Skirting heating

[Router]

I have a bathroom with a sold external wall that suffers really badly from mould, i've installed an extractor which has helped but not solved the problem, as an added prevention i'd like to add some heat along that wall. Unfortunatly there is no space with the toilet and basin there so the the only location is along the skirting, as an added complication the toilet soil pipe is just above the skirting so height is limited. I looked at a few of the skirting replacment heating solutions but they will not fit under the soil pipe, i'm not after a mega amount of heat just a trickle. I thought of just running a 22mm pipe along the skirting but if possible would like a bit more heat than that.
Has anyone any alternate ideas?

 

[diamondgas]

An extractor fan with built in humidity detection??? Or one that you can adjust the overrun time? Or a radiator anywhere in the room, doesn't have to be on the wall in question as long as it heats the space?

Just some thoughts off the top of my head Router :welcome: to the forum

 

[tamz]

Make your own skirting heater by running a pipe on stand off brackets and getting some old juice cans cut them into squares drill a hole and hang them on the pipe. You will need to box it in.

 

[Meady]

Do you not think its weird why its happening only on the outside wall?

 

[Centralheatking]

You could make your own skirting radiator. Run two or more copper pipes along the skirting board in an 's' type pattern. The trick is to solder plenty of copper roofing straps to the pipes on the ft to help get the heat out of the pipes. disquise as you fancy.
Actually done this recently

centralheatking

 

[tamz]

Do you not think its weird why its happening only on the outside wall?

The dampness is spreading across the cavity (if there is one) probably due to either rubble or cement bridging the gap or sitting on wall ties.
If there is no cavity it is just spreading through the brickwork.

 

[thermaskirt]

Dear router
We have just done 40 flats in Scotland, and the. Bathrooms had the same issue with soil pipes.
We did a kit to go past them without spoiling the look.
Also just done a german bunker with damp and mould problems.
Check out thermaskirt.com
Look forward to helping you out.
Thanks martin
M.d discrete heat co Ltd

 

[Router]

Thanks for all the excellent replies.

I have fitted a humidity detector for the fan. The reason for the mould on the external wall is due to it being an old house with solid walls (no cavity) this means when the temp drops outside the wall quickly becomes cold. When we have a shower the external wall is covered in condensation, the same same effect can be seen on the toilet cistern (ceramic) condensation can be seen on the cistern but only up to the water line where fresh cold water sits.
The problem occurs in other rooms but not to such a degree, it has been increased due to the fitting of double glazing and a sealed multifuel stove in stead of an open fire (but the house is alot warmer now).

One idea i had was an Alde aluminium microconvector (you'll have to google it the forum won't let me post the link to the web page), however i was worried about it being aluminium and problems with corrosion when linked to the copper pipes, also it has 16mm ends and the copper is 15mm. It's designed for a mobile home setup running with some fluid not water.

Another idea was to run a pipe along the skirting, you can see the large pipes used on heating in schools etc, but what is the largest pipe you could link to standard 15/22mm copper piping? it would need to attach close to the skirting for cosmetic reasons,

I don't suppose you have any photo's centralheatking of the solution you did, i know what the copper roofing straps are but what are ft's? Did your solution have the 3 pipes running parallel along the skirting in an S, or was it some intricate pipework creatation?

Martin i did send an email to discrete heating with a query regarding this matter but got no reply.

 

[ggman]

I installed on my bathroom a SMITHS 12v wall mounted fan convector warm up the bathroom in seconds.
There are as well plint fan convetcors 12v mainly used in kitchens. Smiths or Myson

 

[Router]

Hi ggman thanks for that but i'd like to try to avoid going down the electric route if possible.

One reason for the skirting idea is that the towel rail in the bathroom is always on when the heating is on so i was going to plumb the skirting solution into this so it would also always be on as well. In that way when ever the heating was in use that wall would be getting a small steady heat over a longer time period.
People usually use the showers in the morning or evening when the heating is on, i've got kids who wouldn't be so disciplined about turning heaters on and off so i want something that works in the background.

 

[Router]

FYI i've attached some photo's, you can see it's just a short run, but space is restricted.

What about a nice fat pipe run along the skirting painted white? That would blend in

 

[dancinplumba]

get a plinth heater that works of heating and fit it to bath panel, oh get the wall insulated

 

[ggman]

Hi ggman thanks for that but i'd like to try to avoid going down the electric route if possible.

