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

rach_k

Does it help if you run the fan for 10 mins after a shower?  I'd try that just by flicking the lights on and off when it goes off the first time.  If it does, you probably want to sort the problem properly in the long run but it would be a decent short term fix to just tell your teenager to do that after a shower or put something they need in there - hair products, comb, spot cream...

Bendy_House

fenwick458 said:

you need to consider "make up air" into the room too, if you have a closed window and no gap under the door whilst showering, no air will enter the room and that fan won't extract any air

His son might get sophisticated in the shower.

(Sorry, an old Corporal Jones malaprop...)

stuart45

Remember the Victor Meldrew tip. Use a flannel to dry yourself off in the shower,  then the towel doesn't get so wet.

BikingBud

Fans can be an effective measure where there is not enough natural ventilation, and fans can also be constant noise but limited effect.  All of the following if you can build them into a routine will combat the effects:

Keep a heated room, open window slighlty whilst showering, restrict shower time, squeegee walls/window if heavy in water, close window, open bathroom door.

sujsuj

Bendy_House said:

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.

Yes currently water drops appears near window also water condenses and running to floor.

Need to open the unit over weekend to check inside fan area. I must say fan doesn't seems to be making much noise or any vibration, may be showing its low power type..Thanks.

sujsuj

Emmia said:

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. 

A slightly cracked window ALL the time will increase ventilation, reducing the humidity, and dampness in the room, especially if the room is already cold.

Do you shut the door on the steamy shower after it's been used to stop the rest of the house being damp?

Need to keep that door open. Recently only I noticed this issue around teen's bath room. Initially I was fearing if any internal pipe was leaking, then realised its just large scale condensation.

sujsuj

Bendy_House said:

Your son probably won't want the bathroom door ajar whilst showering, but could do this as soon as he steps out at the end? The idea is for a steady through-flow of air, to displace what's in there. There 'should' be enough from a gap under the door (probably the best source), but just in case the door seals too well. 

The single biggest cure tho', is 'extraction', or else that moisture-laden air will remain.

this is my first step  

sujsuj

Norman_Castle said:

sujsuj said:

Flexi pipe to the right of the fan has been flattened to accommodate the loft insulation. Adjust this so its as straight as possible or with minimal sharp bends. Tear the insulation and fit it under the pipe.

I'd suspect that alone could be halving the efficiency of the fan.

Yes this is my second step..

sujsuj

aoleks said:

1. you need a better fan, one that continues extracting until the humidity is gone. we're talking closer to 20 minutes, not 2...
2. when you shower/take a bath, open the window. no fan is strong enough to remove that volume of hot damp.
3. get a window wiper and use after every shower/bath. quickly remove drops from the walls and shower screen/mirror.
4. is the bathroom heated? like a new temperature all round?

Yes central heated but, normally heater is off these days. thanks

sujsuj

Thanks for lots of suggestions...
I am first going to try these to see if that makes any difference..

1. straighten the duct and fix opening around light well
2. Increase timer if I managed to find a way..
3. Keeping door open after use
4. Lowering shower curtain a bit at the top to get more air..??

If none of these make any difference then need to think about a more powerful fans...Thanks all, feedback much appreciated.
Hopefully this weekend, i can do this..