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According to the laws of physics, warm air contains more moisture than in cold. In areas with large temperature differences, water vapor settles on the colder surface, forming condensation.
Especially in summer, so many drops of water collect that they flow onto the floor, where puddles that never dry out form. And constantly wet pipes begin to rust, mold and fail faster.
Condensation occurs on water pipes By various reasons. First of all, these are technical malfunctions:
The amount of condensation is also affected by the humidity of the surrounding air. This parameter is often determined by reasons that are impossible or very difficult to eliminate:
The harmful effects of moisture on plumbing equipment and premises make us think about methods to combat the formation of condensation. Most of them are relatively simple and inexpensive.
First of all, excess moisture is eliminated by influx fresh air. If there is no ventilation at all, it is advisable to organize it.
The operation of the existing system may be hampered by debris accumulated in ventilation duct. You need to unscrew the grille and carefully clean out the dust and cobwebs from the hole.
You can verify the presence of traction by holding a lit match to the hole. If the draft is still insufficient, you need to buy and install a fan in the duct.
High-quality insulation is one of the most effective ways. Effective and inexpensive vapor-tight thermal insulation is made from polyethylene foam. This material is called energyflex and is sold in the form of finished tubes of various diameters or in rolls.
Before use, the pipeline must be dried, then cut the elastic tunnel lengthwise and put it on the pipe. The joints are treated with polyurethane foam and secured with waterproof tape.
Homemade thermal insulation can be made from epoxy putty and old fabric scraps. The pipe is cleaned of traces of rust with sanding paper, wiped with acetone to remove grease, and additionally special means against rust.
Now a base layer of epoxy putty is applied to it and the still wet surface is quickly wrapped with strips of rags. Having wound two or three layers, the fabric is fixed with wire and applied on top of it. finishing layer epoxy putty. Now you need to wait until it dries and you can clean and paint the surface.
If not necessary materials, or it is impossible to carry out work at the moment, you can use in simple ways. But you need to remember that they are not suitable for long-term use.
Pipe processing plumbing system is the most affordable and effective way to combat condensation. Older systems tend to consist of metal components and are more susceptible to leaks and corrosion.
Modern pipelines can be made of either durable plastic or fracture-resistant metal alloys.
Metal pipes are especially susceptible to corrosion in damp conditions. At the same time, they lend themselves well to coloring. Previously, the old rust is cleaned off and the metal is coated with anti-corrosion compounds: carbolate paste, protective primers based on drying oil or epoxy varnish. Then outer surface paint oil paint.
A small bathroom area often results in risers being located too close to each other. As a result, the pipes “cry”, creating in and so damp room additional dampness.
Openly laid cold pipes can be painted with any oil paint or enamel. Only heat-resistant enamels are suitable for hot pipes and heated towel rails.
If a faucet or shower drips, this helps to further cool the pipes. The heat exchange between them and the environment increases, and condensation forms more intensively. In addition, water is wasted, which harms the environment and causes water meters to spin. Therefore, maintaining plumbing in good condition will bring tangible savings and benefits.
The need to treat pipelines in the toilet is also associated with their close location in space. In addition, a leaking tank leads to constant movement cold water through pipes, and this, in turn, leads to their additional cooling.
Equipment repair plus thermal insulation and painting will help maintain engineering Communication in dryness.
Plastic pipes do not rust, but condensation on them also leads to puddles on the floor and mold on the walls. If the system was initially installed in a suboptimal manner, you will have to pay attention to it by ensuring insulation.
The universal thermal insulation for plastic “cold” pipes is polystyrene foam, or simply polystyrene foam. It does not have elasticity, so the insulation is produced in the form of two parts with a recess for the pipe.
The polystyrene foam halves are placed on the pipeline and secured with special connecting elements and reinforced adhesive tape. Thanks to this, the tightness of the insulation is achieved, which is very important for achieving a good effect.
