Dehumidifers

[closetleftie]

Forgive my stupidity, but why not sort the pointing out instead of buying a dehumidifier? 

[ian]

What's the relative pay-off between running a dehumidifier vs. opening the windows? I confess I'm a serial window opener and something of a fan of drafts, and we've never bothered with a tumble drier (we used to have one, but I think we used it once in six years). We dry clothes inside but I leave the windows on the latch. I'm a bit more conscious of it now, as this is a detached sixties (groovy) house with huge six foot windows, but also with double-glazing, loft insulation, cavity walls, and general hermetic sealing that was probably unanticipated by the original builder. I'm minded that houses should breath, but I'm also mindful that I'm heating the outside world and getting no thanks for raising the neighbourhood's temperature. That said, the bathroom does need a big extractor fan, the combination of two external walls and one of those giant windows condenses out about gallon of water, especially as I like my showers and baths to be the temperature of magma.

[woollypigs]

Yup this is helping and we just ordered a ebac.

[Canardly]

Wouldn't it be easier in the long run to get the gable repointed? You mention through stones, is the construction of two dressed facings with rubble in between? There are now some interesting products entering the market like Matilda's blanket which will make a world of difference to insulating solid wall properties.

[peliroja]

Yes, the plan is to get the gable repointed. The damp specialist is doing us a quote including scaffolding. Ballpark £2-3k (is that high?) He recommended a dehumidifier in the meantime, and to help with drying washing indoors.

Matilda's blanket!  What a great name. AFAIK our walls are brick and stone. It's a late 1800s stone terrace.

Thanks for the help, everyone!

[Canardly]

That sounds a tad spendy to me but is difficult without seeing the gable. Access equipment will be a bit expensive. You should always obtain a few quotes. If done properly however can be slow and time consuming (IF DONE PROPERLY) will last yonks. Inclusive or exclusive of the dreaded VAT of course makes a difference.

[Vince]

If you take the water tank out, the edge of the filter panel is nestled up in the top front edge (look for something labelled 'front'). Just pull it out.

Brilliant. Many thanks for that.

[woollypigs]

We got a Ebac 2650e yesterday and after 24 hours there was easy 3 litres in the tank. It was put up in the kitchen and there was wet towels out to dry too. Lets see in 2-3 weeks time how it is going and it works for us.

[peliroja]

That sounds a tad spendy to me but is difficult without seeing the gable. Access equipment will be a bit expensive. You should always obtain a few quotes. If done properly however can be slow and time consuming (IF DONE PROPERLY) will last yonks. Inclusive or exclusive of the dreaded VAT of course makes a difference.

The quote came in at £2760 excluding VAT. Ouch. This includes (summarised):

Scaffolding, mortar beds to be ground out, repointing carried out in sand and cement to a weather type finish, so that the pointing is neat and tidy, to a bucket handle finish and not proud of the stonework.

External stonework to gable elevation to be treated with micro-porous silicone, spray applied, two/three coats to the point of refusal.

All works to be carried out to a high standard.

Internal: wall have plaster hacked off to 2 metres and removed from site. Masonry to be prepared and salt neutralised. Chemical damp proof course to be installed. 9" or thicker walls will be injected from both sides. All abutting walls will be isolated by vertical injection. All replastering work to be carried out and areas made good ready for redecoration. Full company 30 year guarantee.

This is a quote from a highly-recommended company which honours its guarantees. How does it sound? 

[De Sisti]

The Ebac Amazon 10 (£139) is no longer available. I'll have to go for the Amazon 12  2650e Plus bundle (was £269.96, now £239.99).

Plastic tank just over half full in a 24 hour period. One thing I did notice was that there was an ambient heat around the area where
the dehumidifier is situated, so there is a warmer/less cold feeling about the house without the heating on. 

[Canardly]

Peli the scope of work there is a lot more than just repointing and therefore costs sound much more reasonable.

[DrMekon]

We got through 3 cheap homebase dehumidifiers before we went for a Mitsubishi MJ-E 16VX. Had it for 4 years now. Leave it on overnight and you wake up desiccated. No more mold on window seals for us, and can dry washing in no time. Brilliant bit of kit.

[peliroja]

Peli the scope of work there is a lot more than just repointing and therefore costs sound much more reasonable.

Thanks, Canardly. We had another chap quote for the damp proof course alone; he didn't mention any problem with the gable end, or even look at it. Had we gone for him, we'd have wasted a lot of money when the cause is not actually rising damp. We'll get another couple of quotes to see if we're on the right donkey!

