Condensation on toilet cistern - Is there a cure?

[jazz]

I have recently moved into a new property and there is a problem with condensation building up on the outside of a low level toilet cistern. The cistern is manufactured of plastic is there another material that can be used or another cure?

 

[CXR100]

is the bathroom vented? and is there a radiator os means of heating there, get caleed to so many properties these days because of this, widows all closed "to keep the heat in" , no fan fitted , so no means of condensation to escape, no ventalation , and no heat in bathroom, we fit "envirovents" in our properties at work, think this could solve your problem , or buying a insulated cistern, have seen people boxing them in and stuffing attic insulation around them, seems to work!

 

[SimonG]

Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation.

 

[SimonG]

Dont know how good the fans controlled with a humidistat are. I just tend to go for a long run on period.

 

[Chalked]

I have recently moved into a new property and there is a problem with condensation building up on the outside of a low level toilet cistern. The cistern is manufactured of plastic is there another material that can be used or another cure?

heres one that definitely works.
Open window now and again.
turn heating on.
flush toilet less!
Seriously, its nothing to worry about, it's probably on an outside wall ( cold) with little ventilation. At this time of year the cold water cooling the cistern meets the warm heated air and condenses .

 

[jazz]

Heating is on and the bathroom is warm. I do keep the window open during the daytime but it is to cold in the evening to keep the window open. The cistern is fitted on the outside wall of the bathroom.
I never had this problem in my previous property and that had a much colder bathroom, it is a problem because water is dripping off the cistern onto a lower shelf.
Would a "Tri-shell" type cistern be of any benefit?

 

[northcarr]

A lot of modern bathroom pottery suffers from this as it is now a lot thinner it's always the cisterns that suffer I have come across some that have been painted inside with damp proof paint not sure if it works.as others have said it's a lot to do with ventilation .

 

[zzzjim]

Look in to possible sources of "Steam" , open plan kitchen ( No kitchen extractor fan )
lots of steam from cooking , vented tumble drier -gunked up , long hot showers .

as others have mentioned , more ventilation / heating may be needed .

If other property had any Open flue devices , all that air probably kept damp at bay !

(What does not condense on cistern may end up on a Cold Wall ! )

 

[SimonG]

Sure ive seen a polystyrene liner on some.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Would a "Tri-shell" type cistern be of any benefit?

Yes, it would help, but only in terms of masking the worst symptoms.

Your problem is excess humidity. The condensation on the cistern is a symptom, not a cause.

Better ventilation is the key.

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

water from mains is too cold, strange i havent seen this happening when supplied from the tank.

 

[Roger Welton]

Never seen one over here, but the yanks fit 'anti-sweat' valves on the inlet, just a low temp blending valve from what I can make out to raise water temp in cistern.

 

[wetdrip]

As said, ventilation plus water in the system being too cold are the problem.Also check if there's a cold draft coming up between the floor and the skirting board.
There are specialist product sites which supply sound insulated and thermally insulated W.C.
As an example see here:
http://www.missel-schwab.com/downloads/en/technisches_handbuch_englisch.pdf

 

[jazz]

Checked humidity and it's 55%, that's with a closed window which isn't too bad. The condensation starts in the evening, the cold water is ice cold this time of the year and the heating comes on in the evening, so perhaps this is triggering the condensation?

 

[zzzjim]

heating comes on in the evening, so perhaps this is triggering the condensation?

Heating probably helping move air around building , try shutting door temporarily see if things worsen !

 

[Best]

If the cistern is mains fed, then this time of year especially, the water coming in will be only above freezing. Air in your house will always contain moisture & will condense when it hits the cistern.
Letting air from outside, although good for ventilation, has the problem of also letting more moisture in!
It's the same as lifting a tin of cold beer out of your fridge & water from nowhere suddenly appears on the tins surface.
All you can do is have slight ventilation, try to avoid drying clothes, unvented cooking etc to cause more damp & get air-conditioning if you can afford.
Or get the toilet fed from an insulated cold storage tank.

 

[Reg Man]

Warm room, cold water in cistern = Condensation

 

[boltonic]

Hi, yes there is a solution, drain out the cistern completely, dry the inside surfaces and stick on a polystirene insulation, or the insulation used for the back of radiators.

 

[JusKel]

Ive seen this mostly on mains fed cisterns, but the last one is from a tank.
The pipes run outside insulated to the adjoining building then enter the boiler house before going down into this basemement toilet. There was condensation on the pipe in the boiler house. Turns out the tanks where only refilling
and the fresh water was running straight down and condensing at every opportunity.

 

[md property]

it wont as rising main temp 5 degrees tank temp approx 10 degrees + Mark