Ban on gas heating for new UK homes

[Mr Onion]

<snip> the dehumidifier workload will depend on the rate that new moisture is entering. </snip>

... and if the damp ingress is faster then the dehumidifier can extract it then you will never win until the source of the damp is removed.

[richardfrost]

The source of the damp is condensation from human beings. The house is too airtight following the cavity wall insulation, so they have to have the windows open all the time.

The Ebac 2250e with antibacterial filter pack is arriving Thursday. I shall report back when there is further news.

[Kremmen]

What would worry me is the surveyors damp machine when they come to move.

May make it unsellable, especially if the buyers need a mortgage, may get refused.

[richardfrost]

Well it will be a much dryer property than when my lad bought it, as this situation was not of our creation.

[John Ratsey]

The source of the damp is condensation from human beings. The house is too airtight following the cavity wall insulation, so they have to have the windows open all the time.

Thank you for this clarification. Older types of cavity insulation could cause transfer damp though a wall. Airtightness is a separate issue and those who insulate cavities usually have external doors and windows replaced to minimise heat loss through draughts. Some modern houses have mechanical ventilation with heat recovery units to provide fresh air without the heat loss but a dehumidifier can make a useful contribution towards controlling humidity.

There's some useful guidance (eg extractor fans in bathrooms) in this article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63642856 and I found this document interesting https://www.labc.co.uk/sites/default/files/zch-thermalbridgingguide-screen.pdf as it highlights where current building practice can reduce the cold spots (eg around doors and windows) which are difficult to fix in older buildings despite the cavity wall insulation and better doors and windows.

[John Marshall]

I have cavity wall insulation. Yes it stops heat from the inside escaping. But it also stops heat from the outside getting in. On many days I have gone outside and thought that it is warmer outside than inside, because the insulation has not allowed the warmth outside to get through to the inside which I am paying to heat

Keep safe
John

[Jocko]

I have found that too but if it is that warm outside I am not needing to heat the inside of the house.

[John Ratsey]

I have cavity wall insulation. Yes it stops heat from the inside escaping. But it also stops heat from the outside getting in. On many days I have gone outside and thought that it is warmer outside than inside, because the insulation has not allowed the warmth outside to get through to the inside which I am paying to heat

However, you might welcome the insulation on a very hot summer day. Ideally, a house should have the windows (with blinds or shutters) on the south side to catch the sun when available and wanted. My previous house had the main windows west-facing and got too hot on a summer evening and consequently my current house has south-facing windows.

Unfortunately, planners and architects fail to properly consider welcome and unwelcome solar gain and put standard house designs on a map with whatever orientation and layout looks nice on the map. Trees in the wrong places area also a problem.

[Jocko]

However, you might welcome the insulation on a very hot summer day.

I live in Scotland. What is a very hot summer's day?

[Kremmen]

6th July 

[John Ratsey]

I live in Scotland. What is a very hot summer's day?

Isn't anything over 20C very hot for you Scots?

I was in Scotland in mid July 2021 when there was a heatwave. I found the weather to be pleasant but the local people were complaining of the heat.

[madasafish]

We live in a 160 year old stone built house..walls up to 1 meter thick in places.

In hot weeks, the house starts off cool and by the end of the week is very warm. I don't know how many hundreds (or thousands ) of tonnes of stone are involved but it takes days to cool down again if the weather changes.

[Whiteshark]

You may be interested to know that I understand Samsung are about to launch an Air Source Heat Pump that has been on trial in Scandinavia for the past 3 years at -25 degrees and produces constant hot water at between 70-75 degrees. It is potentially a game changer as it could replace gas boilers without having to change central heating systems.

[Kremmen]

Someone needs to invent something as a lot of houses have nowhere to site a large ground based heat pump.

[Jocko]

Even an Air Source Heat Pump is a large device. We will end up with them stuck on the outside of buildings like you see air con units in Hong Kong and the like.