Condensation on double glazing
 

I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a FENSA
registered company, but was the cheapest quote we found - approx £4000
for 6 leaded windows and a patio door.

We are happy with the windows etc, but in winter sometimes get
condensation on the windows. This only happens on mornings where it is
particually cold and wet out, it burns off by midday, and is worse in
rooms where people have been sleeping.

The water is not inbetween the pannels (as I can wipe it off) and the
panels dont feel particually cold.

The links below are some pictures of the condensation, I just wanted to
know if it is a result of buying cheap double glazing (in which case
fair enough) or if it means they are faulty. Is there some kind of
measureable leagal minimum that the windows need to comply with?

http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1572.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1573.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1574.JPG


Thanks

David Bevan
http://www.davidbevan.co.uk

Condensation on double glazing
 

Condensation on double glazing
 

In uk.d-i-y wrote:
I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a FENSA
registered company, but was the cheapest quote we found - approx ?4000
for 6 leaded windows and a patio door.

Condensation can happen on double glazed windows.
It'll be much less than the equivalent on single glazed.

Condensation on double glazing
 

explained :
I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a FENSA
registered company, but was the cheapest quote we found - approx £4000
for 6 leaded windows and a patio door.

We are happy with the windows etc, but in winter sometimes get
condensation on the windows. This only happens on mornings where it is
particually cold and wet out, it burns off by midday, and is worse in
rooms where people have been sleeping.

The problem would seem to be lack of or poorly thought out ventilation
and/or heating, rather than any fault in the windows.

The better sealed your home is, the more thought needs to be put into
its heating and ventilation. Radiators are normally location under
windows to keep a warm flow of air rising over the glass. If you don't
already have them...

1. Install a cooker hood which discharges the moist air from cooking
outside, rather than a simple filter type.

2. Install an adequate and preferably automatic bathroom fan.

3. Install a utility room fan and use it when ever the washer/drier is
in use.

Cavity wall insulation will also help prevent in a small way - moisture
being absorbed by the walls to be released later in the day.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

Condensation on double glazing
 

In article .com,
wrote:
We are happy with the windows etc, but in winter sometimes get
condensation on the windows. This only happens on mornings where it is
particually cold and wet out, it burns off by midday, and is worse in
rooms where people have been sleeping.

Double glazing doesn't prevent condensation but merely reduces it. People
in a room produce water vapour from their breath, and this tends to
condense out on the coldest part of the room which will still be the
window. You need either more ventilation or stopping the temperature
dropping so low inside to prevent it.

--
*The most wasted day of all is one in which we have not laughed.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Condensation on double glazing
 

The surface temperature of the inside pane of glass is colder than the
dew point of the air in the room. Either you are running a humidifier
with too high a setting or you bought cheap glass, which is the most
likely answer. I just replaced my widows 2 years ago. The company had
a good reputation and was not the most expensive, but I got the most
expensive windows they had. It was worth the money. Note, the colder
it is outside, the more likely it is the condensation will occur, as it
makes the glass colder. Moisture levels outside will have less impact
than temperature outside.

Stretch

Condensation on double glazing
 

"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message
...
explained :
I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a FENSA
registered company, but was the cheapest quote we found - approx £4000
for 6 leaded windows and a patio door.

We are happy with the windows etc, but in winter sometimes get
condensation on the windows. This only happens on mornings where it is
particually cold and wet out, it burns off by midday, and is worse in
rooms where people have been sleeping.


Cavity wall insulation will also help prevent in a small way - moisture
being absorbed by the walls to be released later in the day.

On the contrary - we found that we had MORE condensation on dg windows after
our cavities were insulated - donkey's years ago. The walls were then warmer
than the glass so the condensation appeared on the glass.

It proved that the cavity insulation was working!

Mary

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

Condensation on double glazing
 

Condensation on double glazing
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a
FENSA registered company, but was the cheapest quote
we found - approx £4000 for 6 leaded windows and a
patio door.

As others have said..it's due to a lack of ventilation. Replacing old
windows with double glazing can sometimes make condensation worse because it
eliminates ventilation through the badly fitting old windows.