[Valiant]

I have an Ebac 2650e lovely piece of it. Even had it watering the plants for a while lol.

Sadly though it's stopped working for some reason. I think the filter needed cleaning I forgot. Anyone know if it can be bought back to life?

[Wombat]

That sounds a tad spendy to me but is difficult without seeing the gable. Access equipment will be a bit expensive. You should always obtain a few quotes. If done properly however can be slow and time consuming (IF DONE PROPERLY) will last yonks. Inclusive or exclusive of the dreaded VAT of course makes a difference.

The quote came in at £2760 excluding VAT. Ouch. This includes (summarised):

Scaffolding, mortar beds to be ground out, repointing carried out in sand and cement to a weather type finish, so that the pointing is neat and tidy, to a bucket handle finish and not proud of the stonework.

External stonework to gable elevation to be treated with micro-porous silicone, spray applied, two/three coats to the point of refusal.

All works to be carried out to a high standard.

Internal: wall have plaster hacked off to 2 metres and removed from site. Masonry to be prepared and salt neutralised. Chemical damp proof course to be installed. 9" or thicker walls will be injected from both sides. All abutting walls will be isolated by vertical injection. All replastering work to be carried out and areas made good ready for redecoration. Full company 30 year guarantee.

This is a quote from a highly-recommended company which honours its guarantees. How does it sound?

Quite professional.  Its unclear which pointing they will be finishing it, weather struck or bucket handle (you have to choose), but otherwise sounds plausible. 

[Polar Bear]

That quote looks quite reasonable Peli.

Have you considered external insulation?  We are going for internal but have the room to spare so it makes sense for us.

Clean / replace your Ebac filter every three months.   It is worth it.

[woollypigs]

PB yes we have talked about it, though since it is a gable end out to a back street and a conservation area, I'm not sure about it.

We talked to the first builder if it was possible to put a insulating layer on the inside. A 50mm one he easy could do, but recommended a 250mm, which sadly would take a lot of space and be in the way of the outer door and a inner door to a under the stairs cupboard.

We are thinking about getting the activated carbon with bactiguard filter, when this one needs a change.

[Polar Bear]

We just use the standard filters.

250mm is a tad OTT IMO.  50 - 80mm is standard.  You use thinner stuff, 25mm, at door and window surrounds.

[Polar Bear]

If you're having most of the plaster removed anyway, you might just as well have 50mm internal insulation installed.   It will be better than just plaster and cost effective as you're replacing anyway.   Personally I'd go 80mm but any decent insulation is better thsn none.

[peliroja]

The quote came in at £2760 excluding VAT. Ouch. This includes (summarised):

Scaffolding, mortar beds to be ground out, repointing carried out in sand and cement to a weather type finish, so that the pointing is neat and tidy, to a bucket handle finish and not proud of the stonework.

Quite professional.  Its unclear which pointing they will be finishing it, weather struck or bucket handle (you have to choose), but otherwise sounds plausible.

It will be bucket handle pointing. 

[woollypigs]

Still clocking up around 3 litres a day, the damp spot on the gable wall is gone. We both struggle to keep ourselves topped up, feeling rather dehydrated the last two days.

We don't have any indoors flowers, so what else can one use the water for. I feel like since we have worked, well more like paid, for the water I need to use it for something instead of giving it to the drain.

[Polar Bear]

Steam iron, flushing the loo, watering plants, topping a header tank, car radiator and screenwash, washing the car, washing the bike, ...

We got over 3 litres a day for over three months.   The level is now consistently about 1 litre per day. 

[Wombat]

The quote came in at £2760 excluding VAT. Ouch. This includes (summarised):

Scaffolding, mortar beds to be ground out, repointing carried out in sand and cement to a weather type finish, so that the pointing is neat and tidy, to a bucket handle finish and not proud of the stonework.

Quite professional.  Its unclear which pointing they will be finishing it, weather struck or bucket handle (you have to choose), but otherwise sounds plausible.

It will be bucket handle pointing. 

That's generally a lot less hassle than weather struck.  Its also the commonest variant!

[Mrs Pingu]

Stick it in the kettle, pasta water.....

[De Sisti]

Where do you leave your dehumidifier to stand? Mine is on the ground floor, in front of the space near the stairs (there's a draught there).
The morning accumulation of condensation on the windows of my bedroom, the bathroom window and the toilet cistern tank no longer
appear. For each 24 hour period I'd say the container is about half full.