A serious problem in the cold season is the occurrence of condensate on the cold water supply pipes. The release of dew drops can be quite significant, which leads to increased corrosion of steel pipes and does not bode well for plastic and polypropylene pipelines.
Condensation on pipes can appear as a result of the following factors:
- Increased air humidity;
- Insufficient ventilation of the room;
- Faulty pipes, plumbing valves and taps;
- Temperature instability.
Content:
If, for one reason or another, condensate appears on cold water pipes, our article will tell you what to do in the situation that has arisen. First of all, it is necessary to clearly understand what a serious problem the appearance of dew is for the water supply. The presence of additional moisture on the pipes leads not only to the loss of an attractive appearance, but also is fraught with failure of pipelines and flooding.
Causes and consequences of condensation on the pipe
Condensation in the bathroom is most likely due to temperature fluctuations and high humidity that occurs while taking a bath or shower.
As for the toilet, this is most likely the case here. As a result of the constant replacement of water, its temperature remains significantly lower than the ambient temperature, which leads to cooling of the walls of the tank, resulting in a temperature drop and the formation of condensate on the pipes.
The consequences of drops not eliminated in a timely manner, both for water supply and for sewage, can be very deplorable.
First of all, the flow of droplets down under the action of gravity leads to the creation of favorable conditions at the base for the formation of various. With increased dampness, bacteria and molds will actively increase the population, so it will be far from easy to destroy them later.
Metal pipes of cold water supply, upon contact with drops, rust intensively, plastic and polypropylene pipes lose their attractive appearance. The constant presence of dew drops adversely affects all types of finishing materials.
Regular flow to the base of the pipe, of course, will not cause a spontaneous flood in the apartment, but the water wears away the stone and sooner or later certain problems will arise there, which is unlikely to have a favorable effect on good neighborly relations. In addition, the accumulated condensate at the base of the pipes, with a high degree of probability, will render such a floor covering as unusable, or linoleum.
As can be seen from the above, the consequences of an untimely reaction to the presence of condensate on pipes can be quite serious, so we will consider possible methods to prevent its occurrence. The fact is that the prevention is cheaper than the elimination of the destruction caused by this unpleasant phenomenon.
How to get rid of condensation from cold water pipes
In modern construction, water supply can be mounted both from steel, and from plastic and polypropylene materials. Depending on the material of the pipeline, there are various methods of dealing with additional moisture.
How to remove condensation from a plastic pipe
Although the appearance of dew drops on plastic is unlikely to lead to failure of the water supply system, nevertheless, negative consequences cannot be avoided.
If moisture forms on plastic hot and cold water pipes, you can get rid of condensate using one of the following methods:
- To improve air circulation, replace the hood with forced ventilation;
- Carry out thermal insulation using special polyethylene tubular insulation designed specifically for plastic and polypropylene pipes;
- If the room is subject to a sharp temperature drop, the solution may be to use a special protective primer, which can significantly reduce the formation of condensate on the surface of the pipe.
We get rid of moisture on metal pipes of cold water supply
The resulting condensate on metal pipelines is more dangerous than in the case of using plastic water pipes. The fact is that in addition to the loss of aesthetic indicators, in the case of using metal, its corrosion destruction can occur. Consider the popular protection methods:
- The first, most simple and effective step to get rid of condensate is to clean the pipe from various contaminants, degrease, dry and cover with oil paint;
- Next, you should treat with a waterproof sealant the gaps at the points of contact of the pipes with the floor, ceiling and in other likely places;
- The entire pipeline is treated with a protective compound and coated with enamel, in addition, it is possible to use insulating materials.
Having carefully studied the essence of the problem, condensate on cold water pipes, what to do now is more or less clear, but it should be noted that it is worth trying to prevent the occurrence of condensate through preventive measures. This is due to the fact that it is much more difficult and expensive to eliminate the possible consequences of the appearance of dew.