When people breath they put water vapour into the air. The amount of water
vapour that the air can hold depends on the temperature. If the temperature
drops - for example when the damp air comes into contact with cold glass the
excess can condense out (=rain).

There are two main solutions....

1) Add ventilation (open windows or trickle vents) to let the damp air out
and dry air in (outside air is normally dryer even in winter).

2) Use a dehumidifier to remove the water vapour from the air.

Personally I feel the only "perfect" solution is to install whole house
ventilation system with heat recovery. Think of it like opening a windows
without loosing the heat.

http://www.toolbase.org/techinv/tech...chnologyID=202

http://www.villavent.co.uk/domestic-...on-systems.htm

Note that UK Building Regulations require replacement windows to meet the
Building Regulations. This can include the need for them to have built in
trickle vents (if the house doesn't have a ventilation system). If your new
windows have trickle vents in the frames make sure they are open - that
might be sufficient but I suspect not as they are frequently a bit on the
small side.

Condensation on double glazing
 

It happens that Mary Fisher formulated :
On the contrary - we found that we had MORE condensation on dg windows after
our cavities were insulated - donkey's years ago. The walls were then warmer
than the glass so the condensation appeared on the glass.

It proved that the cavity insulation was working!

Hi Mary...

That was not our experience, though I suppose it depends how much
moisture is absorbed into the cold walls. The DG was installed first
and we initially had similar problems to the OP. I then added
ventilation followed some years later by the CWI.

Our internal atmosphere is now so dry, that we have had to resort to
adding water evaporation trays to the tops of radiators to increase the
humidity in winter.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

Condensation on double glazing
 

wrote:


here's whats happening

that side of the house is the coolest

that's all

the rest of the winders are progressively less moisturous being closer
to the warmer side of the house

off topic: that's a nice camera!

you know a HD movie is only 720x480 or somewhere therebouts.

can you imagine a movie where each frame is the of the poster you posted

Condensation on double glazing
 

wrote:


here's whats happening

that side of the house is the coolest

that's all

the rest of the winders are progressively less moisturous being closer
to the warmer side of the house

off topic: that's a nice camera!

you know a HD movie is only 720x480 or somewhere therebouts.

can you imagine a movie where each frame is the of the poster you posted

Condensation on double glazing
 

wrote:

I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a FENSA
registered company, but was the cheapest quote we found - approx £4000
for 6 leaded windows and a patio door.

We are happy with the windows etc, but in winter sometimes get
condensation on the windows. This only happens on mornings where it is
particually cold and wet out, it burns off by midday, and is worse in
rooms where people have been sleeping.

The water is not inbetween the pannels (as I can wipe it off) and the
panels dont feel particually cold.

The links below are some pictures of the condensation, I just wanted to
know if it is a result of buying cheap double glazing (in which case
fair enough) or if it means they are faulty. Is there some kind of
measureable leagal minimum that the windows need to comply with?

http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1572.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1573.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1574.JPG


I had the same thing with my patio door, a metal-framed one installed
circa 30 years ago. Moisture would condense on the frame, and on the
lower part of the glass, eventually leaving small patches of mould on
some of the hardwood frame. It took me a little while to work out what
was happening. The pictures you took show exactly the problem here.

I traced the problem to a 'reverse chimney' effect due to the curtains
being closed. There was circa a 1" gap between the top of the curtains
and the ceiling, and similar one at the bottom.

As air trapped by the curtains cooled, it sank and emerged into the
dining area, to be replaced by warm moist air at the top. There comes
a point somewhere near but not at the bottom of the glass where the
temperature falls below the dew-point, and moisture condenses out. The
pattern of condensation is exactly as depicted in your photos. This
continues ad infinitum, drawing moisture from the room and depositing
it on the glass and frame. The colder the night, the farther up the
glass the condensation started.

Putting 'sammy snakes' (draught excluders) along the bottom of the
curtains stopped the problem completely. Although cutting off the flow
of air made the glass colder, the very limited airflow meant that
condensed vapour could not be replaced, and the problem has gone away.
The dining area is also a lot warmer!

