How to eliminate condensate on cold water pipes?

Rust that occurs on cold water pipes causes a lot of trouble to the owners of houses and apartments. The cause of this phenomenon in many cases is water droplets that form on the surface of pipes.

Condensate is quite common. It is mainly formed on pipes with cold water. The reasons for this are the presence of high humidity in the room air and the difference between the air temperature and the temperature of the pipeline.

This phenomenon occurs just like dew on the leaves of grass in the morning. Under certain conditions (air humidity, temperature and atmospheric pressure), a so-called “dew point” is formed, upon reaching which the water vapor present in the air accumulates on the surface of surrounding objects.

Also, the vapor settles on the surface of water pipes, which seem to "sweat", becoming covered with drops. For this effect to occur, it is necessary that the surface temperature be lower than the ambient temperature. Therefore, this happens with cold water pipes in the bathroom and toilet, which are cooled due to the cold flow through them with a temperature below the air temperature in the room.

If water does not flow through the pipe, then the pipe, along with the water in it, is heated to ambient temperature. In such conditions, the formation of condensate is impossible.

Therefore, when detecting water droplets on the pipe, you need to accurately determine the location of the source of water movement. This may be a toilet cistern through which water leaks unnoticed due to its losing its properties or torn gaskets. Such movement of water through the pipe is sufficient for its cooling and the formation of condensate.Also, the source may be a poor-quality gasket on one of the taps through which the water flow passes.

In addition, the reason for the formation of water droplets can be found among neighbors who live higher on any of the floors, if they, for example, have a drain tank. In this case, condensate can form on water risers passing through the apartment from the bottom up. In this case, the constant movement of water and, accordingly, the cooling of the pipe occurs due to these leaks. When determining such a reason and wanting to eliminate it, you must inform the residents who are above.

One of the consequences of condensation is rust. The formation of rust stains not only spoils the appearance of metal parts, but also destroys them. Often condensation occurs on the risers that pass through the apartment vertically. In this case, the peeling of the paintwork is possible.

Drops fall on the floor, forming small puddles, because of which the floor covering collapses. Moisture can deteriorate and furniture in the room. Also, due to the constant accumulation of moisture on the surfaces, mold and fungus can occur, which have a negative impact on human health. Especially unpleasant appearance of mold in hard-to-reach places of plumbing units.

Having noticed the moisture formed on the pipes, you should immediately take steps to eliminate it. First of all, it is necessary to wipe out the condensate that has formed and dry it where it appears.

It is important not to allow moisture to accumulate. To do this, establish the reason for its appearance. At the same time, it is necessary to find out exactly which source gives a constant flow of water, as a result of which the surface of the pipes is cooled.To determine this, you need to check the toilet cistern and all taps for a constant flow. You should also pay attention to the washing machine installed in the house, through which water can flow if there are valve failures.

You can check the performance of the ventilation system with a simple sheet of paper. When you bring it to the opening of the working ventilation, you can notice a slight movement of the sheet. This is an indication that ventilation is working. But to determine the effectiveness of the installed ventilation you need to invite experts.

If it is found that condensate forms in the riser, it is necessary to involve in identifying the cause of the neighbors above, which may have a leak in the sanitary equipment. In this case, condensate will also be observed on their pipes.

If the identified problem was not too serious, then it can be successfully solved by replacing the gasket on the drain tank or tap. However, the solution is not always so simple.

In some cases, the cause is improper pipe installation, in which the hot and cold pipes pass at close distances from each other. This is quite enough for the formation of condensate. After all, if there is a flow of water through both pipes, one of them heats up and the other cools. From this temperature drop and moisture is formed. Often, such situations arise in private homes, where pipes are installed without the involvement of specialists.

In such cases, it may help to use a special thermal insulating material, which can wrap the water supply. This way you can make insulation, eliminate mutual heat transfer and protect pipes.This method is quite effective and does not require capital work on the alteration of water supply.

If the reason lies in the insufficient exhaust from the room, then a fan must be installed at the ventilation outlet to create a forced air flow. Thanks to this, excessive moisture is eliminated from the room.

Specialists in the field of plumbing have extensive experience in finding the causes of condensation and its effective elimination. For example, one of the modern ways to solve a problem is to cover the pipes with a special liquid heat insulating compound. It is applied to the surface of pipes, forming a durable, elastic and non-corrosive layer during drying, which allows to get rid of moisture.

However, with a very large temperature difference, the pipe must be further warmed. To do this, often use foamed polyethylene, which is fixed with a conventional wire. It is lightweight and non-rotting material. It is produced both in the form of sheets and in the form of soft tubes of various diameters with a longitudinal section.

For maximum effect, it is necessary that the inner diameter of the tube matches the outer diameter of the water pipe. In this case, the tube is worn tightly, without unnecessary gaps. If it is of a smaller diameter, then there will be a gap; if it is larger, it will hang out. At the same time, it will bring almost no benefit. Ease of use is that you can put the item on the pipe yourself, immediately having the desired result.

Before using them, it is necessary to clean the pipe, remove rust and degrease the surface with solvent or acetone. After that putty, and from above - a layer of fabric, without waiting until the putty dries. The layers of fabric are wound with overlapping, without gaps, and at the end are fixed with a bandage or strong thread. This method is quite simple and effective.

When building a private house in order to prevent such phenomena, one should take into account the available sources of heat and high humidity, as well as their mutual accommodation. Proceeding from this, it is worth immediately doing enhanced ventilation of the premises.

How to eliminate condensate on cold water pipes, see the following video.