What Causes Condensation in Cold Weather. Indoor humidity is exacerbated by traditional heating systems such as radiators and fireplaces. During the winter, households are more likely to rely on these traditional heating techniques to remain warm, resulting in increased moisture production and transmission in the air.
Adequately heating your home can help to reduce condensation and damp, so keep temperature levels consistent, especially in those rooms that you may not use often. A heating thermostat can be useful for this. Avoid using paraffin heaters as these tend to create excess moisture.
Sometimes condensation can be greatly reduced by changing what you do in your home. Try these easy tips for reducing condensation: Keep your heating on low all day in the cold weather. Wipe your window sills every morning.
This is because the cold makes your property's walls and windows colder, and condensation is formed when the warm air inside your home that contains moisture comes into contact with cooler temperatures, meaning that the gaseous moisture contained in your properties warm air reverts back to a liquid state when it comes ...
Condensation is the liquid produced when warm air hits a cold surface. It's a common problem in properties during the winter months when central heating systems produce more warm air and internal surfaces like windows and walls are colder.
The World Health Organisation guidelines suggest 21 degrees in a living room and 18 degrees in the bedrooms, falling lower at night and when you are out. You don't need to keep your home at these temperatures all the time, but you should aim to bring it up to these temperatures at least some of the day.
Removing condensation
Make a habit of removing window condensation first thing every morning — when it's at its worst. Use an absorbent paper towel or microfibre cloth to gently scoop and wipe the water off the surface of your windows. Use a fresh towel or a squeegee to dry the pane thoroughly afterwards.
The reason condensation appears in your property is due to a lack of adequate ventilation which causes humidity levels to rise. As we spend more time indoors and make our property more energy efficient the build-up of moisture and humidity levels increase.
Condensation happens when your home is too humid and the warm air hits cold surfaces. This leads to the air cooling quickly and forming droplets on nearby surfaces such as walls/windows.
Ventilate so the moist air leaves the house – always use the extractor fan when you're cooking, showering or bathing, leave any window vents open, and don't block off any other vents. Make sure air can circulate by leaving gaps between furniture and the wall.
By opening the window we make the heating system work with maximum power. Although the radiator will become hot, the heated air will immediately escape through the window. It will therefore be a good practice to lower the pre-set temperature during ventilation.
Warmer air holds more moisture and only condenses when it comes into contact with a cool surface. Due to this, it is important to keep surfaces warmer.
Radiant heating can cure condensation and mould
Assuming there is no easy way to eliminate the cold surfaces through insulation (if possible, always start with wall insulation, double-glazing etc.
For the most part, a little condensation on your home's windows is nothing to worry about. It's only when you have excessive condensation on the windows, or the condensation is between the window panes that you should be concerned.
Condensation forms when warm, humid air contacts a cold surface. Moisture is in the air all around us and warmer air can hold more moisture. As air cools, it contracts and its moisture condenses.
The main cause of condensation is a lack of ventilation. The remedy is to improve ventilation to help equalise humidity inside and outside a property. Once upon a time, houses had badly-fitted windows, doors, chimneys and air vents that allowed for the circulation of air.
A dehumidifier works by drawing in the moisture laden air to help reduce condensation and damp problems.
If you wake up and find condensation on your bedroom windows, a great way to clear away the condensation is by mixing a home-made solution. Simply mix two cups of water and two cups of white vinegar, then add a couple of drops of washing up liquid.
Although condensation doesn't signal that you need new replacement windows, it's still possible that you do need some. If you've had your windows for years and you notice that they are a little drafty, then you may want to consider investing in new windows.
Improves Air Quality
This is due to accumulations of CO2, allergens, germs, mold, chemicals and more. All of this ups your chances of getting sick, experiencing headaches and other health issues. Opening your windows can help get these contaminants out and improve your home's air quality.
Open Your Window
This might seem obvious, but it's effective. Opening your windows will release the humid air outside, and therefore, will prevent the humidity from collecting onto your windows. So, if it's not too cold out and you're suffering from condensation, open a window.
To permanently reduce and even eliminate condensation in your house, you must reduce the amount of water vapor in the air so that the relative humidity of the air in the rooms is within the normal range, between 30% and 50%. You can do this by using a high-performance indoor ventilation system.