Hello hello, my house is suffering from terrible condensation on the windows. I understand that I need to improve the ventilation, but what’s the best way (cheapest and most effective) without losing loads of heat?

The house is a 1950s detached box, double glaized, cavity wall insulation and good roof insulation all done before I bought it.

You could go for a ’positive pressure’ system, basically a large fan which brings cooler air from the loft into the house forcing the warmer air back down to lower level, a sensor then turns system off when the loft temp gets to a certain value.
Had one for years and works well

IANABuilder.

However, until someone better comes along, partly open a few windows front and back for half an hour every dry* afternoon, and buy a dehumidifier. That leaves kitchen and bathroom to worry about later.

*that’s when tarmac and concrete outside look dry

(edit) Thermostats working ok – no temperature swings?

Fit trickle vents to pvc windows

Cheapest way ………open a window ….hth

Dehumiifier, opening windows just lets damp air in, also get a humistat to measure the amount of moisture in the house, make suere you use the extractor fan in bathroom, take cover off and vacumm out all the crap, a small paint brush also helps,ensure about half inch gap under bathroom door so there is a space for air to come into the bathroom and be expeled by the fan, use the extractor in the kitchen, dont dry clothes inside .

Fit a heat exchanging extractor fan, it sucks out warm moist air and pumps in cooler (drier) air with 80% of the warmth exchanged, so the dry infeed is warmed up.

We’ve just bought a dehumidifier. I wouldn’t say we had a damp/condensation problem, just a bit of condensation on the lounge and bedroom windows now and again, but it’s amazing how much water it’s pulled out of the air, ~5litres per day at the start. Technically it’s more than 100% efficient as all the electricity used is converted to heat and you get a tad more from the latent heat. Obviously heating with electricity is an expensive way of going about things but it helps that it’s not ‘wasted’ and if the manufacturers can be believed a drier house feels warmer so you ‘should’ be able to turn the normal heating source down a bit. I can’t say I’ve noticed this but the air does somehow seem better (asthma sensitivities!).

a dehumidifier realy ?

we live in a single skinned house and almost always have the bathroom window open (open about 6mm)otherwise all ok, dont forget that we breath out water all the time. The only time we suffer condensation on the windows (double glaized) is when it is v cold outside

Thanks for the replies.

Heat exchanging extractor fan sounds good, any recommendations? Do they need to be fitted by a specialist? Could I replace my existing bathroom extractor the one?

Id suggest not looking to buy fancy gadgets look at the way you do things.
When you shower, have a window open a bit and keep the door shut and keep it shut for a while afterwards. Keep the kitchen door shut and have a window open just on the latch.
Instead of buying something to address a problem, solve the issue instead.

I’m already showering with the window open, and leaving the windows open during the day etc.

My flat, which I rent out, suffered badly with condensation as it is a ground floor flat and my tenants would refuse to leave windows open. Fitted two heat exchanging fans before last tenant moved in and Ive had no problems at all. Cost me £900 to have the two fitted but it saved me that in redecoration costs after old tenants moved out. New tenant has just extended for another year so she must be happy aswell.

Neil, what are those exact fans? We have a dehumidifier but the house still suffers from damp and mould in odd spots and the decorating cost (despite our best efforts!) is a good point.

This is not the one I had fitted but same idea. Theres two options, one that is just on or off and the one I got that has a remote and you set the humidity.

http://www.i-sells.co.uk/eclipse-heat-recovery-ventilator-bm3012?gclid=CMjr8v29troCFfMctAoddGkADA

We have a dehumidifier which works well but the biggest difference has been made by getting a tumble dryer for those days when there’s no chance of anything drying outside and it’s too cold to have the windows open all day.

Slowodgit: Thermostats working ok – no temperature swings?

How much differeence would that make?

Quizy question.

Instead of throwing money at electrical solutions why bot identifythe root cause.

I had this in an old flat – had to have 2 dehumidifiers goin all the time.

Turned out landlord had blocked airventa an fitted unvented windows + removed extractor in order to mask the roadnoise.

When she tried to take my deposit for the mouldy celing in bathroom she was told to jog on. Had no end of respiritory issues in that house. Surprisingly cleared up when i move out.