ducting with the minimum of bends. But I appreciate that this may not be possible.

sujsuj

BTW The flexi ducting you have in the loft has kinks & bends in it. this will restrict the air flow. If you can straighten the runs and smooth out the kinks, it will improve the performance of the fan.

good point, will do that to see any difference. Thanks

Bendy_House

In a room that suffers from condensation, silk paint (or proper 'kitchen/bathroom's paint), is chosen because it IS more waterproof and is better able to cope with the formed damp. It's an added protective layer.

Silk paint is NOT the 'cause' of these condensation issues. Yes, it might well 'show up' the formed condensation more than Matt would, but Matt paint in your bathroom would soon run in to problems being that wet, and would also almost certainly peel in places, form mould (as it would remain damp for longer), and generally get very messed up.

Matt wall paint is not 'designed' to absorb this moisture and reduce running condensation; it might 'do' that to some degree, and kid you it's better, but the paint will suffer very quickly.

The 'solution' is to extract that 'steam'. (Or insulate your walls. Or really heat up the bathroom.) The first is the 'cure'.

If this happens only with your son, then perhaps he needs to reduce shower times too?

Bendy_House

Either on the wall outside the bathroom, or sitting close to the fan, will be an isolator - a large switch. This 'should' fully isolate the fan, but DO also turn off the power at your CU, and TEST the leccy terminals as dead before proceeding.

The timer will almost certainly be in the actual fan unit.

Note down the model number, and check its spec. See what more powerful models you can go for. Consider 5". Consider losing the light fitting. Sort the ducting. This could include upgrading to 5". 

Let us know the model.