Glass wool or mineral wool. These insulation materials can be purchased according to the diameter of the pipes or you can buy a whole roll, which you can then use as needed.
The difficulty is that it cannot be applied to plastic pipes at home. You will have to take care of purchasing pipes with an appropriate coating with a thickness of 3 cm or more, made at the factory.
There are special chemical compositions to combat condensate on pipes. For pipelines with cold water The industry offers tools such as:
The cleaned surface is treated with a primer and a protective mixture is applied using a spray bottle or brush. It is recommended to apply the product in several layers to enhance the effect. Each subsequent layer is applied after the previous one has dried. A so-called fixative is applied on top of the latter. It protects insulation and improves appearance communications.
Since the problem of water condensation is widespread, there are devices that capture water vapor and remove the resulting liquid. In particular, condensate drains are installed at the outlet of water heaters. Depending on the heat exchange scheme, thermodynamic, thermostatic and mechanical devices are used.
The most popular are condensate traps that operate on the float principle. They separate accumulated water from steam and remove it from the system, using the difference in density between water and steam.
Float devices have the following advantages:
A skilled owner can carry out most of the thermal insulation work himself. Replacing a leaking elbow on a plastic pipe requires almost no special equipment. The pipe can also be bent to increase the distance to the adjacent pipeline. This method is often used for isolation. A larger diameter corrugation is put on the pipe and the gap is filled with foam.
If pipes are walled up under tiles, it is also advisable to insulate them. Otherwise, black mold will appear in the tile joints.
Watch the video to learn how to properly insulate bathroom pipes.
Carrying out work in apartment building, you need to take into account that the risers, fan pipes etc. are common property. It is better to coordinate actions with them management company. Also, in order to turn off the water supply, you will have to contact your local plumber. Equipment in the bathroom and toilet, connections and flexible hoses, as a rule, belong to the owners of the apartment. They can be processed and replaced at your discretion.
In a private house, the owner is responsible for all communications, external and internal. Even at the construction stage, you need to pay attention to the wiring diagram and thermal insulation of the system. To correct the situation in finished house you will have to apply the above methods to combat condensation.
If you can’t get rid of condensation, waterproof the walls and floor. And these are already costly and voluminous renovation work, which can only be performed by specialists.
To avoid additions and alterations to the water supply system, you need to remember about a proven remedy - prevention. Performance simple recommendations will help without special effort reduce the amount of condensate:
If excess moisture remains, you can purchase a separate dehumidifier or air conditioner with this function.
The choice of method to combat water condensation depends on the reasons for its occurrence in a given location. It should be noted that even if, as a result of temporary measures, there is no longer condensation on the surface, the root cause must be found and eliminated. After properly planned work, the pipes will be reliably insulated, and air humidity will decrease. This ensures that there is no mold or dampness in the house.
When condensation forms on cold water pipes, an experienced plumber will always tell you what to do. But there are times when it is not possible to seek the help of a professional, so it is important to know why this phenomenon occurs and how to deal with it.
Moisture can appear on both metal and plastic surfaces. The reasons that cause it are equally removable, regardless of the fact. Thus, the accumulation of condensate is promoted by:
If condensation is detected on cold water pipes, what to do must be decided immediately. An unresolved problem not only causes aesthetic unsightliness, but can also damage the pipes.
Excess moisture can appear due to sudden temperature changes and excessive humidity. To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to establish a ventilation system, and after taking a bath, leave the door open to ventilate the room.
In the toilet common cause"crying" pipes is the leakage of water in the tank. The mechanism is simple: the water is constantly renewed and does not have time to warm up before room temperature. Thus, the pipe remains cold and the room is warm. As a result, excess moisture appears.
In places where, as a rule, air humidity is always high. But if the indicators go beyond the critical level, then it is possible unpleasant consequences both for pipes and living people.
To avoid this, you need to know how to remove condensation from cold water pipes and fix the problem in time.
Before you fight water droplets on pipes, you need to figure out why they appear. To eliminate condensation on cold water pipes, what to do in such cases is determined by the reason for its appearance.