I put a wireless thermometer between the curtains and the glass. With
no draught excluder in place, the temperature drop from ambient was
about 5 degC or so. With the sammy snakes in place, the thermometer
read just above the outside temperature, a drop on the night in
question of over 20 degC.

My suggestions: make sure that obvious sources of dampness are removed
from the rooms concerned (towels, clothing, large plants, etc) and cut
the air-flow off with draught-excluders. Your window-cills look ideal
for this. It may take a day or two for your rooms to reach any new
humidity equilibrium. HTH

Condensation on double glazing
 

Condensation is NORMAL

On 18 Feb 2006 01:38:37 -0800, wrote:

I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a FENSA
registered company, but was the cheapest quote we found - approx £4000
for 6 leaded windows and a patio door.

We are happy with the windows etc, but in winter sometimes get
condensation on the windows. This only happens on mornings where it is
particually cold and wet out, it burns off by midday, and is worse in
rooms where people have been sleeping.

The water is not inbetween the pannels (as I can wipe it off) and the
panels dont feel particually cold.

The links below are some pictures of the condensation, I just wanted to
know if it is a result of buying cheap double glazing (in which case
fair enough) or if it means they are faulty. Is there some kind of
measureable leagal minimum that the windows need to comply with?

http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1572.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1573.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1574.JPG


Thanks

David Bevan
http://www.davidbevan.co.uk

Condensation on double glazing
 

wrote in news:1140255517.105098.318840
@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a FENSA
registered company, but was the cheapest quote we found - approx £4000
for 6 leaded windows and a patio door.

We are happy with the windows etc, but in winter sometimes get
condensation on the windows. This only happens on mornings where it is
particually cold and wet out, it burns off by midday, and is worse in
rooms where people have been sleeping.

The water is not inbetween the pannels (as I can wipe it off) and the
panels dont feel particually cold.

The links below are some pictures of the condensation, I just wanted to
know if it is a result of buying cheap double glazing (in which case
fair enough) or if it means they are faulty. Is there some kind of
measureable leagal minimum that the windows need to comply with?

http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1572.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1573.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1574.JPG


Thanks

David Bevan
http://www.davidbevan.co.uk



Surprised no one has asked (or I missed it) if you have exhaust fans in the
shower(s) and using them with the door closed. Or if person(s) tend to exit
and leave door open shortly after shower. Better to leave fan on after
exiting and close door until at least the mirror clears. May not have made
a difference before but does now.

Just one of many possible contributors but a significant one.

This only happens on mornings where it is particually cold and wet out

Are there other types in the UK? :-)


"websphere" - don't see many of those users in the general population.

Condensation on double glazing
 

"Al Bundy" wrote in message
...

Surprised no one has asked (or I missed it) if you have exhaust fans in
the
shower(s) and using them with the door closed. Or if person(s) tend to
exit
and leave door open shortly after shower. Better to leave fan on after
exiting and close door until at least the mirror clears. May not have made
a difference before but does now.

Except that the fan uses power, an open door doesn't.

Mary

Condensation on double glazing
 

Mary Fisher wrote:

Except that the fan uses power, an open door doesn't.

A fan uses very little power, and provides a huge improvement in the air
quality. An open door uses no power but simply moves the moisture from
one place to another - hardly a solution.


--
Grunff

Condensation on double glazing
 

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:

Except that the fan uses power, an open door doesn't.

A fan uses very little power, and provides a huge improvement in the air
quality. An open door uses no power but simply moves the moisture from one
place to another - hardly a solution.

The poster was complaining about condensation on windows. Opening a door, in
my experience, solves the problem.

Mary


--
Grunff

Condensation on double glazing
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:

Except that the fan uses power, an open door doesn't.

A fan uses very little power, and provides a huge improvement in the air
quality. An open door uses no power but simply moves the moisture from
one place to another - hardly a solution.

The poster was complaining about condensation on windows. Opening a door,
in my experience, solves the problem.

Don't let it hit you in the ass on your way out......

Condensation on double glazing
 

Mary Fisher wrote:

The poster was complaining about condensation on windows. Opening a door, in
my experience, solves the problem.

You were specifically referring to bathroom fans (in your reply to Al's
post) - a bathroom fan is infinitely superior to just opening a door.