A rare person has not had to deal with such a phenomenon as condensate on the surface of a cold water pipeline. Although this unpleasant phenomenon can also occur on other structures - windows, exterior walls, in the corners of rooms.
Condensation is caused by moisture vapor in the air. In contact with a cold surface, they cool down and turn into drops. The higher the humidity in the room and the greater the temperature difference between the air and the cold surface, the greater the likelihood of this unpleasant phenomenon.
If pipes and windows are chronically “crying” in the house, then it is urgent to deal with the causes of this phenomenon.
Mostly this affects areas such as bathrooms and toilets. It is there that the risers of cold and hot pipelines are usually located.
There are several reasons for water condensation on pipes:
- poor ventilation of the bathroom and toilet, leading to the preservation of high humidity in them and an increase in the overall temperature in these rooms;
- in the toilet, the cause of the problem can be a malfunction of the valve that shuts off the water in the toilet bowl - water leakage leads not only to its leakage, but also to the constant cooling of the pipe with cold water;
- in the bathroom, condensate often forms for the same reason - a malfunction of the faucet valve that shuts off cold water;
- high humidity in an apartment or house, which can be caused by many malfunctions - poor ventilation, current roofing, incorrectly selected insulation.
If condensation began to form recently, then the cause must be immediately clarified, and not wait until the problem becomes chronic. Perhaps you have recently changed windows or installed some kind of equipment in the house that contributes to the “warming of the microclimate”.
It must be remembered that although condensate is just water, it is it that is the main aggressive medium that destroys steel structures, including pipes.
In addition, excess moisture will sooner or later cause fungus and mold to appear not only on pipes, but also at any point in the apartment where there are cold surfaces.
And this is not just ugly, but often even dangerous for people living in the house, especially allergy sufferers.
What to do in case of misted pipes
The algorithm is very simple - you need to find the cause and eliminate it:
- You can start by checking the drain system of the tank and stopcocks. To do this, you have to watch them. Sometimes people, leaving the bathroom, do not notice that the faucet is dripping, and the toilet valve periodically opens due to a decrease in the float level due to a small leak from the tank.
- Check the operation of the ventilation with a piece of paper or by holding a lit match to the ventilation grille. If the piece of paper falls and the match burns evenly, then the ventilation is not working.
- If you did not find any malfunctions in your apartment, then you will have to visit the neighbors from above and find out from them if they have encountered the same problem. A fault on any floor above results in a constant circulation of cold water in the pipe, which significantly reduces its temperature.
- If you have forced ventilation in the bathroom and toilet, then you should check the effectiveness of its operation.
- If everything is in order, but the pipes are “crying”, then the reason for this is that the temperature difference between the surface of the pipe and the surrounding air exceeds 17 degrees, and special methods will have to be used to solve the problem.
Solutions to the problem
The main idea of all the methods listed below is the thermal insulation of the cold water pipeline to reduce the intensity of exposure to too warm air.
- Painting pipes with heat-insulating paint. This is a rather expensive, but at the same time an effective way to solve the problem. Here you should be patient, because to achieve the desired effect, you will have to paint the pipe at least 5-6 times. Each previous layer of paint must be well dried and only then apply the next one. In this case, the room will have to be forcibly ventilated - an ordinary fan is suitable for this.
- Pipe insulation with foam insulation pads. Linings are soft pipes with a longitudinal section. They are put on a dry pipe like a cover, and the edges are then glued. To achieve the desired effect, it is very important that the size of the lining ideally matches the diameter of the pipe. if it turns out to be more, then there will be no effect at all, and if it is less, then you will not be able to glue the edges of the lining. You can combine the two previous methods: first paint the pipe, dry the paint and put on linings on it, which can also be painted on top with heat-insulating paint.
- By putting a larger plastic pipe on the pipe and filling the space with mounting foam, you can also achieve good results. But here it is important that the foam completely and evenly fills the space between the pipes, otherwise the method will not work.
