high humidity in old house (Ed.)

[Carolwithoutthee]

As above . New doors windows brick tiled roof . But my house is very cold .
Cannot have heating on as it does not heat the house unless it is oh 20deg all day . When off it stays warm a while so I know investment on the property was worth it .
However . I’m a 73 year old lady with a pension , feeling cold afraid to use heating for fear humidity rises .
My house is an old terrace house . A walk way between my house and next door . A tunnel not wide enough to have a door on for utility purposes .
So no insulation . The rest of the house is cavity wall insulation.
No condensation in the house at all . But like I say im
Freezing with no heating as it pushes humidity up . Doors windows are open a couple hours a day to lower it .

 

[mrrusty]

Freezing with no heating as it pushes humidity up

It doesn't. An increase in temperature pushes relative humidity down!.

However, what a raise in temperature does do, is increase the ability of the air to take up and hold water vapour - no source of water vapour = no increase in humidity. As long as you don't dry clothes inside, cook or shower without extraction, then you should be able to heat your house without a problem.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I’m a 73 year old lady with a pension , feeling cold afraid to use heating for fear humidity rises .

Get yourself a cheap humidity meter, to confirm what is happening, might be a good start.

Do you have a timber floor/floorboards on the ground floor, or concrete? If timber floor, is there a cellar below that, or just soil/foundations?

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

What's the actual problem? I don't understand.

Put the heating on. If you then get condensation then look into it.

 

[Koolpc]

You need to put the heating on. On and off heating, an hour here an hour there is not good enough.

 

[Carolwithoutthee]

Thank you everyone for your reply’s . Appreciate the time to reply .

Get yourself a cheap humidity meter, to confirm what is happening, might be a good start.

Do you have a timber floor/floorboards on the ground floor, or concrete? If timber floor, is there a cellar below that, or just soil/foundations?

a concrete floor with wood flooring . It used to be a warm house . Get the feeling its lack of heat . Do not dry clothes on my rads , just was concerned about the humidity bring high . Thank you

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Get the place warm. If you get dripping condensation anywhere then worry about humidity, a bit of mist in a corner of a window is nothing to worry about. If not then there isn't an issue.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

a concrete floor with wood flooring . It used to be a warm house . Get the feeling its lack of heat . Do not dry clothes on my rads , just was concerned about the humidity bring high . Thank you

I had in mind, if it was a wood floor, under the floor might be flooded - that would be a cause of high humidity. As others have said, get the heat on, and leave it on, even if it's just on a low setting. With no heat at all, the fabric of a house will absorb moisture, which will evaporate, when the heating is put on irregularly.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I haven't read that there are symptoms at all, just a fear of humidity. Possibly a result of some of the irresponsible reporting about it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I haven't read that there are symptoms at all, just a fear of humidity. Possibly a result of some of the irresponsible reporting about it.

Yep, hence why I suggested getting a meter, to actually measure it.

 

[StephenStephen]

I'm confused - can you tell us why you think putting the heating on will increase the humidity?