--
Grunff

Condensation on double glazing
 

On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:12:55 +0000, Grunff wrote:

Mary Fisher wrote:

The poster was complaining about condensation on windows. Opening a door, in
my experience, solves the problem.

You were specifically referring to bathroom fans (in your reply to Al's
post) - a bathroom fan is infinitely superior to just opening a door.

She's probably bathing in a tin bath located in the outhouse next to
the chicken run. Opening a door in those circumstances obviously lets
any condensation out. (and the bird flu in) :)


--

Condensation on double glazing
 

"Matt" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:12:55 +0000, Grunff wrote:

Mary Fisher wrote:

The poster was complaining about condensation on windows. Opening a
door, in
my experience, solves the problem.

You were specifically referring to bathroom fans (in your reply to Al's
post) - a bathroom fan is infinitely superior to just opening a door.

She's probably bathing in a tin bath located in the outhouse next to
the chicken run. Opening a door in those circumstances obviously lets
any condensation out. (and the bird flu in) :)

Can't afford tin. Galvanised has to do for us - when it's allowed again
because of the toes.

The hens don't have a run, they're free range until Defra says we have to
take them indoors.


--

Condensation on double glazing
 

First it's normal to see a SMALL amount of condensation (usually in the
corners of the windows) overnight. You however, have a little too much
moisture in the air (windows are fine.)

As others have pointed out, either turn down the humidifier during cold
weather and use the kitchen fans when cooking and bath fans when bathing in
the winter. (What you see on the windows is also being seen in the attic
cavity and inside the walls as condensation when the moisture hits the dew
point inside the insulation.)

Dennis

wrote in message
oups.com...
I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a FENSA
We are happy with the windows etc, but in winter sometimes get
condensation on the windows. This only happens on mornings where it is
particually cold and wet out, it burns off by midday, and is worse in
rooms where people have been sleeping.

Condensation on double glazing
 

Matt wrote in
:

On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:12:55 +0000, Grunff wrote:

Mary Fisher wrote:

The poster was complaining about condensation on windows. Opening a
door, in my experience, solves the problem.

You were specifically referring to bathroom fans (in your reply to
Al's post) - a bathroom fan is infinitely superior to just opening a
door.

She's probably bathing in a tin bath located in the outhouse next to
the chicken run. Opening a door in those circumstances obviously lets
any condensation out. (and the bird flu in) :)




I suspect Mary Fisher is just a fun'in ya. I mean look at the stupid
remarks. Then look at her "handle". Fisher as in fishing for a sap. Mary
as in happy == Merry Fisher.

Condensation on double glazing
 

Al Bundy wrote:

[snip]
I suspect Mary Fisher is just a fun'in ya. I mean look at the stupid
remarks. Then look at her "handle". Fisher as in fishing for a sap. Mary
as in happy == Merry Fisher.

Oh FFS have you never read a book in your life?

Condensation on double glazing
 

Steve Firth wrote in
:

Al Bundy wrote:

[snip]
I suspect Mary Fisher is just a fun'in ya. I mean look at the stupid
remarks. Then look at her "handle". Fisher as in fishing for a sap.
Mary as in happy == Merry Fisher.

Oh FFS have you never read a book in your life?




Does the TV Guide count?

Condensation on double glazing
 

wrote:
I had some double glazing fitted last year, it was fitted by a FENSA
registered company, but was the cheapest quote we found - approx £4000
for 6 leaded windows and a patio door.

We are happy with the windows etc, but in winter sometimes get
condensation on the windows. This only happens on mornings where it is
particually cold and wet out, it burns off by midday, and is worse in
rooms where people have been sleeping.

The water is not inbetween the pannels (as I can wipe it off) and the
panels dont feel particually cold.

The links below are some pictures of the condensation, I just wanted to
know if it is a result of buying cheap double glazing (in which case
fair enough) or if it means they are faulty. Is there some kind of
measureable leagal minimum that the windows need to comply with?

http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1572.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1573.JPG
http://www.websphereusergroup.org.uk/temp/IMGP1574.JPG


Thanks

David Bevan
http://www.davidbevan.co.uk

Hi,
Think ventilation and humidity control.