Steamy bathroom

[Doug71]

My tenant has reported that now the weather is colder the bathroom gets "ridiculously steamy" when they have a shower even with the window open and have requested a more powerful extractor fan.

The shower is over the bath and the extractor is more or less directly above it (I presume the extractor is working properly but will check).

Now I know ventilation is generally thought to be a good thing but the open window is quite close to the extractor and I'm wondering if the extractor is just sucking in cold air from outside and pushing it straight back out again rather than actually clearing the room? The bathroom door is the opposite side of the room so I wondered if they would be better shutting the window while showering and leaving the door slightly ajar so that there would be air movement right across the room?

I guess the answer is to try it and see but thought I would ask to see if people think my theory makes any sense or if they have any other ideas?

I know the tenants have not put the heating on yet and will be suggesting that it would help if they did.

 

[Stigmorgan]

I would agree that having the window open is probably the issue, our bathroom set up has the window between the shower and extractor fan, same issue, I quite often have to reset the smoke detector in the hallway outside the bathroom

 

[duke]

I would agree that having the window open is probably the issue, our bathroom set up has the window between the shower and extractor fan, same issue, I quite often have to reset the smoke detector in the hallway outside the bathroom

Also agree Doug, Now that we here are running the wood stove regularly the RH drops a lot and the extra steam, moisture from showing is welcomed.

 

[RobinBHM]

Is it the title of a Tina Turner song…..

 

[duke]

Possible the extractor grill is clogged , I clean ours every few months.

 

[RobinBHM]

I know the tenants have not put the heating on yet

There’s the problem

 

[JoeS]

My experience is that tenants who have lived with dung landlords in the past - have always been told that they should open the windows to let fresh air in. The problem with that is that when they end up in a place with suitable airflow and venting and extractor fans - they continue to let cold air pour into the house and it creates lots of condensation issues.

Lastly not using the heating is a classic - it is a total false economy if it's your house in terms of damp and cold...the problem is that It isn't their house!

 

[pgrbff]

The fan needs to give 8 changes of air per hour. Calculate the volume of the room and choose the fan to suit. The fans installed in most bathrooms are too small. Better if it has a timer, better still if it has a humidity sensor but both of these will need an extra live at the fan.

 

[Ollie78]

We recently had an inspection done regarding damp issues at our house ( a long and annoying saga ) and the guy tested our bathroom extractor with a sort of box thing he put over it with what I presume was an anemometer in it.
Our fan was working at about half its original rating, possibly due to fluff build up in the pipe etc and just the age of the fan. I am going to get a new one or try to upgrade it to a higher flow version. The only issue is mine is a low volt type because its near the shower in zone 2 or whatever.

I always think the method of the bathroom fan is wrong. It would be better to open a foot square hole and use a really powerful fan for 30 seconds to just purge the steam really fast than a very weak little fan running for hours and doing very little.

 

[Cabinetman]

I fitted an in line large motor fan in the attic at my old house, might help. But I would think the reason they are complaining about the steam is the warm damp air hitting the cold air from the window- fogbank time.