I've got a small single glazed unheated conservatory that leads from
the main house to a small unheated utility room. It sufferers both
from condensation in the winter and draughts that blow back into the
main house. I'm currently resealing the all the windows with silicone.
Then I'm planning to install secondary glazing of the heat film and
double sided tape variety over the fan lights.

In the utility the tumble drier vents through a ribbed tube that
connects to a plastic pipe that goes through the wall and then right
angles downward. Whilst this keeps the rain out is this normal or is
it more usual to have some sort of anti-blow back vent?

In the utility room the washing machine discharges into a large
stainless sink before the water drains away. I'm thinking of
installing an extractor fan in the utilties' external wall to try to
cut down on the damp. Last year we ran a dehumidifier in the
conservatory, but now we've got a wireless electricity meter. If I did
the whole conservatory with secondary glazing it would be a relatively
big area. How hard would it be to knock a tidy hole in a 1960's
external wall?

"Chade" wrote in message
...
usual to have some sort of anti-blow back vent?

In the utility room the washing machine discharges into a large
stainless sink before the water drains away. I'm thinking of
installing an extractor fan in the utilties' external wall to try to
cut down on the damp. Last year we ran a dehumidifier in the

First I would plumb the washing machine into the sink waste pipe if
possible - at the moment, IIUC, your hot waste water is swilling around in a
large sink giving off lots of steam!

Assuming your exterior wall is 9/11" brick you can relatively easily drill
through for an extractor using an SDS and suitable core drill - hire one if
necessary.

Peter

On 26 Aug, 16:50, "Peter Andrews"
wrote:


First I would plumb the washing machine into the sink waste pipe if
possible - at the moment, IIUC, your hot waste water is swilling around in a
large sink giving off lots of steam!


I've had a look at the pipes under the sink. Immediately under the
sink is a metal right angle bend leading to a short metal pipe another
right angle (plastic) joins this to a vertical plastic pipe. This
disappears into a lump in the concrete floor. assuming the utility was
formally a brick lean too for an outside toilet I'd say someone had
stuck the pipe where the toilet had attached to the floor and
concreted around it. All the pipe work under the sink has had several
thick coats of paint. I've tried measuring the plastic pipe and I
reckon it's one and one quarter inch. Currently bits of felty stuff
are caught in the grill in the plug hole. Presumably I'd need to add
some sort of trap to the waste pipe below where I plumb in the washing
machine. I've had a quick look in the screwfix catalog and I see their
are pedestal traps that would fit a straight pipe. Are these easy to
clean? What would happen to the washing machine if they backed up? I
see there is a fitting for plumbing a washing machine into a straight
pipe would this connect direct to the trap? What would be the best way
to remove the coats of paint from the plastic pipe without damaging
it?

Assuming your exterior wall is 9/11" brick you can relatively easily drill
through for an extractor using an SDS and suitable core drill - hire one if
necessary.

I don't know what 9/11" brick is.

On 26/08/2010 21:13, Chade wrote:
On 26 Aug, 16:50, "Peter
wrote:


First I would plumb the washing machine into the sink waste pipe if
possible - at the moment, IIUC, your hot waste water is swilling around in a
large sink giving off lots of steam!


I've had a look at the pipes under the sink. Immediately under the
sink is a metal right angle bend leading to a short metal pipe another
right angle (plastic) joins this to a vertical plastic pipe. This
disappears into a lump in the concrete floor. assuming the utility was
formally a brick lean too for an outside toilet I'd say someone had
stuck the pipe where the toilet had attached to the floor and
concreted around it. All the pipe work under the sink has had several
thick coats of paint. I've tried measuring the plastic pipe and I
reckon it's one and one quarter inch. Currently bits of felty stuff
are caught in the grill in the plug hole. Presumably I'd need to add
some sort of trap to the waste pipe below where I plumb in the washing
machine. I've had a quick look in the screwfix catalog and I see their
are pedestal traps that would fit a straight pipe. Are these easy to
clean? What would happen to the washing machine if they backed up? I
see there is a fitting for plumbing a washing machine into a straight
pipe would this connect direct to the trap? What would be the best way
to remove the coats of paint from the plastic pipe without damaging
it?

Assuming your exterior wall is 9/11" brick you can relatively easily drill
through for an extractor using an SDS and suitable core drill - hire one if
necessary.

I don't know what 9/11" brick is.

9 inch or 11 inch.

Andy

Due to the "relatively variable" construction industry right now, you
may find places like Hire Station will do a same-day delivery n
collect or weekend-hire of a 107mm core drill & diamond core drill w/
transformer. Typically £30-35 excluding the core drill.