- Self-creation of thermal insulation on the surface of the pipe. This is an inexpensive, but troublesome way, which is a completely reliable solution to the problem.
To create it, you need to stock up on the following materials:
- epoxy putty;
- simple cotton fabric (for example, old sheets);
- strong thread or thin twine;
- putty knife;
- sandpaper;
- means for cleaning pipes from rust;
- acetone or other suitable substance for degreasing the pipe surface.
The fabric must be cut into strips about 10 cm wide and wound into rolls. You can also use medical bandages of a suitable width.
Next, we proceed as follows:
- We clean the pipe from paint and carefully degrease its surface.
- Next, the pipe is treated with an anti-rust agent.
- After drying the pipe, a layer of epoxy putty must be applied to it and immediately quickly wrapped with a cloth from the bottom up. In this case, the turns of the fabric should be superimposed on each other and impregnated with putty. The fabric is then secured with thread.
- After the first layer has dried, several more are applied in the same way.
- At the end of the work, I again coat the pipe with putty on top.
After the insulation is completely dry, it can be sanded and painted with paint of a suitable color.
In solving the problem of "weeping" pipes, the main thing is not to miss the moment until the pipes begin to corrode.
If it is not possible to eliminate the problem by eliminating leaks in the valves of plumbing fixtures and good ventilation, it is better to immediately resort to thermal insulation.
If you go into the bathroom, you find "dew drops" on the pipes, then it's time to deal with the condensate. Your bathroom is not a greenhouse, and excess moisture is useless here. High humidity is not a harmless thing at all, and a wet floor under pipes is an unaesthetic sight. Therefore, having noticed condensation on cold water pipes, you need to clearly know what to do.
Causes of condensation on pipes
Most often, the appearance of condensate is affected by several reasons at once.
Temperature difference
Condensation is prone to cold water pipes. Condensation occurs due to the temperature difference between the water and air supplied through the pipes in the room. This unpleasant phenomenon is especially pronounced in winter, when the temperature difference is especially sharp.
Important! A clear distinction must be made between condensation and leakage. It is not difficult to distinguish them: condensate droplets are evenly distributed over the entire diameter of the pipe, often along its entire length, while the leakage is local.
Poor ventilation
If the bathroom and toilet do not have forced ventilation, condensate steam with mold can become their inhabitants. If there is an extractor hood, but the humidity in the bathroom is still high, then the ventilation is not doing its job. Check the draft, and if it is weak, contact the management company: its employees should check the common ventilation duct and clean it.
Proximity of cold and hot water risers
When hot and cold water pipes are placed too close to each other, condensation will inevitably form. Hiding pipes under the finish further contributes to the appearance of moisture and exacerbates the process. Finishing materials deteriorate, the service life of the entire pipeline is reduced. Given that all this is hidden from your eyes, the situation is insidious.
Malfunction of the faucet or toilet bowl
A constant set of cold water in the toilet bowl due to a malfunction or a breakdown of the faucet in the bathroom can also cause condensation on the pipes. In this case, both the faucet and the tank “sweat” along with the pipes.
If the stop valves are broken in the tank, the water does not fill up to the end, but flows through and simply does not have time to warm up at least a little. The condensate limit on the tank corresponds to the level of water collected in it. Above the level, the tank is completely dry.
The faucet may be leaking due to wear, malfunction or improper installation.
Leak from neighbors
Sometimes condensate can collect on the cold water pipe only in its upper part. This may indicate that the upstairs neighbors have a problem with the plumbing or a water leak. Here your participation is only indirect - inform your neighbors about it and follow the result in your apartment. If the leak is removed, the issue of condensate will automatically be closed.
How to get rid of condensation
Depending on the cause of the appearance, the methods of getting rid of condensate also differ.
