Should I get trickle vents added

[bricksmasher]

Hi,

Had some new windows fitted 3.5 years ago, but now especially when cold get condensation build on the inside of the windows (not between the glass)

If it's not wiped away regularly, it can get mouldy.

Noticed abit of mould on the top of the windows today on the plaster. And had abit of mould in one of the bedrooms when a bed was pushed agains the wall.

Is installing tricke vents likely to help with these issues? Is it expensive to add now ?

Thanks

 

[crank39]

Open the windows

 

[bricksmasher]

I would but some are downstairs which I don't want to leave open overnight and one is my baby's room and indont want her to get cold the other ones I do leave open abit at the moment

 

[Wayners]

Air house. Read up on that.
Trickle vents reduce the need to air house by opening windows and doors

 

[robinbanks]

Where does the moisture come from? Do you dry clothes by draping them on radiators?

 

[crank39]

Exactly, breathing, cooking, showering, washing/drying all puts extra moisture into the air, minimize that and you may not need trickle vents and just manage the problem by opening windows by an inch

 

[bricksmasher]

That's the issue indont know what I can do the reduce the moisture.

I have a dehumidifier that runs to dry washing on an airer, there's only 3 of us in the house, cooking I've upgraded our extraction fan, same in the bathroom and it's mostly overnight the condensation appears.

 

[ronniecabers]

Drying that washing is not helping at all.

Look into PIV systems , maybe an alternative

 

[robinbanks]

Note, PIV a.k.a "pay to force the moisture into the building fabric"..

So, moisture/condensation/damp/mould gets done to death here and it's always the same

* broadly speaking surfaces at 12 degrees C or lower will attract condensation
* the warmer the air the more moisture it holds (colder, lesser; colder wait next to cold surfaces gives up moisture to the surface)
* ventilation blows away moist air, but potentially also warm air, and people resent losing the warmth

Warm your air. Insulate your surfaces so their surface temp is higher (no condensation). Don't put moisture into the air unnecessarily. Ventilate minimally to remove any moisture you cannot deal with another way, but get smart about your ventilation if you can afford it. Drilling holes in window frames is not "smart". Installing systems that recover the heat from moist stale air, and using it to warm incoming fresh air, are smart but expensive

 

[ronniecabers]

Note, PIV a.k.a "pay to force the moisture into the fabric

So you know better than the experts that suggest this as an alternative? PIV is one of the alternatives recommended by building regulations when fitting new upvc windows.
Addressing the route cause , and ventilation are the key , but the alternatives, put forward in the building regulations of June 2022 were Trickle Vents, Air Bricks, PIV or MHEV. Trickle vents is considered to be the easiest and cheapest of all of these, hence why most new Upvc installations now have them.

 

[foxhole]

Ventilation is free , ditch the dehumidifier it obviously ineffective .

 

[robinbanks]

So you know better than the experts that suggest this as an alternative?

This would be the same set of "experts" that recommend approximately 10 ACH in the face of the Passivhaus Institute's 0.6?

Yeah

 

[pcaouolte]

Note, PIV a.k.a "pay to force the moisture into the building fabric"..

A PIV isn't going to force moisture anywhere, it's a fan not a compressor. Air is introduced into the building in a similar way to opening a window on a windy day, air exits the building via whatever gaps are available.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Trickle vents is considered to be the easiest and cheapest of all of these, hence why most new Upvc installations now have them.

They were brought in as a last ditch desperate solution to the problems of moisture in homes, which have become increasingly air sealed, due to the cost of heating. Due to the cost of heat in the home, more and more people ignored the need to ventilate their homes regularly, whilst at the same time, increasing the amount of moisture being generated in the home.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Ventilation is free , ditch the humidifier it obviously ineffective .

You meant 'dehumidifier'. Nothing wrong with a dehumidifier, in the right circumstances, though not as a replacement for controlling moisture creation, or proper ventilation.