I think I need a dehumidifier

Following this. Is it the insulation do we think that’s causing condensation

Iam64

Following this. Is it the insulation do we think that’s causing condensation

That maybe it Iam

I wondered if it was because you had been doing a lot of decorating and it was drying out? When I moved three years ago, I had every room painted. The condensation was pretty bad. It's never been as bad since. I think a dehumidifier is a great idea but unfortunately I can't give any recommendations

I didn't think of that grandmabatty. We've still got quite a bit of painting to go.
I must ask our neighbours if they have or have had the same problem.

I bought an Ecoair DD1 about seven years ago and it has made a big difference. I don't need it every day, but use it as and when. The initial outlay was well worth it.

As I have Economy 7 heating I do my washing last thing at night - hang it on the airer and put the dehumidifier on nearby. The washing is virtually dry by mornng, no condensation on the windows etc. I think that makes the biggest difference.

We moved to a 1970s bungalow just before Christmas 2020. We woke on Christmas morning to lots of condensation, running windows, damp patches and mould. It was shockingly bad.

I don't think you'll have had this before in your house as moving in in March you will have not had the house so 'closed up' over the warmer months.

The answer for us was to air the house properly, open windows especially the kitchen window when cooking and the bathroom windows after bathing and showering. We installed better extractors fitted in the bathrooms and now dry clothes outside or when not possible in the tumble drier.

When we did all this the problem was cured in a week. Hope it's the same for you.

We’ve had ebac dehumidifiers for years for our converted cellar which has poor ventilation. I would certainly recommend them as being efficient and quiet. We’re on our third in 40 years, so I think we can safely say they’re reliable too. . We actually got the second one free as it suddenly stopped working just days before the end of our 3 year guarantee and we were sent a new one with no fuss.

Various family members have borrowed them when they’ve had minor flooding problems, walls plastered etc, and they’ve coped with everything thrown at them.

Yes older houses need to breathe.

Iam64

Following this. Is it the insulation do we think that’s causing condensation

Do you mean cavity wall insulation?

I think some types will cause a lot of problems in the future.

When we invited opinion on our condensation we asked several builders about installing cavity wall insulation and they all sucked teeth furiously and said NO, it would absolutely make the situation worse.

Following as I have one room in the house (ds1’s) old room that has condensation in the windows, and mould on the ceilings. It was the extension part of the house done in the 80’s, so I wonder if that is the issue? ?
I thought it was dils houseplants that caused the damp when they moved in with us for a time, but it’s remained after they left and they have been gone for over two years.
Will a mini dehumidifier help for a small bedroom or will I need to buy a proper big one? Do I need to get in a builder to look at the room?

Coastpath

When we invited opinion on our condensation we asked several builders about installing cavity wall insulation and they all sucked teeth furiously and said NO, it would absolutely make the situation worse.

Yes, although ours seems fine I think some types cause problems.
It was promoted vigorously a few years ago and Government grants were available but I think it's storing up trouble.

DillytheGardener

We have a smallish dehumidifier in our bedroom. It is fairly quiet, and has an 8 litre water tank. We have it on every night in the winter while we sleep. It needs emptying every 2-3 days. Doesn’t disturb our sleep, and we now have no condensation problems in the room.

The make is neostar, it’s about 9 years old, bought it from the Telegraph. Cost about £149, it’s a desiccant one.

No idea if you can still get this make but has served us well.

I had a very similar problem in a house I owned a few years ago. The bedroom and landing windows were the worst in the winter, but in the summer I just kept the windows on the vent setting and never had a problem. In the winter, I purchased a few of those disposable dehumidifiers that just sit on the window ledge and they did the job perfectly. They are extremely cheap and don't push your energy bills up.

We have this problem, if we open the windows slightly it helps a bit but not a lot.
We have a dehumidifier that we put on for a couple of hours every morning but the worst window, in our bedroom, is now closed all night and we have put a very low power greenhouse heater on the window sill. The type that looks like a pole.

I have looked at an air exchange system but my DH isn’t convinced.

We had our uPVC French doors changed to aluminium bi-fold doors last year. If I close the curtains overnight there is a lot of condensation and the curtains are getting wet and a bit stained at the bottom. It's also the room I have my clothes airers in.
We had a dehumidifier in there many years ago and I think it's time to invest in another one.

Whitewavemark2

Yes older houses need to breathe.

yes completely agree. So many houses were covered in concrete render and many with maisonry paint that does not breathe. My last house had a rendered wall but it was lime render and that breathes, humidity inside was always at a perfet level

Here I am having the whole interior painted, using mineral paint that also breathes

De-humidifiers. I have a meaco 12l platinum low energy dehumidifier. I had given mine to my dd and then decided that I needed one to dry washing very economically indoors in a closed room

I put mine on in my bedroom for an hour while I am having a shower, I noticed droplets overnight on my dg windows. Previous eco house had triple glazing in wooden frames, never any moisture on them. I did the research and that was the one I settled on, it is very good and dries 2 full racks of washing at one time, perfectly

The solid foams are not good, there can be debris and ties that will transmit outside water to the inside of the house. If there is a problem than it would be a massive problem to fix. Especially bad if in a wall that is exposed to rain

Blown granules or rockwool are good as they could be sucked out if a problem occurs

re cavity wall insulation

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I knew Gransnetters would know!

I have taken the plunge and ordered a Meaco to be delivered tomorrow. I'll let you know how I get on.

I’ve ordered the smaller Meaco

PamelaJ1

We have this problem, if we open the windows slightly it helps a bit but not a lot.
We have a dehumidifier that we put on for a couple of hours every morning but the worst window, in our bedroom, is now closed all night and we have put a very low power greenhouse heater on the window sill. The type that looks like a pole.

I have looked at an air exchange system but my DH isn’t convinced.

I installed an air exchange system a few years ago and it cured my damp and mould problems almost immediately. It cost over £1,000 but was well worth it. No more condensation on windows or black mould on walks.

I have an Ebac, not the quietest - but very efficient. It dries washing (bone dry) in a couple of hours in the little laundry room.

I can wheel it out, or just leave the door open, at other times to dry out the house. We produce a lot of moisture just by breathing. In fact, it's quite horrifying seeing just how much water it collects.

I've never attached the drain hose, just empty the container and use that water for the houseplants.