Beware there is a charge for core drill breakage, but you can buy
insurance for this (ask) or simply buy a Blue Spot core drill online
somewhere (Amazon, Ebay, ?Toolstation?) for about £20 and sell it back
out on Ebay for about £10+postage.

You can do it by stitch drilling with an SDS (which you can also
hire), however it is not as neat.

For cheap wallplate (square plate, 4 screw holes, central 102mm hole)
+ tube (300mm long) + spigot (for tube to dryer hookup) + outside
backdraught shutter (brown or white) go to www.bes.co.uk and they do
not cost much. You can also get them on Ebay and B&Q. Do not use a "co-
axial expanding duct" because they can leak past the seal and create a
damp spot in the cavity.

Properly extracting moisture makes a huge difference and far cheaper
than trying to use a dehumidifier (375W/hr does not sound like much,
but the core drill will pay for itself in under a year I suspect). At
the same time if you do not have a kitchen cooker hood extractor, you
can fit one of those - £20 will get a slightly scratched unit of Ebay,
use the same core drill to make a 107mm hole.

Chade wrote:
I've got a small single glazed unheated conservatory that leads from
the main house to a small unheated utility room. It sufferers both
from condensation in the winter and draughts that blow back into the
main house. I'm currently resealing the all the windows with silicone.
Then I'm planning to install secondary glazing of the heat film and
double sided tape variety over the fan lights.

In the utility the tumble drier vents through a ribbed tube that
connects to a plastic pipe that goes through the wall and then right
angles downward. Whilst this keeps the rain out is this normal or is
it more usual to have some sort of anti-blow back vent?
yes but why bother? if the door is kept shut on the drier no draught
should come through

In the utility room the washing machine discharges into a large
stainless sink before the water drains away.

Plumb in the drain properly. As it is it will cause steam/condensation
as the washer drains hot water.
I'm thinking of
installing an extractor fan in the utilties' external wall to try to
cut down on the damp. Last year we ran a dehumidifier in the
conservatory, but now we've got a wireless electricity meter.
??? What is the link here?
If I did
the whole conservatory with secondary glazing it would be a relatively
big area. How hard would it be to knock a tidy hole in a 1960's
external wall?
You can get/hire a drill to cut a hole for 110mm soil pipe or drill lots
of little holes in a circle and join up the dots with a chisel. Use a
long drill in the centre to make sure the ends line up for inside to
outside. The extractors usually use 100mm and come with a kit to seal
the ends. Or use builders expanding foam ( not too much!! practice
first and see how much is expands)
Make sure you are not pumping your humid air into the cavity.

Bob

On 26 Aug, 17:04, Bob Minchin
wrote:
Chade wrote:
I've got a small single glazed unheated conservatory that leads from
the main house to a small unheated utility room. It sufferers both
from condensation in the winter and draughts that blow back into the
main house. I'm currently resealing the all the windows with silicone.
Then I'm planning to install secondary glazing of the heat film and
double sided tape variety over the fan lights.

In the utility the tumble drier vents through a ribbed tube that
connects to a plastic pipe that goes through the wall and then right
angles downward. Whilst this keeps the rain out is this normal or is
it more usual to have some sort of anti-blow back vent?

yes but why bother? if the door is kept shut on the drier no draught
should come through



The conservatory floor is tiled with uneven quarry tiles. I'm going to
add a brush type excluder to the bottom of the door but my hopes
aren't high.


In the utility room the washing machine discharges into a large
stainless sink before the water drains away.

Plumb in the drain properly. As it is it will cause steam/condensation
as the washer drains hot water.
I'm thinking of installing an extractor fan in the utilties' external wall to try to
cut down on the damp. Last year we ran a dehumidifier in the
conservatory, but now we've got a wireless electricity meter.

??? What is the link here?

The cost of running a dehumidifier!

If I did the whole conservatory with secondary glazing it would be a relatively
big area. How hard would it be to knock a tidy hole in a 1960's
external wall?

You can get/hire a drill to cut a hole for 110mm soil pipe or drill lots
of little holes in a circle and join up the dots with a chisel. Use a
long drill in the centre to make sure the ends line up for inside to
outside.
The extractors usually use 100mm and come with a kit to seal
the ends. Or use builders expanding foam ( not too much!! practice
first and see how much is expands)

Interesting.

Make sure you are not pumping your humid air into the cavity.

I don't think it's has a cavity wall. I think it was built as a lean
too.