In the arsenal of tips from "craftsmen" there is a way to isolate a pipe with cold water by wrapping it with a cloth, followed by strict control over its wetting and timely replacement. Sometimes it is advised to additionally put a jar - to drain moisture from the ends of the rag into it. We will not even consider such a method. This is not a measure, but a half-measure that spoils the appearance of a bathroom or toilet room.
The decision must be serious and thorough, like the landlord himself. In most cases, the problem is solved by using pipe insulation and good ventilation.
thermal insulation
To minimize the effect of temperature difference in pipes with cold water and room temperature, it is necessary to insulate them. Excellent thermal insulation, high fire safety, ease of installation, tightness and low price of modern heaters will allow you to appreciate this solution.
The pipe must be dressed in a special material for insulation - cases made of foamed polyethylene (energy flex). It is a flexible material whose closed pores give it excellent thermal insulation properties.
Your actions:
- dry the pipe
- cut along the energy flex tube;
- wrap the pipe with cold water;
- fasten the longitudinal seam of the insulation with glue or clips;
- glue the ends of the energy flex together;
- If desired, you can paint the insulation with spray paint of the desired color.
Important! After applying glue to the Energoflex tubes, you need to wait 5 minutes and only then glue it.
As an option, Isollat, a universal material for pipe insulation, the so-called thermos paint, will help prevent the appearance of condensate. This is a water-based suspension, which, after drying, turns into a polymer coating with good thermal insulation properties.
How to paint "Isollat":
- clean and degrease the pipe surface;
- apply paint with a brush in one layer;
- to give a glossy sheen, it can be topcoated with silicone varnish type KO 85.
Creating adequate ventilation
High humidity, and with it condensation on the pipes, can be eliminated by establishing good ventilation in the bathroom and toilet.
What to do:
- periodically leave the door to the bathroom ajar for fresh air;
- increase the opening at the bottom of the door or make a ventilation grill in it;
- put a powerful fan in the forced ventilation opening;
Faucet or toilet cistern repair
If condensation forms on the toilet bowl, the first step is to check its serviceability. The constant sound of flowing water indicates that the tank is not filled to the end and is constantly updated with cold water, which produces condensate.
What can be done:
- repair toilet flush
- buy a new toilet with a double tank.
A double tank, inside of which there is an additional plastic container, will help to completely solve the problem with condensate. Cold water is drawn into it, without touching the walls of the tank, so the appearance of condensate is excluded. A big minus - the tank is most often sold complete with a toilet bowl and has a fairly high cost.
In the mixer, water control elements most often fail - joysticks, axle boxes, valves. A thin trickle of water flowing down around the faucet can just be the culprit for the appearance of condensate. Replace the gasket or cartridge and the faucet will be ready to use again. In extreme cases, you can buy a new mixer. Perhaps this is where the search for the causes of condensation will end.
Do not postpone the solution of the issue with condensate indefinitely. And it's not just that, having dealt with it, you will do your health and repair a great service. Ignoring a problem with unpleasant consequences when it is easily and inexpensively solved is simply unwise.
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 an unpleasant smell. That is, you still need to get rid of the condensate. To do this, you need to find out the reasons for its occurrence. Why do pipes sweat?
Why does condensation appear on cold water pipes
Most often, you can observe 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 at the riser from excessive moisture. This means that the neighbors living above have a leak in the tank. At night, listen to the murmur of water in the sewer, and you will immediately understand everything.
Condensation also forms due to high humidity and temperature changes. Good ventilation is essential to avoid condensation. To get started, just leave the toilet door open overnight, you may find a dry pipe in the morning.
The reason is obvious - the ventilation duct is clogged. Unscrew the grate on the ventilation duct and clean everything very well. A draft should appear in the ventilation duct.
In the event that there is ventilation, but it does not cope with the problem, you can install an exhaust fan. It attaches in place of the ventilation grille and you turn it on as needed.
The choice of fans in modern building supermarkets is huge, for every taste and at any price. Recently, the installation of such fans in toilets and bathrooms is very common.
