14 Best Ways to Get Rid of Condensation on Pipes
The appearance of condensate on the surface of pipes is considered a common phenomenon, which many people face. Due to increased humidity, the metal surface corrodes faster, and therefore it is recommended to determine in advance how to remove condensation on the pipes.
Reasons for education
Before you get rid of condensation, you need to familiarize yourself with the main causes of its appearance.
Source of high humidity
There are several sources of increased humidity, due to which water droplets appear on the pipes.
Cooking
Cooking is considered a common cause of increased humidity. A large amount of steam is generated during the cooking process. If there is a weak hood in the kitchen, which cannot cope with the removal of the resulting fumes, steam settles on the surfaces and condensation appears.
Wet laundry
Experts recommend drying your washed items outside.However, in winter, some decide to dry them in an apartment. Damp laundry emits cold steam after washing, which gradually accumulates in the room.
If the room is not equipped with a good ventilation system, damp objects will increase the level of humidity.
Water supply failure
Vapors from damp laundry and cooking food aren't the only things that can cause condensation to form on water pipes. There are also other reasons for this problem. One of them is an accident and irregularities in the operation of the water supply system.
Basement flooding
Basement flooding is a common cause of increased humidity. Most often it is flooded due to poor quality basement waterproofing. Unprotected walls collapse under the influence of groundwater, which gradually penetrates inside.
Construction defect
There are several defects that contribute to the appearance of dampness and dampness on the pipes. These include:
- wall cracks;
- the inclination of the walls with respect to the vertical axis;
- masonry rolling;
- crumbling of external bricks;
- freezing of the walls and appearance of frost on their surface;
- shrinkage of the walls.
Geographical features of the region
Common reasons for the appearance of condensation on the iron surface of pipes include the geographical features of the area in which the residential building is located. Among these features, the proximity to rivers or lakes stands out, thanks to which the level of humidity increases significantly.
Adverse weather conditions
Sometimes even weather conditions can affect indoor humidity.Severe weather conditions include prolonged showers and sleet combined with increased wind gusts.
Poor ventilation
Poor ventilation is a common cause of condensation on water pipes. Residents of apartments with plastic windows that do not open face poor ventilation. With the windows closed, the ventilation system works several times worse.
Poor thermal insulation
Some people do not think about thermal insulation of a residential building or apartment, and because of this, condensation can be noticed in the room.
To improve thermal insulation, the walls are lined with special thermal insulation materials, including glass wool or expanded polystyrene.
Sudden drop in temperature
A sharp fluctuation of temperature indicators in an apartment contributes to the formation of water drops on the pipes. Temperature drops appear due to poor-quality heating or poor thermal insulation, which fails to retain heat.
Why most often appears in the toilet or bathroom
Condensation often appears in the bathroom or toilet. There are five factors that contribute to its appearance.
Poor ventilation
The toilet and the bathroom should be well ventilated so that they are not too humid. For this, a special opening is made in the inner wall, in which a fan is installed. He is responsible for the circulation of air inside the room.
Tank valve problem
Many people face drainage issues. Most often they appear due to the breakdown of the float valve installed in the toilet tank.It is quite simple to solve this problem, just buy a new valve and install it instead of the old one.
Fleeing neighbors
Sometimes the level of humidity inside the toilet or bathroom rises not through the fault of the owner of the apartment, but of his neighbors. It often happens that the upstairs neighbors have a leak in the water supply system, due to which droplets of condensate can be seen on the pipes.
Features of the water supply system
The surface of the pipes can become wet due to improper placement of the water supply. For example, problems can arise if the cold and hot water supply pipes are too close together. The distance between them should not be less than ten centimeters.
Mixer failure
A broken faucet will increase the humidity inside the bathroom. The following signs will help identify a part failure:
- cooling pipes;
- condensate;
- water leak.
How to remove
There are several ways to remove condensate that appears on the pipes.
Thermal insulation
It's no secret that poor-quality thermal insulation contributes to increased humidity. Therefore, you need to take care of the thermal insulation of the room in advance.
expanded polystyrene
Walls are often insulated with a material such as expanded polystyrene. Experts advise using insulating sheets made by Nova Chemicals, Styrochem or Penoplex.
mineral wool, glass wool
You can also wrap the walls with glass wool or mineral wool, which is sold in any store with building materials.It is necessary to work carefully with these building materials, as they can harm health.
Hands should be protected with rubber gloves, and a special mask is used to protect the respiratory system.
Polyurethane foam
Many people use polyurethane foam to insulate walls and ceilings. For thermal insulation, it is better to use closed-cell material with better characteristics. It is able to reliably protect the room from temperature extremes and high humidity.
Polyurethane foam
Another common material for thermal insulation is polyurethane foam. It is used to insulate small rooms and eliminate cracks in the walls.
Chemical products
There are five chemicals that can help remove condensation from pipes.
"Stermisol"
Excess moisture can be removed using Stermisol. It is a liquid insulation that is often used in construction for waterproofing facades and water pipes.
"Corundum"
This is a high-quality, ultra-thin paint that has thermal insulation properties. Corundum is applied to dry pipe surfaces to protect them from high humidity. The applied layer will last 5-6 years, after which it will have to be renewed.
"Teplomett"
High quality insulation coating used for thermal insulation of water pipes. Before applying Teplomett, the surface to be treated must be rinsed, degreased and dried. The product is applied in several layers.
"Astratek"
Liquid insulating compound used in the treatment of fences, walls and pipes. The advantages of "Astratek" include its resistance to temperature extremes and humidity.The liquid protects the metal surface from condensation and subsequent rotting.
"Metal Actor"
For thermal insulation of metal structures, Akterm Metal is often used. Among the advantages of a heat-insulating liquid is its resistance to moisture, as well as low and high temperatures. The product protects the metal from freezing, corrosion and condensation.
Float trap
Sometimes, instead of chemicals, steam traps are used.
Combined
Combined steam traps are equipped with a special regulating element, which regulates the temperature and pressure of the water in the pipes.
Thermostatic
Thermostatic models are used not only to remove condensate, but also to save energy. These products consist of an integrated thermostatic capsule and a filter.
Float
Floating models are rarely used because they are the least efficient. They are installed so little condensation appears on the pipes.
Hood check
In case of high humidity, it is necessary to regularly check the performance of the hood. If it starts to work worse, you will have to disassemble it and clean the built-in fan from dirt.
ventilation device
If condensation has appeared on the water pipes in the bathroom or toilet, ventilation must be provided. We will need to make an additional vent to improve air circulation.
Preventative measures
To prevent the appearance of condensation, it is necessary to periodically open the doors, as this improves air circulation in the room.
Ventilation grilles are also installed in the walls or doors. In the kitchen, you can install a more powerful hood for better steam absorption.
Conclusion
It is necessary to get rid of condensation on the water pipes so that the surface does not begin to corrode. Before that, you need to familiarize yourself with the reasons for increased humidity and figure out how to remove condensation.