How Much Condensation Does One Person Produce

How Much Condensation Does One Person Produce

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

If it is not dealt with properly, excessive condensation in your home can lead to the development of damp patches on walls where mould can grow. Aside from being unsightly, the presence of mould in your home can affect your health causing symptoms that range from mild allergic reactions through to severe respiratory problems. Preventing condensation can help to stop mould from developing in your home and keep you and your family healthy.

Where does condensation come from?

Condensation is caused when the air in your home cools and can no longer carry as much water vapour. You will often see condensation on your bedroom windows when you wake up in the morning. Lower temperatures at night, create cold spots where water is released from the air to form as droplets on a cool surface.

Many different activities contribute to the amount of water vapour in the air of our homes including cooking, bathing, and cleaning, but did you know how much condensation each person produces?

How much condensation does a person produce?

Every day, each person in your household will add approximately 2.5 litres of water vapour into the air. Here’s how:

Breathing

Did you know that on average, a person breathes in almost 14,000 litres of air each day, and as we exhale, some water vapour is released into the air. This builds up and contributes around 0.4l of water into the air over 24 hours.

Taking a shower

 Bathing or showering is the biggest source of water vapour and is why it is so important to use your bathroom extractor fan. A hot shower or bath will cause approximately 1.7 litres of water to be released into the air. You can help to reduce this by ventilating your bathroom and turning the temperature of the water down slightly.

Cooking food on the hob

If you are cooking pasta or vegetables on your hob, 100ml of water will be released into the air every 10 minutes. You can reduce this amount by keeping a lid on the pan while cooking and ensuring that your extractor hood is used to stop steam from building up in your kitchen. Using pan lids also helps food to cook more quickly, which saves you energy!

Boiling the kettle.

Every time you use your kettle, you lose about 2% of the water as steam. This means if you have five cups of tea or coffee during the day, approximately 50ml of water will be added to the air in your home. More water vapour is released as your hot drink cools, contributing around half as much again.

Doing your laundry

Washing your clothes at 30C is efficient but it still contributes to the humidity in your home. Around 50ml of water vapour will be released into the air during a cool wash, and at higher temperatures, this can more than treble.

The amount of water vapour from a washing machine is extremely low compared to drying clothes indoors. It can be tempting to dry towels on a radiator, but this can contribute more water vapour into the air than almost any other activity. A towel might contain up to a litre of water when wet, and this will evaporate as the towel dries on the radiator and build up.

Stop condensation for good

Reducing humidity levels in your home will stop condensation permanently, and the most effective way of doing this is to improve your home ventilation to allow the water vapour to escape. If you have discovered patches of condensation or are worried about the health risks of mould, our local ventilation specialists can help. Simply enter your postcode below to find an expert near you. We can visit your property and identify the sources of water vapour that are causing condensation and then provide advice about the best way to deal with them.