I am sure that many of you will recall that for awhile - years - i have been be moaning the problems of my kitchen, condensation and mould (1950's bungalow). I have it all year round but in winter it is at its worst.

Having tried everything I eventually got my OH to put in a PIV ( nuaire eco with heat but we do not have the heat unit on as it happens). Well, after a month, I think I can say it is working. The walls are drying. The mould has not returned since I cleaned it off just after Christmas and all the rooms have lost the must smell ( although the kitchen is still musty smelling).

I also use a dehumidifier still when cooking ( maybe I need a vent for the cooker in the kitchen?). But the walls are now drying off and the windows are free from running water and everything seems to have imporved significantly.

Now maybe I will be able to re paint, clean and have a mould free and cough free life.

Thought I would share that.

wrote:

I am sure that many of you will recall that for awhile - years - i have
been be moaning the problems of my kitchen, condensation and mould (1950's
bungalow). I have it all year round but in winter it is at its worst.

Having tried everything I eventually got my OH to put in a PIV ( nuaire
eco with heat but we do not have the heat unit on as it happens). Well,
after a month, I think I can say it is working. The walls are drying. The
mould has not returned since I cleaned it off just after Christmas and all
the rooms have lost the must smell ( although the kitchen is still musty
smelling).

I also use a dehumidifier still when cooking ( maybe I need a vent for the
cooker in the kitchen?). But the walls are now drying off and the windows
are free from running water and everything seems to have imporved
significantly.

Now maybe I will be able to re paint, clean and have a mould free and
cough free life.

Thought I would share that.

That's interesting. Is the air intake in the loft and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all? How often do filters need changing?

--

Roger Hayter

On Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 9:26:54 AM UTC, Roger Hayter wrote:
wrote:

are free from running water and everything seems to have imporved
significantly.

Now maybe I will be able to re paint, clean and have a mould free and
cough free life.

Thought I would share that.

That's interesting. Is the air intake in the loft and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all? How often do filters need changing?

--

Roger Hayter

Is the air intake in the loft

Yes, the air intake is in the loft.

and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all?

No, because it has filters on the PIV.


How often do filters need changing?

According to the manufacturer, every five to seven years.
I cannot confirm that because we have not had it that long.

wrote:

On Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 9:26:54 AM UTC, Roger Hayter wrote:
wrote:

are free from running water and everything seems to have imporved
significantly.

Now maybe I will be able to re paint, clean and have a mould free and
cough free life.

Thought I would share that.

That's interesting. Is the air intake in the loft and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all? How often do filters need changing?

--

Roger Hayter

Is the air intake in the loft

Yes, the air intake is in the loft.

and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all?

No, because it has filters on the PIV.


How often do filters need changing?

According to the manufacturer, every five to seven years.
I cannot confirm that because we have not had it that long.

Sounds like a good idea, especially if I ever have a house less draughty
than the current one.

--

Roger Hayter

On Sun, 16 Feb 2020 12:46:06 +0000, (Roger Hayter)
wrote:

snip

How often do filters need changing?

According to the manufacturer, every five to seven years.
I cannot confirm that because we have not had it that long.

Sounds like a good idea, especially if I ever have a house less draughty
than the current one.

Those Victorians had it all worked out eh. ;-)

Seriously though, we now often live in near hermetically sealed homes
and you see people drying clothes indoors and on radiators complaining
about the (subsequent) condensation and mould.

I thought we were supposed to 'change' the air in our homes several
times a day?

We replace a draughty sash window with a modern sealed DG one and are
then forced to have a permanently open 'trickle vent' to replace the
draught the old windows provided in the first place! ;-)

We live in an EOT Victorian cottage with solid brick walls and don't
have central heating as there seems little point heating up large
flank walls that are exposed to the outside world.

Our TD is a vented one and oil filled rads keep the rooms we are using
at a comfortable temperature (some of it on E7).