If this is a leak, then at night, when the movement of water stops, you can hear a quiet dripping. Therefore, it is worth finding the place where the water is leaking, eliminating it, and the problem with condensation will be solved by itself.
If moisture accumulates on the tank hose and parts of the system close to it, there is probably a problem in the system of the tank itself. Due to the constant presence and relatively warm room condensation forms. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a drainage system.
When all systems are working properly and the plumbing is in order, you need to check the ventilation. It is enough to place a sheet of paper on the vent and if it falls, clean it immediately. It often happens that this measure alone is enough to completely prevent the problem.
IN summer time When the room is hot and cold water is running through the pipes, condensation is an indispensable attribute. IN in this case Eliminating too sharp a temperature difference between the outside air and the water in the pipes will help. Moisture-absorbing medications can come to the rescue.
When the cause of droplets on pipes is faulty plumbing or poor ventilation, then it is clear to any average person what to do. But what to do when the source is a technical reason. Often in apartments, hot and cold water supply pipes run too close to each other. Under such conditions, it is clear why condensate appears on pipes again and again, despite good hood and the serviceability of all systems.
If the wiring is in the public domain, you should definitely take care of thermal insulation. But in the case where the network is hidden, you will need the help of a specialist who will solve the wiring geometry. In any case, drastic repair work is needed.
Thermal insulation material is used both special and made from improvised materials. Regular corrugation and polyurethane foam will do. In this case, the corrugation is cut according to required sizes and dresses on problem areas. Where there are unfilled spaces, polyurethane foam comes to the rescue.
When the house has pavement, the question of how to get rid of condensation is solved as follows:
Please note that cold water pipes can be coated with any enamel, and the hot water supply system can only be painted with oil paint.
A problem with metal systems no less acute, because excess moisture threatens the formation of corrosion and complete wear of the pipes. Therefore, if condensation appears on cold water pipes, we will describe in detail what to do:
It should be remembered that the problem of condensation is often quite difficult to solve, so it is better to prevent its occurrence than to deal with the consequences later.
Experts who often deal with “crying” pipes have gained extensive experience in preventing the problem in the bud.
Should be purchased at the Corrugated plumbing store. The substance is applied to the entire surface of the pipes, resulting in the formation of a strong and elastic base that prevents the accumulation of moisture.
Good effect also brings liquid thermal insulation. It is applied to completely dry pipes and prevents sudden temperature changes that cause condensation.
If there is a large difference between the air temperature and the supplied water, it is necessary to insulate the pipes. The most effective and suitable material for these purposes is which is sold in any hardware store for quite affordable price. The material is fixed using a clamp and ordinary wire.
Fogging can be eliminated using the proposed methods, but which method to choose must be decided after the exact cause has been determined.
Condensation on pipes in a private house is mainly formed due to an insufficient ventilation system. Therefore, if the house is only at the construction stage, you should immediately take care of a strong hood. Before installing the pipeline, it must be thermally insulated. It is especially worth paying attention to this if hot and cold water supply pipes are located in close proximity.
An insufficient system is a common cause of condensation. Therefore, to avoid problems with this factor, it is worth paying attention to it.
For diagnostics, specialists are involved who, if necessary, will carry out cleaning. If the problem cannot be solved, you will have to install an additional exhaust duct. The ventilation system in a private home often allows you to do this without much damage or high costs.
It is better to insulate all pipes in the house. For these purposes, specialized materials are purchased. But you can use the means at hand and rid your house of constantly wet pipes.
An ordinary plastic tube is cut lengthwise and placed on the problem area. The space between the pipes is filled with polyurethane foam.
A metal pipe can be easily secured with an old rag. To do this, we get rid of the rust, dry the pipe and wrap it with rags.