How to fix the problem of condensation
How to get rid of condensation on the pipes in the bathroom? The pipes in the bathroom are also sweating. The reason may be the same. Condensation on the riser - neighbors have problems with plumbing. The pipeline that supplies water to your plumbing gets wet - the faucet does not work well. The lack of a hood, as in the first case, exacerbates the problem.
If hot and cold water systems are very close to each other, fogging cannot be avoided.
It is necessary to make thermal insulation of pipes, this is an excellent protection that will allow you to remove condensate.
Often, condensation forms on the pipes in the bathroom due to a malfunction of the faucet. Leakage of water contributes to their cooling. There is only one way out - repair of the crane!
How to get rid of condensation? Completely get rid of fogging of pipes will allow insulation for pipes. It is necessary to isolate cold water pipes from interaction with the external environment. There are special thermal insulation materials, using which you will save pipes from condensate. You just need to buy such material and insulate the pipelines. The abundance of such materials in the construction materials market is very large.
In the event that you prefer a budget option to eliminate moisture on the pipes, and do not plan to purchase expensive thermal insulation material, you can use other ways. It is necessary to purchase a cylinder of mounting foam and a 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 you can put them on the problem pipe, then put them on and fill the voids with mounting foam.
There is another budget option for getting rid of condensate. You will need sandpaper to remove rust and acetone to degrease the problem surface well after that. It is best to treat the pipeline with phosphoric acid and then apply a layer of epoxy putty on it so that it does not drain.
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 pieces that look like bandages. Putty with fabric will quickly harden.
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 with water-based paint of the color you need.
In most cases, thermal insulation of pipes solves the problem of condensate, but sometimes the humidity level in a house or apartment is so high that waterproofing of the floor and walls is necessary.
Moisture often appears on the pipelines of one's own houses, less often apartments, which in some cases is barely noticeable, in others it causes great inconvenience. There are factors that can influence the intensity of an unpleasant process and reduce the scale of the consequences that inevitably follow.
The need to make early repairs with the replacement of pipelines intimidates any owner who imagines the inevitable financial costs and discomfort. Therefore, there is a desire to figure out in advance why condensation forms on cold water pipes and take preventive measures.
Causes of condensation
Condensation in your house or apartment in a multi-storey building is like morning dew on meadow grasses, which forms during wet weather with large temperature fluctuations. In a dry hot summer with warm nights, the foliage cannot “cry” due to unsuitable conditions for this.
Steam will condense under the following circumstances:
- increased concentration of moisture in the air space;
- large temperature difference between air and solid base.
If the bathroom is warm and humid, and the pipeline is cooled by constantly flowing cold water, it will be difficult, almost impossible, to deal with condensate.
It is possible to avoid the appearance of moisture on the pipes of the central riser and the intra-apartment plumbing only through the adoption of comprehensive measures, without which the metal or plastic will constantly sweat. Before you understand what to do against strong condensate on cold water pipes, you need to establish all the reasons that cause it to form.
It is possible that the drain system in the tank is constantly leaking in the toilet, therefore, cold water flows through the pipeline all the time, causing it to become hypothermic. In a multi-storey building, leaks in apartments located above can cause condensation on the riser, so you will have to discuss the problem with your neighbors. Residents of private homes are quite able to deal with problems on their own.
In any case, you should check the efficiency of air exchange in the room, clean the ventilation grilles, windows, pipes. Excess moisture settles not only on pipes, but also on walls, furniture, ceiling, which leads to damage to finishes and property.
Overheating of the air around pipes with cold water, the formation of condensate on them can be facilitated by improper installation of the water supply system. If the hot water pipe is located too close to the usual cold water pipe, it is likely that the latter will easily sweat. Therefore, it is very important to invite qualified specialists who have knowledge of the standard distances between pipes for the initial installation work, then you will not have to get rid of problems during operation.
It happens that everything is checked, done correctly, and condensate on pipes with cold water still forms regularly. Then you have to take special additional measures that will help get rid of the problem.
