Window Vacs for condensation

[bellbird]

In my smallish flat I have 20+ windows of varying sizes to wipe down during the winter. I have a squeegee thing which collects water in the handle and does a reasonable job but it's quite a chore first thing in the morning and I'm over it already.   Anyone using a battery vac eg Karchers? They seem really expensive, the smallest one is around $100. Do they do a good job?

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I absolutely love mine. I got it second hand, with all the extension bits I'll never use - for $20. Even if I had to pay full price, looking at how much I use it I would save up and buy one.

I use it for winter windows, for summer window cleaning, and on the shower glass. Honestly? One of the best tools in the house, second only to my very posh vac, which is also worth its weight in gold.

Sometimes, buying the good stuff is a very sensible choice. Even for us very broke folk... Because it lasts.

[psycik]

they're ok. I have leaded windows (one page split into 9 smaller panes). It's a little annoying on that, but gets most of it off If you had single pane windows I'd imagine it does a great job.

[neilmcc]

We have a Karcher. Bought another make at a home show,that was money down the drain. The Karcher is miles better, so sticking with it.

[Kenj]

Sometimes, buying the good stuff is a very sensible choice. Even for us very broke folk... Because it lasts.

 
This part of your text rang a bell with me. My beloved wife looks for bargains all the time. I try to tell her that a penny spent wisely is a good investment.  However, as an example, I asked her to get me some Blue tack and she got a pack from the local El Cheapo shop...... absolutely useless and ended up in the bin, replaced by some very satisfactory real stuff that works as it is supposed to. Grrr!

I could go on but I guess you understand what I am saying.

Wow, I could get into trouble if she sees this 

[CliveM]

We have the Karcher one and reccomend it. Not cheap but worth the price. I agree with Ken, you get what you pay for!

[Dugimodo]

It's not terribly useful for a flatting situation but as a homeowner I put some effort into venting the moisture out of my house by adding an extractor fan to the bathroom, a rangehood to the kitchen, venting the dryer outside, and I also have double glazing. The net effect is I don't get much moisture on my windows at all and don't bother wiping it when I do get some. Windows have their own drain system anyway, just make sure the drain holes aren't clogged up.

You may not want to do this in winter but you can get a lot of the benefit by opening a window at opposite sides of the building for 10-15 min a day and letting the air circulate. Or running a dehumidifier but I never liked them all that much.

Sorry if it's not a helpful comment, it just seems like wiping up the water is treating a symptom and not addressing the cause to me.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Sometimes, buying the good stuff is a very sensible choice. Even for us very broke folk... Because it lasts.

 
This part of your text rang a bell with me. My beloved wife looks for bargains all the time. I try to tell her that a penny spent wisely is a good investment.  However, as an example, I asked her to get me some Blue tack and she got a pack from the local El Cheapo shop...... absolutely useless and ended up in the bin, replaced by some very satisfactory real stuff that works as it is supposed to. Grrr!

I could go on but I guess you understand what I am saying.

Wow, I could get into trouble if she sees this 

Hmmmm, just as well I like you.

---

It's not terribly useful for a flatting situation but as a homeowner I put some effort into venting the moisture out of my house by adding an extractor fan to the bathroom, a rangehood to the kitchen, venting the dryer outside, and I also have double glazing. The net effect is I don't get much moisture on my windows at all and don't bother wiping it when I do get some. Windows have their own drain system anyway, just make sure the drain holes aren't clogged up.

You may not want to do this in winter but you can get a lot of the benefit by opening a window at opposite sides of the building for 10-15 min a day and letting the air circulate. Or running a dehumidifier but I never liked them all that much.

Sorry if it's not a helpful comment, it just seems like wiping up the water is treating a symptom and not addressing the cause to me.

Mmmm... Most windows may have a drain hole. Mine don't. My doors and windows are open every day for much longer than a few moments, and we have all the healthy homes stuff now installed. But I live in a tiny space, built in the early 60s, and in Winter, behind my three layered full length curtains, the windows weep. I think it is because me'n the cat breathe all night.

My Karcher solves the problem. And it's fun to use.

[R2x1]

It's not terribly useful for a flatting situation but as a homeowner I put some effort into venting the moisture out of my house by adding an extractor fan to the bathroom, a rangehood to the kitchen, venting the dryer outside, and I also have double glazing. The net effect is I don't get much moisture on my windows at all and don't bother wiping it when I do get some. Windows have their own drain system anyway, just make sure the drain holes aren't clogged up.

You may not want to do this in winter but you can get a lot of the benefit by opening a window at opposite sides of the building for 10-15 min a day and letting the air circulate. Or running a dehumidifier but I never liked them all that much.

Sorry if it's not a helpful comment, it just seems like wiping up the water is treating a symptom and not addressing the cause to me.

It's a very popular modus operandi (usually for a lot more than 15 minutes a day). Although New Zealand is a small country, leaving doors and/or windows open means you're not only trying to heat NZ, but, due to our leaky coastline, you are also going to be tackling either the Tasman Sea or the Pacific Ocean. Either is a pretty big task unless your heating/cooling  unit is a bit bigger than most domestic units.
Out of curiosity, is it recommended to have the windows you plan to leave open double glazed, or are they better off single glazed? I suppose it could be best to simply take those two windows out completely?
I don't greatly like the noise or the running cost of our dehumidifier, but I don't like the water it collects either - up to 7-1/2 litres a day if the wind is from the North East.     I shudder to think how much water I'd be dumping if a couple of windows were open. It might help with sea level rises I guess if I try to dehumidify the air over the Pacific, but alas the condensate is going back to the ocean pretty soon.

