Leave no stone unturned to save on energy waste - exercise proper moisture control
These are difficult times in the UK. Money is short and energy costs are on the rise. Yet that doesn't mean we have to sit in the dark or in the cold. However reality bites, and every legitimate means of controlling energy costs are fair, and each method that can be used to cut costs is worthy of investigation.
One means that not many people are aware of is moisture control. There are ways of controlling the buildup of moisture, which occurs when the warm air indoors hits the cold air outside and turns to water, which rapidly cools and will reduce the temperature.
Moisture control strategies typically include the following areas of a home:
- Attics
- Foundations
- Basements
- Crawl spaces under a house
- Walls
Moisture is generally transferred through a closed area by air currents or draughts as they are generally known, with air naturally being pushed from the area of highest pressure to the area where the pressure is lowest.
Access to low pressure zones will always come where there is an opening, any crack or crevice into an area where the air is cooler.
Moisture travelling through the air will move very fast and heat loss will be more or less instant as long as the warm moisture filled air is allowed to escape. That is why it very important to discover and seal any points in the building where heat can escape from.
It is only logical that a lot of moisture will build up in a room where people are sitting around a gas fire or where radiators are working at somewhere near their maximum temperature. The warmer the air the higher the level if humidity in the room, and the more the moisture will form. Anyone who has ever spent a crisp winter's day indoors and noticed that a lot of moisture has formed on their windows, should be aware of two things:
- That they may have their heating on too high a temperature
- They have a well insulated home.
There are charts for relative levels of humidity that should be in the air, taking into account that as air warms up, its ability to hold water vapor increases. As it cool it decreases.
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