Why does condensation appear on cold water pipes, what to do in this case? Condensation is a common problem, and it can appear on both metal and plastic pipelines. At first glance, the problem is insignificant, but over time it causes a lot of trouble in the form of rust, mold and unpleasant odor. That is, you still need to get rid of condensation. To do this, you need to find out the reasons for its appearance. Why do pipes sweat?
Most often you can see condensation on the pipes in the toilet. One of the reasons is a water leak in the tank. The water is constantly changing and does not have time to warm up, hence the humidity. We get rid of the leak in the tank - this reason will disappear.
Sometimes puddles appear near the riser due to excessive humidity. This means that the neighbors living above have a leak in the tank. At night, listen to the gurgling of water in the sewer, and you will immediately understand everything.
Condensation also forms due to increased humidity and temperature changes. To avoid condensation, you need good ventilation. To start, simply leave the toilet door open overnight; you may find a dry pipe in the morning.
The reason is obvious - the ventilation pipeline is clogged. Unscrew the grille on the ventilation duct and clean everything very well. A draft should appear in the ventilation duct.
If there is ventilation, but it does not cope with the problem, you can install exhaust fan. It is attached instead ventilation grille, and you turn it on as needed.
The choice of fans in modern construction supermarkets is huge, for every taste and at any price. IN Lately The installation of such fans in toilets and bathrooms is very common.
How to get rid of condensation on pipes in the bathroom? The pipes in the bathroom also sweat. The reason may be similar. Condensation on the riser means problems with the neighbors' plumbing. The pipeline supplying water to your plumbing becomes wet; the faucet is not working properly. The absence of a hood, as in the first case, aggravates the problem.
If systems with hot water and cold ones are very close to each other, fogging cannot be avoided.
It is necessary to insulate the pipes, this excellent protection, which will remove condensation.
Often condensation forms on the pipes in the bathroom due to a faulty faucet. Leakage of water helps to cool them. There is only one way out - faucet repair!
How to get rid of condensation? Pipe insulation will completely eliminate fogging of pipes. It is necessary to isolate cold water pipes from interaction with external environment. There are special thermal insulation materials that can be used to rid pipes of condensation. You just need to buy such material and insulate the pipelines. The abundance of such materials on construction market materials are very large.
If you prefer a budget option To eliminate moisture on pipes, and you do not plan to purchase expensive thermal insulation material, you can use other ways. You need to purchase a cylinder polyurethane foam And plastic pipe or corrugation, the diameter of which exceeds the diameter of the pipe with condensate. The corrugation or pipe is cut into pieces so that they can be put on the problem pipe, then they are put on and the voids are filled with foam.
There is another budget option for getting rid of condensation. You will need sandpaper to remove rust and acetone, so that after this it is good to degrease the problem surface. It is best to treat the pipeline phosphoric acid and then apply a layer of epoxy putty on it so that it does not drip.
Then immediately wrap the pipeline with previously prepared strips of fabric so that the material is saturated with putty. You can use an old sheet by cutting it into bandage-like pieces. The putty and fabric will harden quickly.
You can do this several times in the same way. The work ends with the application of finishing putty. It will look aesthetically pleasing if the putty is sanded and coated water-based paint the color you need.
In most cases, insulating pipes can solve the problem of condensation, but sometimes the level of humidity in a house or apartment is so high that waterproofing the floors and walls is necessary.
Condensation forming on pipelines is a common occurrence. In this regard, it is worth understanding what such a situation may entail. If you think that a foggy pipe only makes your home unattractive, then you are seriously mistaken. There may be certain problems that require urgent attention to eliminate the possibility of more serious problems. In any case, you should understand what the reason for this situation is and how to solve it.
Fogging is mainly observed on pipes with cold water, which also applies to adjacent plumbing fittings. Much less often, drops appear on the surface of cylindrical products for drainage of sewage. There is no condensation on the heating and hot water supply pipelines at all.
The formation of moisture on pipes in an apartment is similar to how dew forms on the grass. The air in the room is usually warm, and the cylindrical structures are cold, so when one comes into contact with the other, moisture falls out of the air, which is condensation. For this to be realized in practice, certain conditions must be present: a temperature difference and a specific humidity parameter.
