I’m having a hellish time with condensation under my kitchen sink. What can I do to improve it?

Daisy_84

In the past I used to cover it with foam but earlier this year the plumber was saying foam is useless and so I removed it. Was he wrong to say this?

Are there any tips out there, please? 

MattMattMattUK

Daisy_84 said:

In the past I used to cover it with foam but earlier this year the plumber was saying foam is useless and so I removed it. Was he wrong to say this?

Are there any tips out there, please? 

The first one would be figuring why the air in the cupboard under the sink is humid enough to condense on the sink. 

Foam can work, most metal sinks have a thin level of insulation on for that reason, but generally not much as there should not be damp air in the cupboard. 

You could put a small desiccant dehumidifier in there, the disposable kind, but you need to figure out where the moisture is coming from. 

Daisy_84

MattMattMattUK said:

Daisy_84 said:

In the past I used to cover it with foam but earlier this year the plumber was saying foam is useless and so I removed it. Was he wrong to say this?

Are there any tips out there, please? 

The first one would be figuring why the air in the cupboard under the sink is humid enough to condense on the sink. 

Foam can work, most metal sinks have a thin level of insulation on for that reason, but generally not much as there should not be damp air in the cupboard. 

You could put a small desiccant dehumidifier in there, the disposable kind, but you need to figure out where the moisture is coming from. 

I think I’m to blame as I don’t generally use the cupboard and so there’s a lack of ventilation.

However, this week I possibly made things worse when I put some ice to defrost in the kitchen sink not realising that it would lead to condensation. I only discovered after doing some googling. Then I also discovered that not having adequate ventilation can also be a problem.

I left the cupboard to air out all day yesterday, but the condensation still continues. Would you say the condensation should have stopped by now after airing?

SootySweep1

Hi

Sorry if this a daft question but are you sure it's condensation?

I had a problem recently where a joint on the pipework under my sink came loose & so I had a little water under the sink

Jen

Murmansk

My money would be on there being a leak there

Daisy_84

SootySweep1 said:

Hi

Sorry if this a daft question but are you sure it's condensation?

I had a problem recently where a joint on the pipework under my sink came loose & so I had a little water under the sink

Jen

Oh interesting. Thanks for that information. I’ll have to get a plumber in.

Daisy_84

Murmansk said:

My money would be on there being a leak there

Okay thanks. I’ll have to get this looked into.

flashg67

I added some small vents to the side and back of a cupboard that is little used and prone to damp - you can buy a cheap pack on ebay/amazon etc and a cheap hole cutter attached to a drill then they just push in

SootySweep1

Daisy_84 said:

SootySweep1 said:

Hi

Sorry if this a daft question but are you sure it's condensation?

I had a problem recently where a joint on the pipework under my sink came loose & so I had a little water under the sink

Jen

Oh interesting. Thanks for that information. I’ll have to get a plumber in.

Before you get a plumber in try running some water through the sink but watch under the sink to see if there's any dripping or dampness around joints 

ThisIsWeird

As said above, daisy. 
Could you first wipe the sink underside completely dry using a towel, and then just use the sink as normal?
Keep monitoring the underside, and as soon as you see the issue return, take some good photos and post them on here.
'Condensation' should be very distinctive.