Damn Damp (EN)

→ Nederlandse versie

We needed to take measures against damp and humidity, as described in Zoomba part 9: "Home". Even if the house is in a dry climate, after a few months with windows and shutters closed, it is far too humid inside.

The first time we visited, after three months, we had no electricity: the RCD refused to operate. But, even with every group switched off, it still switched off when operating the main switch. Probably due to a damp RCD, after a few days ventilating the power came back. This time, last week, it was humid again in the house, with mould on a table and stairs...

I looked at a SolarVenti system, but deemed it too expensive, especially for the size needed for this house. And installation is too much work. Also, I wonder if it makes sense to blow "slightly" warmed up air into the house: the water vapour is not actually removed from the air. What is good is that it operates only when the sun is shining, and the outside air already is, relatively, dryer.

We installed this system . It is a small solar panel, and a 12V ventilator, that is supposed to be able to blow 60 m3 per hour. The idea is that it only operates when the sun is shining, and it (thus) is warmer and dryer outside. With a capacity of 60 m3 / h the air in the kitchen should, theoretically, be refreshed a few times a day. We'll know in a few months if it really worked.

I'm not a complete fan (haha!) of this system, though: the panel itself is a bit clumsily made. Just to be sure I aluminium-taped a few holes in the frame. Same for the connector box at the backside, as that is not watertight at all. Also, there is no provision for low-light conditions. If there is not enough sun to run the fan it just sits there, buzzing a bit. They could have added a bit of electronics shutting off the power to the fan when that happens. You are better off buying the components separately, too. The panel is 25 € separately, this system is 99 €.

The house has another damp problem: a humid cellar. I think that much of the dampness there is the result of condensed water vapour, as every bit of air entering the cellar by the entrance loses it's water in the cellar, which only gets wetter. The entrance is now closed off, so at least no damp air rises from there. I intend to install a metal pipe inside the cellar for ventilation, so all air entering the celler via that pipe is cooled off, and loses it's water. The water will be captured and thrown into the garden. We'll see if that will work, too!