Moisture can form when the so-called dew point is reached, when the surface temperature reaches its maximum values. More detailed information on this matter can be obtained using a special table.
Thus, at an air temperature of 22 °C and a humidity parameter of 70%, condensation appears on the pipes if the surface temperature differs from the corresponding value environment down by 6 °C, that is, 16 °C. If the temperature exceeds the mentioned value, condensation will not occur.
Drops are formed mainly in the cold season, if liquid is taken from open sources, for example, from rivers, since the water in them is characterized by a large temperature difference depending on the time of year: about 5 °C in winter and about 14 °C in summer. If the liquid enters the pipe system from an artesian well, such a dependence is not visible, but this fact leads to the fact that condensation may occur in the summer.
The so-called fogging of pipes provokes their rapid wear due to the appearance of rust. The formation of moisture on cylindrical structures contributes to the development of mold and mildew, leading to damage to the finishing of the room and flooding of the neighbors below if the amount of condensation becomes prohibitive.
Condensation is not a problem as such. It’s easy to get rid of it by understanding the causes of this problem. The temperature difference causes the formation of moisture on the surface of the pipeline, therefore it is necessary to install a barrier between cold products and humid air in the room. To achieve this goal, thermal insulation is used.
It is preferable to use foamed polyethylene as a thermal insulation material, which has the following properties:
It is recommended to use foamed polyethylene, presented in the form of a tube. This type of product is convenient to use because its internal diameter corresponds to the cross-section of standard cylindrical plumbing products.
The optimal solution is to place a heat-insulating tube during the installation of the water supply system. In this case, better tightness is ensured, but this is rarely possible.
Basically, you have to insulate an already assembled structure, which is done by cutting a polyethylene foam tube to length and putting it on cylindrical products, followed by fastening with plastic ties or plumbing tape.
To ensure tightness, it is necessary to pay due attention to the top and bottom of the pipe, since otherwise you can get the effect that is inherent in the chimney. If some areas of the water supply cannot be reached, it is recommended to use polyurethane foam.
In addition to foamed polyethylene, as mentioned above, the use of polyurethane foam is available. But also for these purposes, a corrugation that has a larger diameter compared to the pipe on which work is being carried out to prevent the formation of condensation is quite suitable. To implement this in practice, you will need to cut the material into appropriate parts and wrap them around the pipes, filling the interpipe space with foam.
Having discovered a leak in the riser, you should contact your neighbors: perhaps they have problems with the plumbing in their apartment. If moisture has formed on a pipe that is connected to a bathtub or sink, then the first step is to check the serviceability of the faucets, and it is advisable to insulate the pipes. Bad job ventilation can also lead to condensation in the bathroom, so you need to make sure it is in good working order.
You can also resort to using special chemicals in the form of the same “Graphotherm”. You can get rid of condensation by rubbing dry structures with this substance. However, it is worth noting that the resulting effect will be temporary.
A cylindrical product coming from gas boiler, always has traces of drops. It will not be possible to completely get rid of this phenomenon, but you can significantly reduce the amount of moisture on the pipe walls. This is achieved by insulating the structure, focusing on its top part, which allows you to reduce the cooling rate.
To prevent condensation from forming inside the product, it is advisable to use sandwich-type pipes in which the outer walls act as a thermal insulation barrier.
Fogging can also occur on the pipes in the restroom, which is associated with the appearance of steam in the air or temperature changes. The settling of water droplets on cylindrical products is a problem that may be due to insufficient ventilation. To understand how true this statement is, you should open the door to the toilet and leave it in that position overnight. If the pipes are dry by morning, it means that the air duct is not coping with its tasks.
Another reason for moisture condensation may well lie in a malfunction of the tank. Its flow leads to the continuous flow of cold liquid into the sewer drain pipe, which explains the formation of moisture on its surface. This can be avoided by restoring the normal functioning of the tank release valve.