Plus the Mrs goes up and down in temperature all the time so a
'warmish' room and her having the option of putting a cardi on works
for us. ;-)

And given the global warming I can't see the point of fitting CH now
but might extend the Aircon for the summer. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 1:32:15 PM UTC, T i m wrote:
On Sun, 16 Feb 2020 12:46:06 +0000, (Roger Hayter)
wrote:

We replace a draughty sash window with a modern sealed DG one and are
then forced to have a permanently open 'trickle vent' to replace the
draught the old windows provided in the first place! ;-)

We live in an EOT Victorian cottage with solid brick walls and don't
have central heating as there seems little point heating up large
flank walls that are exposed to the outside world.

Our TD is a vented one and oil filled rads keep the rooms we are using
at a comfortable temperature (some of it on E7).

Plus the Mrs goes up and down in temperature all the time so a
'warmish' room and her having the option of putting a cardi on works
for us. ;-)

And given the global warming I can't see the point of fitting CH now
but might extend the Aircon for the summer. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Seriously though, we now often live in near hermetically sealed homes
and you see people drying clothes indoors and on radiators complaining
about the (subsequent) condensation and mould

In my own defence if I may, I do not dry washing indoors. I have a condensing dryer but I even had that moved out of the kitchen ( together with the freezer ) to an outhouse at much inconvenience but it did not good.

I moved them back when I realised it was not the machinery but just that the house had become so bubble wrapped it was not moving any air. I cut my washing down to once a week and use of the cooker to twice a week before getting a dehumidifier for the times I had the cooker or washer running.

But still we had a problem. Short of not breathing nothing was stoppin g the condensation and mould until we got the PIV.

You are correct though, modern living with its over insulated houses is to blame. If I had my time over I would have left the old wooden single glazed windows in place and not had the roof insulation. I called a halt at cavity wall insulation because we were already in black mould country before then.

On 16 Feb 2020 at 12:46:06 GMT, "Roger Hayter" Roger Hayter wrote:

wrote:

On Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 9:26:54 AM UTC, Roger Hayter wrote:
wrote:

are free from running water and everything seems to have imporved
significantly.

Now maybe I will be able to re paint, clean and have a mould free and
cough free life.

Thought I would share that.

That's interesting. Is the air intake in the loft and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all? How often do filters need changing?

--

Roger Hayter

Is the air intake in the loft

Yes, the air intake is in the loft.

and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all?

No, because it has filters on the PIV.


How often do filters need changing?

According to the manufacturer, every five to seven years.
I cannot confirm that because we have not had it that long.

Sounds like a good idea, especially if I ever have a house less draughty
than the current one.

Strikes me that that's the rub - how does the fresh air circulate/exhaust. If
it's not actually pushing out the damp air the problem remains?


--
Cheers, Rob

On 16/02/2020 13:42, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Sun, 16 Feb 2020 13:35:41 +0000 (UTC), RJH
wrote:

On 16 Feb 2020 at 12:46:06 GMT, "Roger Hayter" Roger Hayter wrote:

wrote:

On Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 9:26:54 AM UTC, Roger Hayter wrote:
wrote:

are free from running water and everything seems to have imporved
significantly.

Now maybe I will be able to re paint, clean and have a mould free and
cough free life.

Thought I would share that.

That's interesting. Is the air intake in the loft and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all? How often do filters need changing?

--

Roger Hayter

Is the air intake in the loft

Yes, the air intake is in the loft.

and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all?

No, because it has filters on the PIV.


How often do filters need changing?

According to the manufacturer, every five to seven years.
I cannot confirm that because we have not had it that long.

Sounds like a good idea, especially if I ever have a house less draughty
than the current one.

Strikes me that that's the rub - how does the fresh air circulate/exhaust. If
it's not actually pushing out the damp air the problem remains?

This tells you all (or nothing?) about it
https://www.nuaire.co.uk/residential...ut-ventilation


Works well with cauldrons.

--
Adam

Chris Hogg wrote on 16/02/2020 :
This tells you all (or nothing?) about it
https://www.nuaire.co.uk/residential...ut-ventilation


Read like techno waffle to me. The only way to ensure a satisfactorily
low humidity, is to either have lots of drafty through ventilation, or
extract moist air at source. That last means extracting air at the
cooker, in bathrooms and not drying clothes in the house. All blowing
air into a house does, is cause it to leak out through completely
random, uncontrolled exits.

