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ErikTheAngry t1_j6jqny2 wrote

Reply to comment by mtiakrerye in How do I prevent condensation on the windows from causing water to accumulate on the windowsill? by teddythepooh99

Well, I haven't tried it, but I imagine it might be sufficient to evaporate the water as it condenses on the windows.

But... it feels to me like it's just as likely to make the problem worse, by increasing the potential humidity of the room (as warm air holds more moisture).

Maybe in a place like Chicago, where it doesn't get very cold, it might work? Up where I live, I cannot see this being a tenable solution at all.

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Westerdutch t1_j6k0e2c wrote

> evaporate ... likely to make the problem worse

Correct, evaporating the water isnt the solution but rather part of the problem. Humid air hitting the cold glass is what causes the water to come out (cold air holds less water than warm air so as it cools some has to come out). More heat does not change the amount of water you have in the air so condensation will stay. You either need to lower amount of water in the air (dehumidifier) or you need to not have cold glass (isolating layer or double glazing). Ideally youd have a bit of both, lower humidity in combination with windows that do not waste as much heat will significantly increase quality of life in general and heating cost (dry air needs less energy to heat up than humid air).

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Kelsenellenelvial t1_j6k6wuf wrote

Increasing the temperature inside does help because it makes the inside surface of the window warmer too. We used to run a space heater in the living room to keep it warmer than the rest of the house and it did help a lot with condensation, at the cost of increased energy usage. The best solution is to replace the windows with a more energy efficient version, but that’s costly and not really an option if you don’t own the place.

For OP, window films is probably the most effective solution for the price. Part of the issue is older houses were so drafty that inside humidity wasn’t much different than outside. Then people start sealing things up to reduce energy costs, but that leads to cold spots that lead to condensation.

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DasArchitect t1_j6jtvcw wrote

It won't help. The temperature outside (thus the glazing) will remain below condensation.

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