condensation problem

Talbot

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Just wondering if anyone can offer any advice. My son who lives in Whistler, BC, has bought a 32 foot trailer and is building his own conversion. It has insulated walls and ceiling but perhaps not enough. The windows are single panel glass. He has installed a wood burning stove which is very effective. However with minus temperatures outside and the need to heat to 21 degrees inside is causing condensation which is pooling on the floor. I don't think it will be practical to remove the walls to add more insulation. Is there any way of reducing the amount of condensation that is building up? Any advice greatly appreciated.
 
The walls and ceiling look fairly shiny (Gloss?), maybe a carpet lining or similar on the walls would help?
 
Perhaps there is a need for more ventilation, definitely double glaze, I would depending on power supplies, consider infra red heating which heats the walls etc., but not the air!

Phill
 
I know that keeping warm is uppermost in our minds, but ,as said, you have to ventilate. In a conventional house it is best sometimes to keep the heating on, but low in the evenings and over night so that the boiler don't work its guts out getting back up to temperature. Its partially the change of temperature which causes condensation, similar to pouring a beer into a glass on a warm day, as an example. 2 people sleeping in a bed at night give off 2 pints of moisture, and it has to go somewhere and that is usually the coldest area i.e. the windows. We dont normally like to sleep with windows open, but you have to have through ventilation.
 
Condensation is warm moist air comming into contact with a cold surface, eliminate one or other, result no condensation. DONNIE.
 
The simple answer is to just use a small dehumidifier.
They don't have to be big, power-hugry beasts nor pathetic little bags of crystals only suitable for a spare bedroom drawer.
This is probably all most of us would need... EcoAir ECO DD122 Desiccant Simple Dehumidifier - White: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home Just a few hundred watts, which is no problem on mains or for a small inverter.
It totally stops the build up of condensation without the need to resort to other, more drastc changes to motorhome, ventilation or lifestyle (eg stop cooking, or stop breathing!).

Barry
 
Put foil on windows and some roof vents plus one or two down low to let fresh air in to feed fire and circulate ,think the walls/roof are to shiny try spray glue and fabric covering though may be costly.
two rads would be the job.
 
Bazbro said:
The simple answer is to just use a small dehumidifier.
They don't have to be big, power-hugry beasts nor pathetic little bags of crystals only suitable for a spare bedroom drawer.
This is probably all most of us would need... EcoAir ECO DD122 Desiccant Simple Dehumidifier - White: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home Just a few hundred watts, which is no problem on mains or for a small inverter.
It totally stops the build up of condensation without the need to resort to other, more drastc changes to motorhome, ventilation or lifestyle (eg stop cooking, or stop breathing!).

Barry
Click to expand...

apart from the need of an inverter, how about noise? I prefer when it is quite at night.
 
I slept in a room with a dehumidifier once, woke up with terrible sore throat.
 
Talbot said:
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Just wondering if anyone can offer any advice. My son who lives in Whistler, BC, has bought a 32 foot trailer and is building his own conversion. It has insulated walls and ceiling but perhaps not enough. The windows are single panel glass. He has installed a wood burning stove which is very effective. However with minus temperatures outside and the need to heat to 21 degrees inside is causing condensation which is pooling on the floor. I don't think it will be practical to remove the walls to add more insulation. Is there any way of reducing the amount of condensation that is building up? Any advice greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Just as a way of illustration, in cool conditions in my motor home at night I will get no condensation on the double glazed Windows but lots on the single glazed windscreen, draw your own conclusions from that.
 
Surely what he needs is a sufficiently powerful air con unit to dehumidify the air in the trailer. I guess he could only use this while on electric hook up. It might be expensive to buy and run. What are mains electricity costs like in Canada?
 
Thanks for all replies, I have sent them by email to my son. He does have access to mains electricity so a dehumidifier is certainly an option. Thanks again.
 
Small dehumidifiers, especially the one illustrated which is one that I bought, are near silent, about refrigerator noise level or even less. Once the air has been dehumidified down to an acceptable level the dehumidifier then only needs to tick-over at a very low level just to maintain that level (assuming it's a proper size one for the area).

I've been a fan of dehumidifiers for many years - they really are the answer to all the condensation problems in our "little homes". Ventilation is one answer but that just lets cold air in as well as the moist air out. Heat is not the answer - warm air carries more moisture, that's all. When it reaches a cold surface it condenses back into water, so the water is there all the time, just in different forms. But a dehumidifier actually dries out the air, removing the moisture out to a predetermined place (waste tank is where mine goes from the shower tray outlet). Cooking, washing-up, showering, even breathing all put moisture into the warm air. Dehumidifiers take it out. They do need mains electricity though or use an inverter. I've not seen a 12volt one that is any good yet - they are about but are just not powerful enough for our use. For example one cannot even dry out the windscreen of my small 'A'-Class when the blinds are pulled behind it! I know because I've tried. I'd certainly like to hear of an efficient 12volt one though.

I'm sorry, delicagirl, those dessicant products are Ok for a drawer or small cupboard on a temporary basis but are just not big enough to have any appreciable effect in a motorhome. And once you've used them you have to buy, carry and store a whole load more. They will waste your money.

Oh. by the way, I also use my little dehumidifier in my laundry room at home to dry my washing - it dries it overnight at a fraction of the cost of running a tumble dryer.

Barry
 
Don't get me wrong, delicagirl - they are possibly effective but only in such a tiny space. Compared to the active interior of a lived-in motorhome they cannot absorb sufficient moisture quickly enough. They're intended for small cupboards and the like and not for big condensation problems.

You would only get a feeling of a dry throat if the dehumidifier was set to remove too much moisture in the air. Decent ones are fitted with "humidistats" that turn themselves down or even switch off when a certain humidity level is reached. We all need a certain humidity level in the air to function comfortably. If you find you're getting a dry throat using one, adjust the humidistat.

It doesn't mention it but this little EcoAir DD1 Simple uses a slightly different, dessicant technology, in order to reduce the power required (only 330watts on low) and thus doesn't use a compressor which is what keeps people awake at night! This unit is virtually silent. Oh, and I have nothing to do with the company or selling them - I'm just an extremely satisfied and happy customer!

They really are great bits of kit, folks, but don't be cheapskate and then complain that "it doesn't work"! Get a decent quality one of an appropriate capacity and then you'll never have condensation problems again.

Barry
 
I note the Windows seem to be in a small recess in the van wall could he not try simple secondary double glazing by taping clear plastic sheet over the windows.

I have seen this done to good effect in houses so I think it may be a good way to start, if effective the possibility of using perspective sheet may be a more long term solution.
If he has access to mains electricity there are a number of very effective condensation fans on the market one of these may help.
If there not a roof vent in the trailer.
Is he not a member of any forums over there that may offer him practical help.

Alf
 
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