How can i stop condensation building up on my windows?

Question

I wipe it down, then 20 - 30 mins later it's on there again.

Answer 1

your house is not breathing. there needs to be a little ventilation to balance the humidity. most HVAC units have humidifiers now and if your house is sealed tight, you will see condensation on the windows. Older peope who used those dearborn heaters used to crack a window because it was so dry, now we have problems with humidity. humidity makes cold feel colder and vice versa. a dehumidifier is the only thing that will help.

Answer 2

When it's very cold outside, the water condenses on the window that is, of course, much colder than the inside air. When it gets really cold, the humidity inside must be lowered a bit to keep this from causing damage. A bit of condensation is normal. If you are seeing a line 1/4" high form overnight, thats good. If it's much more than that, you have too much humidity in the house. Normal daily living (showers, cooking, etc.) will put some water in the house, but usually not enough to cause major condensation. I don't know the type of house you live in so I will assume it is a conventional type house. (trailers and RV's that get cold air under them and have cold floors will have much more condensation) There are two things to check:

First: check to be sure you don't have a disconnected dryer vent tube. This is the tube that runs from the clothes dryer to the outside. If this is disconnected, or punctured, it will dump lots of humidity in the house.

Second: see if you have a humidifier on your heating system, if so, turn down the water flow, or dial back the humidity setting. If that doesn't work, they sometimes stick. Some styles have a float that gets stuck, others have an electric valve that may get stuck. If you are uncomfortable working on this stuff, call a heating service and have them check it out.
Hope this helps,
Scotty
http://worstidea.blogspot.com/

Answer 3

assuming that the condensation is building up only on the inside
of your window, and not between the panes on your double glazing, you could have the pane laminated or use a chemical treatment as listed above.

alternatively, wash the windows with a detergent (even soap). this is a temporary measure which will work in the mean time, and deters water from condensing on glass. the same applies on the bathroom mirror if you want to shave/ put on make-up after a shower.

Answer 4

You have insufficient ventilation. Leave a window open slightly even though you think that is not good because it lets the heat out.

Condensation is caused because the air on one side of the glass is cloder than the air on the other side. The glass is therefore colder than the air at one side. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air so the air on the warm side deposits its surplus air on the cold glass. Ventitalion allows some of that moisture to go outside rather than being deposited on the glass.

This helps to avoid mould build up on the frames too.

Answer 5

Heat and ventilation is the only thing I'm afraid. We've just has double glazing in because our old wooden framed windows were always dripping wet. If there is a way of keeping the window open just a little,like vent, it will definitely help. Otherwise put yourself in debt for the next 10 years and get double glazing, like i have!

Answer 6

Use a window sealing kit. The kind where you put tape around the frame then place plastic on that and then shrink the plastic with a hair dryer to make it tight. It makes a huge difference. You can buy them at any hardware store. I always do this in the fall. not only can you see out your windows,it`ll save money on your heat bill.

Answer 7

you have a crack or a leak in one of the windows. there is no solution but to get it replaced. Usually there is an inert Gas in between the panes, but if it cracks or the seal leaks the gas will escape and condensation will occur. We tried to sell MOM-in Laws house and the windows were like that, we replaced 5 sets and in the end didn't sell.

Answer 8

Rub the glass with hot cheese that way the condensation wont stick to glass (might smell a bit after a few days though)

Answer 9

You need to keep the heating on and leave a window ajar. You may destroy the planet, but you'll get no more condensation.

Answer 10

We had the same problem until we invested in 2 dehumidifiers. They take a couple of days to work efficiently but it's certainly done the trick.