Are the water tanks in the loft the cause of widespread condensation.

[Bukky Apampa]

Hi,

I hope you can help me, I have middle maisonette flat, in our loft, there 4 communal water tanks shared with our neighbours, in the last 5 years, we've noticed really bad condensation in the flat, our bathroom walls turning black and now water is dropping out of the ceiling, I called a plumber in who went into the loft, he told me that the water dropping from the ceiling is coming from the water tanks, he told me to ask the council to remove the water tank that does not belong to my flat as leaving the tanks there could cause major damage to the roof of which I'd be responsible for. I bought the flat 7 years ago.

So I called the council in to check, they told me they don't know what the plumber is talking about as water tanks do not cause condensation and that under no circumstance would the council remove the tanks especially since they pose no threats to my flat.

Now I'm not sure who to believe, can you advise please? Thanks.

Bukky.

 

[MattWeth]

I doubt very much this is caused by the water tanks (unless they're physically leaking!) - Condensation is generally caused by poor ventilation.

It's especially noticeable in areas which have a high humidity (eg bathrooms, kitchens, rooms used for drying clothes etc) and / or cold surfaces (outside walls, poorly insulated upper floor ceilings etc).

In these cases the 'cure' is to install good forced ventilation (extract fans) in order to remove the moisture laden air and improve insulation of cold surfaces (e.g. improve loft insulation). In your case, do you have mechanical extract in your bathroom and is the loft insulation good? Do you dry washing on radiators in the flat? Are all your doors and windows draught free? (ironically, sealing up and insulating a building often causes noticeable problems with air quality)

The best solution is to install Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) which is a small air handling unit in the loft. It extracts air from the house (from one or more points) and uses the heat in the extracted air to pre-warm fresh air taken in from outside. They are very efficient to run and can have huge benefits in problem properties with damp and condensation issues.

 

[mountainman]

If the tanks aren't leaking, fitted with covers and proper insulation jackets then they shouldn't be your problem.
Really you need a detailed survey report, your plumber ought to be able to provide this for you.