Preventing steam build up in bathroom

[Condi]

Jambo85 said:

Cretins!

Mine vent into the loft, and never have an issue. There is enough airflow through the loft under the eaves and I dont believe the fans actually move that much air. We have opening windows in each bathroom too.

[4Q]

Condi said:

Mine vent into the loft, and never have an issue. There is enough airflow through the loft under the eaves and I dont believe the fans actually move that much air. We have opening windows in each bathroom too.

Dumping warm water vapour into your cold loft is stupid as the water will condense and run down the roof into the bits you can't see, regardless of how much ventilation you have. You'll have mould and rot problems which you won't find until it's too late.

[carreauchompeur]

Tony Starks said:

Shower domes are quite popular this side of the world and according to a couple f guys at work they do work. But at £150 for some molded perspex, its a bit pricey.

That's an amazingly common sense product!

http://www.showerdome.org.uk/how-it-works

[ruggedscotty]

showerdome works like magic - always remember though you need to have a supply of air coming in or it would work as good. 1st rule of ventilation

[samdale]

carreauchompeur said:

Tony Starks said:

Shower domes are quite popular this side of the world and according to a couple f guys at work they do work. But at £150 for some molded perspex, its a bit pricey.

That's an amazingly common sense product!

http://www.showerdome.org.uk/how-it-works

Until you pass out in the shower...
I can't think of anything worse than an enclosed cubicle like that. I imagine it to be amazingly stuffy if you try to enjoy a long hot shower.

And at 3 times the price of a decent extractor...

[Jambo85]

4Q said:

Condi said:

Mine vent into the loft, and never have an issue. There is enough airflow through the loft under the eaves and I dont believe the fans actually move that much air. We have opening windows in each bathroom too.

Dumping warm water vapour into your cold loft is stupid as the water will condense and run down the roof into the bits you can't see, regardless of how much ventilation you have. You'll have mould and rot problems which you won't find until it's too late.

Agreed, madness.

[Tony Starks]

samdale said:

Until you pass out in the shower...
I can't think of anything worse than an enclosed cubicle like that. I imagine it to be amazingly stuffy if you try to enjoy a long hot shower.

And at 3 times the price of a decent extractor...

Apparently, it doesn't get as steamy as you dont get all the cold air coming in.

[Condi]

Jambo85 said:

4Q said:

Condi said:

Mine vent into the loft, and never have an issue. There is enough airflow through the loft under the eaves and I dont believe the fans actually move that much air. We have opening windows in each bathroom too.

Dumping warm water vapour into your cold loft is stupid as the water will condense and run down the roof into the bits you can't see, regardless of how much ventilation you have. You'll have mould and rot problems which you won't find until it's too late.

Agreed, madness.

You're moving from a high concentration of moisture into a very low concentration, so although the air cannot hold as much moisture as its cooler, by virtue of there being far more air there, it doesnt need to hold anywhere near the same concentration. It doesnt necessarily condense as long as you have enough ventilation - which in a big space isnt that much air movement.


The sparky who put them in said it was very common.

[4Q]

Condi said:

You're moving from a high concentration of moisture into a very low concentration, so although the air cannot hold as much moisture as its cooler, by virtue of there being far more air there, it doesnt need to hold anywhere near the same concentration. It doesnt necessarily condense as long as you have enough ventilation - which in a big space isnt that much air movement.


The sparky who put them in was a bodging bd.

Fixed that for you.

Warm moist air hitting a cold surface will condense, fact. However draughty you loft is it will not clear at the same rate it's being forced in by the fan which is usually somewhere between 60-100 litres per second.

Btw one of the courses I teach is roof surveying and common problems - one of the examples of bad practice I use is venting the extractor fan into the loft and the problems it causes.

[hairyben]

Condi said:

You're moving from a high concentration of moisture into a very low concentration, so although the air cannot hold as much moisture as its cooler, by virtue of there being far more air there, it doesnt need to hold anywhere near the same concentration. It doesnt necessarily condense as long as you have enough ventilation - which in a big space isnt that much air movement.


The sparky who put them in said it was very common.

Did he have a nice horse? Thats complete bs, please dont refer to bodgers like these using the title of the professional theyre pretending at... your'e talking about a quite significant volume of moisture, try turning it (the extractor) off and see how badly your walls and ceiling run!

Get them ducted beforenit becomes a problem, its half hours work to drill through the soffit or whereever and run a bit ducting in. Use a centrifugal fan though as the little axials generaly dont have the power to push the air along a duct.