One reason for the skirting idea is that the towel rail in the bathroom is always on when the heating is on so i was going to plumb the skirting solution into this so it would also always be on as well. In that way when ever the heating was in use that wall would be getting a small steady heat over a longer time period.
People usually use the showers in the morning or evening when the heating is on, i've got kids who wouldn't be so disciplined about turning heaters on and off so i want something that works in the background.

The fan convector that I mean works only with the central heating, only the fan is electric, low voltage 12V perfectly safe, only come on when 48 C temperature is reached in the matrix

 

[diamondgas]

Personally I'd have thought that if you had enough if not more heat in the room it would have dried out the walls and warmed them up regardless of what way it's facing?

You could fit any size Iron pipe you liked, bit like old Church pipes that run around the perimeter.. However If you change your towel warmer for a radiator that's designed to heat the room you may find that help warm up the room? Undersized heat source will mean an under-heated room space IMHO

 

[tamz]

Your wall looks like it has been strapped and sheeted or framed out and sheeted. Probably little if any insulation behind. You could probably get a look behind it from behind the bath panel or by pulling the wooden window sill out.
The only way to fully cure this problem is take down the plasterboard wall and redo it with proper insulated plasterboard and a vapour barrier.

 

[lame plumber]

Do you not think its weird why its happening only on the outside wall?

No, to be expected, its condensation

 

[Router]

Agreed the cure would be to insulate the wall, but it is too much of a major undertaking at present.

The iron pipe you mentioned, what size would this be and what fittings could be used to connect to 15/22mm standard copper pipeing?

 

[Centralheatking]

I will find the pics of the copper strap and pipe set up later but the biggest surface area
for heating the room is the floor - electric underfloor heating packs are really quite cheap and safe - i would go this way ohhh Bali in the Bathroom ! centralheatking

Agreed the cure would be to insulate the wall, but it is too much of a major undertaking at present.

The iron pipe you mentioned, what size would this be and what fittings could be used to connect to 15/22mm standard copper pipeing?

 

[stevetheplumber]

just putingt a little 300x 300 rad half under the basin would help a lot or if theres room put one behind the towel rail

 

[peteheat]

Dear router
We have just done 40 flats in Scotland, and the. Bathrooms had the same issue with soil pipes.
We did a kit to go past them without spoiling the look.
Also just done a german bunker with damp and mould problems.
Check out thermaskirt.com
Look forward to helping you out.
Thanks martin
M.d discrete heat co Ltd

A potential answer to your problem?

Hi Martin,

Always a pleasure to Welcome a possible Sponsor to the Forum

 

[Router]

I've been looking into all the comments on the forum, i think the long term solution in a number of years when the bathroom needs a major overhaul is insulating the walls and under floor electric heating (i'm i allowed to say that on a plumbers forum ), i reckon that would be the cheapest to run in the small area plus i've got some PV panels. I had the floor up a few years ago.....damn, hind sight is a wonderful thing!

But i just need something that is fairly quick and not too distruptive, i can get something fitted along that skirting in a weekend. I would hope with the extractor fan i fitted a few weeks ago and a bit of extra heat along the wall it will keep things at bay until the major work can be done.

I have the Mrs to bear in mind with any solution so cosmetics are a major factor, so i keep coming back to a nice fat pipe running along the skirting painted white, i reckon that would blend in. If i go with that i have no experience in fitting anything other than the standard 15/22mm piping. So can anyone tell me what size pipes are available iron or brass and what fittings would be requried to reduce down to the copper piping and where they are available, it would also need fixings so it is attached close to the skirting.

 

[DirksPlumbing]

How dear could it be to fling a few Climatech boards or similar on the wall and resurface? they come already in 6mm thickness. Fix them with flexi tile adhesive and tile or whatever straight onto.

Because of the internal insulation you move the dew point into the wall and these are a damp proof membrane as well if fixed properly. Make so much of a difference and you can do in situ in most of the cases without even taking anything out except the tiles/wet boards.

In this case apparently the china would come forward around 10 mm and I would use the flexi adhesive for a skim instead of plaster. Some like to paint straight onto the adhesive, has a bit a rustic look if there is sandy structure. (Or use white if you can work clean)

Slit the trim and go right flush with the tile and Bob is your uncle.