Condensation on cylindrical structures helps to reduce the service life of the pipeline, since such an environment provokes metal corrosion. High humidity indoors - not only the smell of dampness, but also the appearance of fungi and mold, which can negatively affect the health of residents. Finally, abundant condensation causes serious leaks and puddles, and this inevitably brings the repair time closer, which implies an unplanned expenditure of funds.
While I lived in the South, and even on the top floor, I did not know about such a problem as sweating cold water pipes. But now, after moving, I am faced with this problem.
It turns out that a sweating cold water pipe can produce a puddle with a total volume of up to 5-7 liters of water per day. This is completely unpleasant and unnecessary. What to do?! Let's find out!
Indeed, the answer is simple, but the solution must be complex and may have several options. Let's determine the reasons why pipes sweat, and then we'll talk about methods and materials that can be used to eliminate this problem. By the way, please note that perhaps due to old age, micro-holes have appeared in the pipes through which water leaks. but if there are no leaks, then read on.
The answer to this question lies in the 7th grade physics textbook, it seems. Condensation on pipes occurs as a result of a large temperature difference between the cold water pipe and the air temperature. Thus, moisture from the air condenses on the colder surface of the water. The more moisture in the air and the colder pipe, the more condensation there will be.
Of course, if the water in the pipe does not move (that is, no one uses it in the whole house), then the temperature of the pipe will approach room temperature and the amount of condensate may be reduced to zero. But the house is constantly drawing water, so the pipe is always cold.
That is, there are two reasons: air humidity and low temperature of the cold water supply pipe.
Now we have figured out why the cold water pipe sweats and we will fight this disease.
The most important and simplest measure is the thermal insulation of the pipe. How can we insulate our cold water pipe? Firstly, I’ll immediately make a reservation that it doesn’t matter what material it is made of - metal, carbon fiber, polypropylene, metal plastic, gold, silver... your pipes are made, without thermal insulation they will sweat!
The simplest option is to wrap thermal insulation material:
This list can be continued for a long time, but the point is to wrap the pipe with heat-insulating material from floor to ceiling or from start to finish in several layers. Minimum thickness The thermal insulation layer should ultimately be at least 3 centimeters, and preferably five.
It is very important that the thermal insulation fits tightly to the pipe and is securely wrapped with tape. In places where aesthetics are required, you can wrap it with tape with metal foil.
The disadvantage of this method is that it is difficult to wrap the pipe tightly and completely around bends, as well as around shut-off valves! It is also not always possible to do such a trick in hard-to-reach places.
In this case, you can use a more expensive but convenient method.
There are paints for thermal insulation of surfaces and pipes, among others. To insulate a cold water pipe, you need to wipe it free of moisture and apply 4-5 layers of heat-insulating paint to the pipe. Each layer must dry, after which the condensation on the pipe is wiped off again and the next layer is applied.
The third method can be combined, that is, paint the pipes first heat-insulating paint, and then put it in foam insulation.
As I already said, Both metal and plastic pipes (polypropylene, metal-plastic) sweat, so all types of pipes need to be coated.
But! Before applying thermal insulation to a pipe, you must carefully check whether there is a micro-hole somewhere in the pipe from which water is oozing drop by drop. Especially often, such a trick lies in metal pipes. If condensation forms over the years, then metal pipe rots at an amazing rate, resulting in micro-holes and micro-leaks. Therefore, be careful so that you don’t have to redo it later! Most often, such micro-holes form in places near the floor or ceiling (in these places the most favorable conditions for corrosion of metal pipes).
After proper insulation of condensate pipes, you can say goodbye. And if you did it wrong or there is a leak in the pipe, then there will be less condensation, but it will not disappear.
My advice to everyone, do not skimp on thermal insulation. It’s better to get confused once than to suffer every day from dampness (which is harmful to health), mold, odors and just constant puddles..
