Internal humidity

Sarahspangles

Mary108 said:

Sounds like a great set up, @Sarahspangles 👍 Thank you for sharing.

What type if dehumidifier do you use? Or are they 2 different types?

It’s an EcoAir DD1 Classic Mk 6. The capacity is 7.5L per day, in reality the tank holds 2L and it would be unusual for us to need to empty it more than once a day.  We mainly use the Eco setting, even when there are clothes completing their drying indoors, the Laundry setting is for damp laundry.

OH’s is an older model but going strong after about 12 years.

ThisIsWeird

Mary108 said:

Trying to balance the monthly gas and electric costs and avoid humidity is turning into a bit of a nightmare this year. Time for that malarkey to stop, then

I tend to spend most of my time upstairs. I have a little office/sitting room which I use a lot. The temperature upstairs is usually around 19 C and the humidity is about 67% which is much higher than it has been in the last couple of autumns. As long as it doesn't cause problems, then that humidity level is fine, and is likely to vary depending on the ambient conditions. If it isn't cauing actual problems, then don't worry about it. Heat that room, and that room only, to whatever temp you want. When it's not being used - say overnight - then rad off, and windows cracked open to 'vent' until you next use it.

Downstairs there is a large sitting room which I have tried to heat to about 15 - 17 C. The humidity in this room has shot up and earlier this  morning was 78%   I've cranked up the heating and its 19C in the sitting room now and 72% humidity, but of course, as soon as the heating goes off and the room cools....the humidity rises again! OOokkkaaay, this is the large sitting room you don't even use. So, turn the rads down to '1' or 'frost', crack open every window in that room to 'vent' setting, shut the doors, and forget about it. That room is gonna be cold, but it's also going to be dry. Do not heat a room you ain't using. Just protect it against frost.

I dont measure the temperature or humidity in the kitchen/utility/conservatory/cloakroom/bathrooms. That is great news - there are rooms where you don't fixate over humidity readings!

The hallway which isnt heated at all is 16C at the moment with a humdity of 71%. Whatevs.

Mary108 said:

A dehumidifier sounds like an essential household item and one I have never ever considered before! It ain't. Almost certainly you can manage without one.

1) Which room(s) has the condensation on the windows? And do you notice this mainly in the mornings?
None at the moment. When its cold outside the bedrooms have condensation inside and yes first thing in the mornings. That makes sense. Overnight, a couple of things happen in the bedroom (missus!) - the temperature drops, which means the air cannot hold on to the moisture held in it so it condenses out on the coldest surfaces instead, and your bod continues to give out bodily moisture to the air. Double-whammy. Solution? Ventilate the room overnight. Drawback? That makes it chilly. Solution? A nice thick duvet and an all-night leccy blanket if needed. If you ventilate your bedroom overnight, then almost certainly you'll wake up to dry windows.

2) Do you use the large downstairs sitting room over winter? Perhaps sometimes with visitors? But then what - not at all?
I use the large sitting room when I have friends over, but tbh we mainly go out, so I dont use it much at all. Ok, so see reply in box above; stop heating rooms you do not use. But DO ventilate them to prevent any issues. Keep heating to simply anti-frost.

3) How is the kitchen heated? Where do you sit to eat?
The kitchen is heated by a radiator (gas central heating). The utliity also has a small radiator which I've turned off as its right beside the back door. I generally eat in my upstairs sitting room although if friends come over for a meal we eat downstairs. The conservatory in the summer, not in the winter. Fine. So keep the rad on in the kitchen since you use it a fair amount. The Ute, make sure it's ventilated - windows cracked open - since you aren't heating it. Ditto the connie - make sure the windows in there are cracked open to 'vent' setting, and shut it off from the rest of the house.

4) Is your bedroom upstairs or down? How do you heat this, and for how long?
All bedrooms are upstairs. All heating is gas central heating. I aim to put the heating on for as little time as possible and make hot water bottles and wear my snuggly onesie when its cold......I've put the heating on today and yesterday way more than I normally would (probably for 4 hours each day!!) to try to reduce the humidity, and I got much too hot in doing this!! Don't think of 'heat' as a way of getting rid of humidity - it doesn't really. All it does it help to store more moisture in the warmed air - ready to come out as condesnation as soon as it cools down again. Think of 'ventilation' as humidity-control instead. Yes, venting means 'cold', so the routine I'd suggest is; bedroom windows cracked open to 'vent' setting aaaallll day and evening. Bedroom door shut. It'll be chilly in that room (big deal), but it will also be dry. A good half-hour before bedtime, turn on the rad, and close the windows (the latter not essential is there's little wind). Leccy blanket on, of course... At bedtime you'll have a nicely warmish room, snugly warm bed, jammies on. Then, heating off, windows cracked open to 'vent', jump into bed, and life is good. If you are cold overnight, then get an all-nighter blanket. In the morning, jump out of bed, radiator on, windows closed, jump back into bed, and then get up in a hopefully nice room (and I bet there's zero condie on the windows...). Once you exit the bedroom, rad off, windows cracked open to vent again, and door closed.

5) Which bathroom do you use? How many more are there?
I use my ensuite, there is a main bathroom and a downstairs cloakroom. Ideal. Treat you en-suite as you do your bedroom, and all others as the other rooms you don;t use - heating at 'frost', plenty of ventilation, and ignore until warmer climes.

Replies in bold.

Collect all your humidity meters, take them outside, and stamp on them. (That's optional.) Don't buy a dehumidifier. (Ditto).

Mary108

Wow @ThisIsWeird

Wow 

What an amazing reply!

May I bring all my problems to you please?🙂

Thank you so much 🤩

ThisIsWeird

Mary108 said:

Wow @ThisIsWeird

Wow 

What an amazing reply!

May I bring all my problems to you please?🙂

Thank you so much 🤩

It works both ways. I'm now going to bring all my probs to you... :😉