What does it threaten
The temptation is great to ignore the formation of condensate, not to try to get rid of it immediately, to wait until everything normalizes by itself. The idea is good, but in this case it can lead to unpleasant consequences.
Constantly wet metal pipes easily rust and deteriorate, moreover, they are a stimulant for the reproduction of microbes and mold fungi. Plastic pipelines with condensate do not undergo oxidation, but are a source of deterioration in the sanitary condition of the apartment, so the problem must be eliminated.
You can remove moisture by wiping the cold water pipeline and puddles under it every morning, but in practice no one will do it - it is too long, difficult and unpleasant. In many hard-to-reach places in the toilet or bathroom, it is generally impossible to get rid of condensate by simple cleaning, so the wet surface is constantly stored there and causes harm.
Important! The colonization of a room with mold fungi can harm health, it is much easier to get rid of condensate immediately after it is detected, to prevent the reproduction of microorganisms.
So, the reasons for the appearance of moisture on pipes with cold water have been established, what can be done next, how to get rid of it - you should think about it.
Application of thermal insulation
To reduce the temperature drop on the surface of the pipeline, you can use a layer of thermal insulation. The easiest way is to take special tubes made of foamed polymer materials, cut them lengthwise and fix them with wire on the pipeline, which will not sweat after the procedure. In order for the insulation to be guaranteed successful, it is necessary to select the diameter of the polymer product according to the dimensions of the cold water pipeline. Too wide or narrow layer of heat insulator will not help to completely get rid of condensate.
Advice! With a not very large difference in the temperatures of pipes and air, it is possible to isolate the metal surface by applying a special liquid composition - anti-condensate.
The mass is well distributed with a roller, brushes, dries, forming a durable protective layer. There are several brands of products that insulate pipes, the composition and structure of the composites are similar, so the method of use is the same. Painting with the product must be carried out several times. Manufacturers recommend applying a layer in 5 stages with a difference of at least 1 hour, which allows the liquid mass to dry well, and subsequently get rid of condensate.
If funds for the purchase of polymeric materials are not enough, you can get by with improvised materials. To do this, the pipe is well dried, cleaned of rust, degreased with acetone, puttied. Then, on a wet layer of putty mass, a layer of old fabric, gauze, rags is fixed by wrapping. From above, a pipe insulated in this way can be wrapped with ropes or cords, wait until it dries completely and paint. The whole procedure does not require the cost of expensive materials, is carried out independently without much effort, allows you to get rid of condensate for a long time.
Installing the hood
In bathrooms, kitchens, bathrooms of multi-storey buildings, a centralized ventilation system is built in, the capabilities of which should be enough to maintain normal air exchange in the apartment. In practice, it often happens that it works inefficiently. If in kitchens with gas stoves the state of air outflow is controlled by employees of the city gas services during scheduled visits, then no one monitors this in the bathroom and toilet.
To normalize the exchange of air flows, reduce humidity, an exhaust system should be installed at the repair stage, and it should be regularly turned on as a rule. The device is not so expensive, and the result will be visible to the naked eye, allowing you to quickly get rid of condensate.
Condensate drains
In the sanitary rooms of private houses, water or air heaters are sometimes installed, the operation of which is based on heat exchange processes. The units must be equipped with an efficient condensate drainage system, otherwise the humidity in the room will increase significantly, which makes it very difficult to get rid of condensate on cold water pipes.
There are several types of devices for removing condensed water, the most effective is the float type. The unit demonstrates high efficiency with minimal energy consumption, which attracted the attention of a large number of consumers.
If condensation constantly forms on cold water pipes, it is unwise to turn a blind eye to this, there are several reliable ways to get rid of the problem. They differ in the amount of funds needed to eliminate moisture in the pipelines, the degree of complexity of the troubleshooting work. Each owner is able to assess the acceptability of one or another option for a set of specific circumstances, to choose the necessary and affordable one.