Ways to get rid of condensate in the ventilation pipe of a private house

The formation of condensation in ventilation, on building structures, in any other place is accompanied by a complex of problems, ranging from high humidity and ending with the development of pathogenic flora. In addition, the chemical composition of water itself is quite aggressive and can have a destructive effect on concrete and metal elements, so it is necessary to find a way to eliminate condensation in ventilation in a private house. To do this, first of all, it is necessary to understand the reasons for its occurrence.

Why does moisture appear in the ventilation in a private house

If condensation is dripping from the chimney, there can be many reasons. It rarely happens that he is completely absent. Taking this into account, moisture removal devices have been developed for filter ventilation systems and chimneys. If the water flows from the channels in streams, it makes sense to think about the serviceability of the hood. The most common reason is an uninsulated mine, but this is the only factor.

Temperature drops

The problem arises when there is a negative temperature outside for a long time. In this case, in the upper part, an accumulation of icicles forms at the outlet of the ventilation due to the freezing of water vapor, which is present in the air leaving the room. The situation is aggravated with the duration of such a temperature regime, since the heated air from the building partially melts the ice and drops flow down the walls of the mine.

This situation is usually not a consequence of improper organization of the hood and may occur from time to time.

Installation with errors

Condensation on the hood in a private house may appear if there are errors in the arrangement of the system. Correctly laid shafts should be located strictly in a straight line, with minimal bends and transitions. The presence of turns slows down the air flow, gives time to cool the steam on the walls.

The second important point concerns strict adherence to the internal diameter of the duct. Inconsistency with its developed project or the presence of narrowing places also contributes to a drop in the speed of movement of air masses and the release of drops on the walls.

Insufficient air exchange

Most often, the reason arises in multi-apartment high-rise buildings with a common filter ventilation system. The essence of the problem lies in the fact that during operation a cobweb appears in the inner passage of the hood, fat deposits are formed, debris accumulates, for example, in the form of particles of fallen leaves. All this leads to a decrease in the cross-section of the passage and impedes the flow of air.

It will not be possible to solve the issue on your own when the public hood is polluted. It is necessary to call the service team to carry out cleaning measures along the entire length of the air duct.

The presence of water in the basement

The basement has one feature - there is always a positive temperature in it, even in winter.If for some reason there is water here, it will evaporate anyway. Correctly organized filtration ventilation primarily has access to the basement. Together with the air, steam will rise up the shaft. When it reaches a low temperature point, moisture creates condensation in the ventilation.

Basements in an area of ​​high groundwater levels must be waterproofed, water communications in such places must be in good order and not leak.

The pipe is not insulated

If the air duct is designed in such a way that part of its structure passes through a section of the room where there is no heating, during the cold period moisture can form in this interval when a certain volume of steam is cooled. Therefore, air ducts in areas of cold and negative temperatures are insulated. The effectiveness of the insulation should be sufficient, which depends primarily on the difference in temperature differences and the material of the duct itself. The metal structure should be insulated more thoroughly than the plastic one.

Defective building material

If there are some irregularities on the inner walls of the pipes, this does not greatly affect the formation of water droplets. Attention should be paid to the quality of the material used to insulate the entire system. Inconsistency of the latter with operating conditions can lead to a loss of thermal insulation properties, and then the walls will cool, condensation will begin to form on the exhaust pipe of the ventilation.

Attention should be paid to the good sealing of the joints of the structure itself. Steam or moisture seeping through leaks can enter the rock wool and reduce its performance.

Design miscalculations

Before laying the filter ventilation system in the house, it is necessary to calculate the performance of the system as a whole and its individual elements. This means, first of all, the throughput of the channels and the power of the electric hood itself. According to building codes and regulations, each room in a living space has its own requirements for air exchange:

• in living rooms, bedrooms and hallways, 3 cubes of air should change within one hour per 1 square of area;
• for the kitchen, the volume increases to 8-6 cubes;
• in the toilet, this figure reaches 10-8 units;
• for showers and baths, 9-7 cubes per square meter are enough.

Dry cellars also need to be ventilated, here it is enough to provide air exchange within 6-4 cubic meters. These conditions must be observed exactly or a small margin of performance must be made, but in the latter case it is important not to overdo it, otherwise additional heat loss will result.

How to identify the problem

Usually filtration ventilation is a complex technical device with many branches. It is not always possible to disassemble it and see where the drops are formed for a number of reasons. In this case, it is necessary to approach the solution of the problem by an indirect method - to look for signs of a defect on the outside.

The first sign of water formation on the walls of the metal channel may be areas of rust. If the mine is closed with insulation, wet areas will still appear, making the insulation material itself wet. In this case, the damaged material is removed, a new one is put in its place.

Another potentially problematic area can be the duct section that rises above the roof covering. In order to save money, they do not always organize insulation in this place, which often leads to icing of the material.

Correct organization of insulation

The subtleties of the insulation of a specific filtering system depend on the material, section of the ventilation opening and the type of insulation. Until recently, the main insulation, which was used everywhere, was various types of mineral wool and glass wool.Today, the choice is much greater. Insulators-shells are gaining popularity - cylindrical spans consisting of two halves with different inner diameters. With such elements, installation is carried out quite easily by putting the parts on the air duct and fastening them together with wire or using tape. Semi-cylinders are made from various foams, as well as mineral wool.

Full-fledged insulation of supply and exhaust ventilation comes down to the following points:

• All pipes that are in unheated conditions provide thermal insulation. In a private household, such places can be attics, cold basements, garages.
• If the shaft body is adjacent to the ceiling, and the floor of the attic is not insulated, the channel is also thermally insulated.

When passing through the thickness of concrete, direct contact with metal structures also forces the air duct to be wrapped.

Work with insulation, especially all types of wool, should be carried out only in dry weather. When wet, this material loses its technical properties.

How to get rid of condensation in a ventilation pipe

One of the most effective methods of getting rid of excess moisture is to equip the system with steam traps. The mechanism of these devices is built in such a way that it allows you to catch water that flows down the walls towards the slope.

In essence, a steam trap is a T-piece with a cone-shaped vessel, which is cut into the lower point of the line on the horizontal section and at the base of the 90-degree turn when moving from the horizontal direction vertically upwards. This method will get rid of moisture and precipitation falling into the channel during rain.

Further, it is simply necessary to pass through the entire section at a given frequency and drain the liquid from the catchers. Automatic dehumidification can be made by equipping each steam trap with an electric valve.

What experts advise

Based on the experience of operating different ventilation systems, experts recommend:

• Insulate air duct lines in unheated areas with polyurethane foam insulation. When using mineral wool, waterproof the base before and after installing the heat insulator.
• On long sections of the duct along the street, equip it with condensate traps for ventilation.
• The end of the upper pipe, which rises above the roof, must be equipped with a protective canopy.
• Equip rooms with high humidity with a local exhaust fan.

It is necessary to periodically audit the entire line in general and problem areas in particular. To do this, it is necessary to organize the channel in such a way that inspection hatches are easily accessible.