The Best Ways to Prevent Condensation

The Best Ways to Prevent Condensation

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

Waking up in the morning to find your view obscured by droplets of water on your windows is common, but condensation on your windows can mean that the humidity levels in your home are too high. The persistent presence of condensation can lead to bigger problems in your home including the formation of damp patches that damage the fabric of your home, and mould growth that can be dangerous for your health. Preventing condensation by reducing humidity and improving your home ventilation will stop the annoyance of misty windows from becoming a major and expensive problem in your home.

Understanding condensation

To find the best ways to prevent condensation, it is important to understand the causes. Identifying how condensation works and what is contributing to it in your home is the first step to stopping it for good.

Depending on the temperature, the air in our homes can hold differing amounts of water vapour. In warmer temperatures, the air has a higher capacity for moisture, but as the temperature drops, the water vapour condenses into liquid. This usually happens in areas with a temperature gradient such as around windows. During summer and autumn, when the days are warmer, humidity levels rise, and the air becomes saturated. As temperatures fall during the night, the water vapour is more likely to be released which is why you will usually see condensation form on windows.

Condensation doesn’t just occur overnight. Activities that release lots of steam will also cause condensation. Boiling water on the stove, taking a shower or hot bath, drying clothes indoors, and even opening the dishwasher before it has cooled will all contribute large amounts of water vapour that will quickly condense.

Tips to reduce condensation in your home

There are plenty of things you can do to prevent condensation from becoming a problem in your home. These involve both reducing the amount of water vapour produced indoors, and taking steps to remove the water vapour before it can condense:

Reducing humidity

Take steps to reduce the amount of water vapour that is added to the atmosphere of your home with the following easy changes:

• Wait until the dishwasher has cooled before emptying it
• Avoid drying clothes indoors
• Use pan lids when cooking on the stove
• Start filling your bath with cold water rather than hot
• Ensure that you close kitchen and bathroom doors when cooking or bathing

Improving ventilation

Good ventilation helps to improve the airflow around your home and helps to remove water vapour before it can become condensation:

• Use extractor fans in your bathroom and kitchen when bathing or cooking
• Open windows regularly during the day to allow fresh air into your home

Extractor fans are your best friend when it comes to preventing condensation. If they are installed correctly in your bathroom and kitchen, these fans will quickly remove the hot humid air from the room before it has a chance to escape into the rest of your home. Modern extractor fans such as the EnviroVent Cyclone 8 incorporate a humidity sensor that detects moisture levels in the air and changes the power levels of the fan to remove the water vapour more quickly.

Whole house ventilation can be even more effective at preventing condensation. Positive Input Ventilation Systems such as the EnviroVent ATMOS range work by drawing fresh air into the home from outside and then distributing it through different rooms to displace the stale humid air. These systems include air filters for the incoming air that are particularly useful for people with hay fever and those who live in urban environments where there is a higher amount of pollution.

Find out more

Condensation can be a major problem for households and lead to expensive repair bills if damp is allowed to form as a result. Our local ventilation specialists can help you to find a ventilation solution that will help you prevent condensation in your home for good. Enter your postcode below to find an expert in your area.