Why Cold Water Pipes Get Wet And How To Get Rid Of Condensation

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• What does dew point mean?
• Indoor condensation - the main causes of
• Methods and methods for eliminating condensate on pipes

Among the problems of modern home equipment, the problem of condensation on a cold pipe quite often becomes one of the reasons for deeper problem situations, starting with banal pipe breaks and ending with the destruction of structural elements of a building. Considering the situation of condensation formation on cold water pipes, one must first of all understand that in many ways the situation is not critical, because this phenomenon is largely a consequence of physical processes, which means that if there is an explanation for this phenomenon, then there are ways to eliminate condensate on cold water pipes. water.

What does dew point mean?

Before starting to answer the question of how to get rid of condensation, it would be correct to find an explanation for this phenomenon, in order to better understand the cause and possible methods of dealing with it. A fairly simple explanation of why pipes of cold water sweat can be represented in the following form - the air in any room has its own temperature, while, in addition to the temperature index in the air, it is characterized by such an indicator as the presence of water vapor in it, upon cooling of which water drops are formed. The supply temperature of cold water to a room with a normal room temperature of + 22-23 C is much lower, about + 15-16 C, and if it is a water supply system connected to an individual well or a well, then + 10-12 C. And as a result, water their air vapor condenses on the cold surface, thus forming water droplets.

At the same time, such a relatively simple explanation does not reveal one particular feature of the problem, why condensate of water vapor does not always appear on a cold pipe. A phenomenon such as condensation on cold water pipes largely depends on the humidity of the air, its saturation with water vapor. Complex formulas for finding the dew point to determine a specific indicator of surface temperature and air humidity show that the more saturated with air moisture, the less the difference in surface temperatures for condensation must be. For example, at an air temperature of +23 C and a humidity of 60%, condensation will form at a water supply surface temperature of +14.8 C, and already at 90% at +21.3 C.

Indoor condensation - the main causes of

According to the requirements of the documents, determining the temperature regime in the premises of a residential building with centralized heating, the temperature should be within + 20-23 C, the hot water supply temperature within + 65-75 C. But the cold water supply temperature is much lower, and although it is normative not regulated, it is clear that the difference even between how hot the air is and what the temperature of the cold water is, is quite sufficient for the formation of condensate drops.

For the planning of modern premises, the usual layout of communications is most often practiced - one pipeline is made for a bathroom, toilet, kitchen. If the layout of the apartment provides for a separate location of the bathroom and the kitchen, then the problem of how to remove condensate from the cold pipes will have to be solved at several points of entry, but for all these rooms, first of all, you should pay attention:

• location and length of main pipelines (risers) of cold water in the room;
• the presence and performance of the ventilation system of the room;
• design features, both of the bathroom and the rest of the rooms through which the pipeline passes.

For both apartment buildings and private houses, the arrangement of the cold water pipelines is done taking into account the most rational use of materials and the location of devices connected to the water supply - a boiler, a hot water boiler, a bath, a shower, a toilet bowl, a sink, a washing machine. In view of this, the length of the cold water supply system is selected to be minimal. At the same time, only cold water supply is used to connect many devices, as a result of which the surface area on which condensation forms is significantly increased.

In addition, you need to pay attention to the moment that in different rooms drops on pipes and hoses are formed unevenly, in some they appear more often, in others less often. For example, condensation on the cold water pipe in the toilet, especially if it is an apartment building, then it will be almost always present on the main pipeline pipe, and on the hose going to the boiler or sink only occasionally, and then at the time when the water supply will pass through it …

Another important point why pipes get wet is the presence of ventilation in the room, and not formal, but really working, with real air circulation. This is very important in order to quickly get rid of condensation on a cold pipe in the kitchen or bathroom, because in these rooms there is often a huge amount of water vapor.

Thus, the main causes of condensation on cold water pipes are:

• temperature difference between cold water and ambient air;
• lack of ventilation in the premises;
• improperly laid pipelines.

Read more about how to get rid of condensation on the toilet.

Methods and methods for eliminating condensate on pipes

To eliminate the problem of condensate on cold pipes, you should carefully study the problem areas, because in each case this is a somewhat unique situation. Today, to successfully solve this problem, it is necessary to approach in a comprehensive manner, especially since today there is a whole arsenal of methods that allow you to get rid of condensate on cold water pipes.

The main methods are:

• natural ventilation device;
• installation of a forced ventilation system;
• application of liquid thermal insulation Korund;
• installation of water pipe insulation.

In many ways, the usual ventilation grill will tell you why the pipes in the toilet sweat. Most often, you can solve the problem of dew on pipes in the toilet by cleaning the ventilation hole - just remove the grate and remove all debris from the channel. Improving air circulation will reduce humidity and condensation.

For rooms in which metal-plastic windows are installed and where natural ventilation does not give the expected effect, it is recommended to install a flow fan in the ventilation duct, thus ensuring the forced removal of air from the room.

For a main riser, the most effective way would be to insulate cold water pipes with a special heat-insulating sleeve. To do this, it is enough to cut the heat-insulating sleeve of a suitable diameter, wrap it around the main pipe and secure it with tape. Below is a video of how to insulate pipes from perspiration:-)

To get rid of condensation on the pipe, you can use Corundum liquid thermal insulation, which prevents the formation of moisture.

The next way to insulate cold water pipes from condensation is to apply liquid thermal insulation to the pipe. A special composition is applied with a regular brush to the pipe surface, which, after hardening, forms a layer of thermal insulation.

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