Condensation dampness is a consequence of internal humidity levels becoming to high so that when the internal temperature drops sufficiently low enough, the humidity will turn to moisture and settle on cold surfaces such as windows, window frames, patio door frames and cold external walls.
You can often see or read that a dehumidifier will resolve this problem. This is an inaccurate statment!
The typical portable dehumidifiers you see offered for households are called referigerant or compressor dehumidifiers. These operate by drawing in air and running it over cold coils which in turn speed up the process of condensing the air to moisture which is collected in a bin/basket at the base of the dehumidifier which in turn is emptied manually although some can be adapted to drain through an outlet hose.
Is this product solving a condensation damp issue?
No, it isn’t. You are better off describing it as keeping the issue at bay in which case, given the refigeration can be as costly as running a standard size fridge, you are simply adding considerably to your electricity bill and at best, to address the room the dehumidifier is placed in.
As previously stated, condensation is a consequence of high internal humidity which can also be defined as stale air. High humidity as a percentage will generally be anything above 70% but ideally below 60%. To maintain humidity in doors below 70% it is advisable to achieve a regular change of air throughout the property by ventilating naturally as much as possible. Allow windows to be open front and back and on all floor levels for as long as possible to allow fresh air to enter and replace stale air.
When the harshet winter months come around this process can be managed by mechanical ventilation products such as extract fans, heat recovery vents and positive input vents, (PIV vents). In addition or as alternative, controllable passive back ground air vents can be installed but mindful these only offer ‘passive’ ventilation.
Mechanical ventilation is always advancing and systems have low carbon footprints and can cost as little as £30.00 – £40.00 a year to run which would be significantly cheaper than a refigerant dehumidifier.
The type of dehumidifiers that can provide a low cost and useful function are the small silica gel models which are ideal for small rooms, cupboards, drawers, cars, caravans. A number of models work by plug in re-chargable processes and others intended to be used and thrown away once the gels are saturated.
Click on our link below to download our informative guide to preventing condensation damp.
Thats great that you are getting results with dehumidifiers however, as you will know, dehumidifiers are simply taking the vapour content out of the air and turning it into water that you then have to be mindful to empty the drum regularly or you organise a drainage outlet but the fact of the matter is, they are simply reactive devices and not proactive in so much as the issue of condensation is entirely down to poor air quality. To address porr air quality to should improve the ventilation. Admitidly, this can be a challenge for basements but if they are habitable areas then air quality is very important and attempting to improve ventilation which in turn reduces the level of humidity, will forgo the need to run dehumidifiers.