O

Now maybe I will be able to re paint, clean and have a mould free and
cough free life.

Thought I would share that.

That's interesting. Is the air intake in the loft and, if so, is the
incoming air dusty at all? How often do filters need changing?

--

Roger Hayter

I should also add, you cant hear it either. Its whisper quiet.

On Sat, 15 Feb 2020 22:44:11 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

( maybe I need a vent for the cooker in the kitchen?).

Yes, no doubt about it.

Old kitchen here had a cooker hood but it recycled the air. There was
an extractor fan but it was broken. Didn't have a problem with mould
but when cooking the windows (6mm double glazed units) would stream
with condensation.

I removed the broken extrator fan and installed a length of vent hose
from the hood to the hole in the wall, draught proofed of course. Use
the hood when cooking, no more condenstaion on the windows.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 16/02/2020 06:44, wrote:
I am sure that many of you will recall that for awhile - years - i have been be moaning


Yes.

--
Adam

On Sunday, 16 February 2020 06:44:14 UTC, wrote:
I am sure that many of you will recall that for awhile - years - i have been be moaning the problems of my kitchen, condensation and mould (1950's bungalow). I have it all year round but in winter it is at its worst.

Having tried everything I eventually got my OH to put in a PIV ( nuaire eco with heat but we do not have the heat unit on as it happens). Well, after a month, I think I can say it is working. The walls are drying. The mould has not returned since I cleaned it off just after Christmas and all the rooms have lost the must smell ( although the kitchen is still musty smelling).

I also use a dehumidifier still when cooking ( maybe I need a vent for the cooker in the kitchen?). But the walls are now drying off and the windows are free from running water and everything seems to have imporved significantly.

Now maybe I will be able to re paint, clean and have a mould free and cough free life.

Thought I would share that.

You need extractors at both kitchen and showers if you have one.
There also needs to be means to let the air you extract be replaced (ie an air "intake")

Be aware of any chimneys. Extractor fans can suck air down the chimneys and hence combustion fumes into the house.

On 16/02/20 06:44, wrote:
I am sure that many of you will recall that for awhile - years - i have been be moaning the problems of my kitchen, condensation and mould (1950's bungalow). I have it all year round but in winter it is at its worst.

Having tried everything I eventually got my OH to put in a PIV ( nuaire eco with heat but we do not have the heat unit on as it happens). Well, after a month, I think I can say it is working. The walls are drying. The mould has not returned since I cleaned it off just after Christmas and all the rooms have lost the must smell ( although the kitchen is still musty smelling).

I also use a dehumidifier still when cooking ( maybe I need a vent for the cooker in the kitchen?). But the walls are now drying off and the windows are free from running water and everything seems to have imporved significantly.

Now maybe I will be able to re paint, clean and have a mould free and cough free life.

Thought I would share that.

Could you tell me how well it works with "hidden" mould growth? By that
I mean the mould that grows on walls behind cupboards, wardrobes, etc,
on the backs of those wardrobes, and even inside the wardrobes, drawers,
and anything enclosed.

We have used a dehumidifier, and that helps, but (as has been pointed
out in this thread), only as long as it is on and used regularly. The
hidden mould we have found is not black, but blue (maybe a
penicillium?), and will appear on the strangest surfaces, even some
plastic ones, but it most certainly has a predilection for leather -
belts, handbags, shoes, etc.

--

Jeff

Jeff Layman submitted this idea :
Could you tell me how well it works with "hidden" mould growth? By that I
mean the mould that grows on walls behind cupboards, wardrobes, etc, on the
backs of those wardrobes, and even inside the wardrobes, drawers, and
anything enclosed.

Your moisture must be from somewhere and its source/cause needs to be
found. I have lots of cupboards, drawers and wardrobe space - none of
which suffer such problems. I have an especially large built in
wardrobe, occupying a full wall (maybe 16' wide) which I built 30 years
ago and is packed with clothes, never any problems there. It is
back-less, just a papered, plastered, cavity party wall behind it and
all 6x doors are usually kept closed.