[Kenj]

 
This part of your text rang a bell with me. My beloved wife looks for bargains all the time. I try to tell her that a penny spent wisely is a good investment.  However, as an example, I asked her to get me some Blue tack and she got a pack from the local El Cheapo shop...... absolutely useless and ended up in the bin, replaced by some very satisfactory real stuff that works as it is supposed to. Grrr!

I could go on but I guess you understand what I am saying.

Wow, I could get into trouble if she sees this 

Hmmmm, just as well I like you.

---

It's not terribly useful for a flatting situation but as a homeowner I put some effort into venting the moisture out of my house by adding an extractor fan to the bathroom, a rangehood to the kitchen, venting the dryer outside, and I also have double glazing. The net effect is I don't get much moisture on my windows at all and don't bother wiping it when I do get some. Windows have their own drain system anyway, just make sure the drain holes aren't clogged up.

You may not want to do this in winter but you can get a lot of the benefit by opening a window at opposite sides of the building for 10-15 min a day and letting the air circulate. Or running a dehumidifier but I never liked them all that much.

Sorry if it's not a helpful comment, it just seems like wiping up the water is treating a symptom and not addressing the cause to me.

 I think it is because me'n the cat breathe all night.

Keep that going!!

[bellbird]

Thanks everyone. My flat has underfloor and ceiling insulation, kitchen and bathroom extractor fans, venetian blinds and curtains, I crack open windows in the morning for a bit unless it's super cold. Windows are wooden framed and single glazed. Condensation is the same in unheated or heated rooms and will run down the walls if I don't use rolled up towels. Flat is concrete block no eaves. I put bubble wrap on the bigger (non opening) window in the spare bedroom during winter. I might get the Karcher WV1 Plus from Mitre 10 $89. No specs for that model on their website so I had to do a search. I found this website helpful https://spotlessvacuum.co.uk/window-vac/karcher/ for general info about the vacs.

[R2x1]

Vacs; Vax. There's just so many things we have to to get. I got the Vax, I got Covid, I got a vac that can and did suck water, I got widowered which far out-sucked the shop vac . . . . .
Now the weather is blowing in a manner that definitely sucks, I suspect I may have to go down the garden and eat worms.
That'll teach you all . . . . 

'. . . . '(C) beetle.

[harm_less]

Vacs; Vax. There's just so many things we have to to get. I got the Vax, I got Covid, I got a vac that can and did suck water, I got widowered which far out-sucked the shop vac . . . . .
Now the weather is blowing in a manner that definitely sucks, I suspect I may have to go down the garden and eat worms.
That'll teach you all . . . . 

'. . . . '(C) beetle.

You've got to careful of those widowers

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I agree that being widowed sucks way better than any vac, and in some cases lasts longer. The eating worms though - unless they come dried, and are served with a bolognese I'll pass.

Bellbird, your flat has a lot in common with mine, but mine has a brick wall facing north which serves as a heat sink and boosts the comfort level in Winter. I believe Mitre 10 et all have a product that can transform windows into double glazed and I'm told by friends it works really well, but being a bit cack handed I prefer my full length double lined heavy curtains (TradeMe!) to achieve the same thing - and they look fabulous and make me happy. I think you'll find the Karcher fun to use and worth every penny, but in flats like ours we probably need to use several strategies to beat the Winter chills, and the wet...

[bellbird]

An update: I bought the Karcher WV1 from Mitre 10 and am really happy with it. It's light weight and doesn't take long to get rid of the condensation on the windows. The only issue I had at first was that after years of pushing the squeegee up the window I did the same with the Karcher which didn't work well at all. I have an over the bath shower and it's great for the walls after showering.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Oh I am pleased bellbird! The other morning when I opened the curtains to a bright clear but crisp morning I had wet windows and thought of you as I vacked down the glass. The little machine is a godsend and it does mean we are reducing the water load in our flat as well, so with luck as winter comes in you'll be better off than last year.

[R2x1]

Drying the windows is one of those chores best avoided. A dehumidifier is good for that, a cotton bud is about all that's needed here for foiling pains on the panes. The dehumidifier was chosen with care, there were two on the inorganic pile about 2005, so I took them both with idea of robbing bits out of the one with a broken case to revive the one that appeared to be complete with no added ventilation. It turned out that vice versa was a better idea, panels are easier to swap than the refrigeration coils (with drain ports).  It basically has run continuously for near 18 years except for shut downs for cleaning the heat exchanger fins every couple of years. Dirty fin disease was what caused it to be thrown out; throwing it out was what caused the case to gain some windows. The other unit had an attack of small boy and large screwdriver. The unit hissed and spat just as small boy's mum came to see why things were eerily quiet. So, the 2 week old unit joined its older sibling on the footpath. They were both Cascade units from The Warehouse. Aside from a crack in the water catch tank the unit has been reliable; if it delivers less than a litre a day I guess it means I'm not in Auckland. Most it has delivered was 7 litres in a day back in February. If you set the adjustment knob to anything less than about 50% humidity it runs 24/7 and delivers very little water. If it's a cold morning it goes to 50% relative humidity then as the place gets warmed up the humidity drops quite a bit. Dry windows, bedding stays dry, and the place feels warmer than other places that are actually warmer but have soggy air.

(The drinking bird ornament though has turned into a rather heavy drinker).  

[piroska]

.
Out of curiosity, is it recommended to have the windows you plan to leave open double glazed, or are they better off single glazed? I suppose it could be best to simply take those two windows out completely?

Why would you do that? In summer you might want to open them, they do trap heat.
In Winter, condensation is reduced by double glazing, so why leave it open?

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Interesting...

https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/clim...rming-hack