Confused About Using The Heating In My MH (14 Viewers)

[HKF]

It's cool here today (17 degrees and dropping) and chucking it down with rain, so obviously high humidity. Our MH is outside in all the weather. I wanted to go and sit in him and do some bits and bobs and thought about putting the heating on (diesel). However, I was warned (on this forum) against putting the heating on when it's cold and 'in storage' because of the risk of condensation and mould. But I'm confused that it's ok to use the heating if you're away and using the MH. Can someone tell me if it's ok to put my heating on without risking any condensation and mould, when the weather is cool and wet and he's not 'in use', please? Thank you

 

[Al n Val]

Put it on, your motorhome should be well ventilated so i’d have thought whilst your in it working, it should be fine.

After all what’s the point in having it in the first place

 

[Guigsy]

Warm air can hold more moisture. So if you warn up the van, then dump a lot of humidity into the air from wet cloths, cooking or even breathing, then the van rapidly cools off, there'll be too much moisture in the air and it'll condense.

Most modern vans have pretty good ventilation, so the moisture quantity in the air should be about the same as outside (but warmer, so lower humidity). So when the temperature drops, it should be fine.

If you're just pottering in the van, you should be fine. By the time it's cooled off, it should have ventilated the small amount of moisture you added.

 

[HKF]

Put it on, your motorhome should be well ventilated so i’d have thought whilst your in it working, it should be fine.

After all what’s the point in having it in the first place

Thanks That's what I would've thought but I was definitely warned against it. I'm wondering now, after reading Guigsy 's post above, if that was when we had the leak, because the humidity potentially higher than outside. I think that might be what's confusing me

 

[Guigsy]

Thanks That's what I would've thought but I was definitely warned against it. I'm wondering now, after reading Guigsy 's post above, if that was when we had the leak, because the humidity potentially higher than outside. I think that might be what's confusing me

I think even then, the heating only makes a difference if the van rapidly cools back to ambient with insufficient ventilation.

If you pump a bunch of moisture into the air inside the van, then the temperature drops hard overnight, you can get condensation even if you didn't heat it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Puddleduck]

If you are really worried you can get condensation traps.

We had a dehumidifier in ours which people also warn about saying they draw in water from outside. I was happy knowing air was being moved around the van.

Never had an issue with damp or mould. I did lift the seat cushions so air could circulate - and bring in the sheepskin seat covers.

I also left cupboards, drawers and lockers open when the van wasn't in use but probably not necessary as there were vents in at least some of them

 

[hymerman]

Unless it's absolutely hammering it down with rain, as it is currently , I always leave the trickle vents open in the sky lights all year, which so far has prevented any condensation and mould issues.

 

[HKF]

If you are really worried you can get condensation traps.

We had a dehumidifier in ours which people also warn about saying they draw in water from outside. I was happy knowing air was being moved around the van.

Never had an issue with damp or mould. I did lift the seat cushions so air could circulate - and bring in the sheepskin seat covers.

I also left cupboards, drawers and lockers open when the van wasn't in use but probably not necessary as there were vents in at least some of them

I always leave the cupboards open, as well as the fridge, freezer and bathroom door. We did have some very light mould on the door pull area on the passenger door once but, as above, I think that was when we had a leak and the humidity was higher then normal. We've had nothing since.

 

[HKF]

Unless it's absolutely hammering it down with rain, as it is currently , I always leave the trickle vents open in the sky lights all year, which so far has prevented any condensation and mould issues.

We don't have any trickle vents in ours. I'm honestly sick of this rain. It's done nothing but rain nearly all summer. It's like being back in England!

 

[Pausim]

I wouldn’t worry about heating your motorhome occassionally so that you can sit in it. The big NO NO is regular short periods of heating when it is laid up causing the temperature rise and fall. This is a recipe for moisture problems.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[HKF]

I wouldn’t worry about heating your motorhome occassionally so that you can sit in it. The big NO NO is regular short periods of heating when it is laid up causing the temperature rise and fall. This is a recipe for moisture problems.

Thank you! Since we're too busy to go away in him at the moment, I thought it might be fun to 'play house' in him, especially in the rain as i love the sound of it on the roof. From inside the house it just looks miserable outside but from in the MH it'll be much nicer, even for a short while

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

We don't have any trickle vents in ours. I'm honestly sick of this rain. It's done nothing but rain nearly all summer. It's like being back in England!

Worry yea not, by the time the weather statisticians have crunched all this years data it WILL have been ANOTHER record breaking summer.
Mike.

 

[hymerman]

We don't have any trickle vents in ours. I'm honestly sick of this rain. It's done nothing but rain nearly all summer. It's like being back in England!

I probably used the wrong term 'trickle vent ', it's just the sky light very slightly open and secured on the first notch.

 

[Pausim]

Quite often one or two skylights will have no seal to allow ventilation whilst in the fully closed position. The one above our beds is of this type.

 

[Nanniemate]

Thank you! Since we're too busy to go away in him at the moment, I thought it might be fun to 'play house' in him, especially in the rain as i love the sound of it on the roof. From inside the house it just looks miserable outside but from in the MH it'll be much nicer, even for a short while

Get out there and enjoy your van try and stop finding things to worry about
If your cold turn the heating on . If warm turn on a fan
If all else fails drinking gin /,wine/ beer is recommended
Or even a nice cup of tea

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[HKF]

I probably used the wrong term 'trickle vent ', it's just the sky light very slightly open and secured on the first notch.

Ah, I see. I could do that by winding ours up a little but we're away so often that it's likely, at some stage, that I'd forget to close them and I've had more than a lifetime's worth of leaks from the roof!!!

 

[HKF]

Get out there and enjoy your van try and stop finding things to worry about
If your cold turn the heating on . If warm turn on a fan
If all else fails drinking gin /,wine/ beer is recommended
Or even a nice cup of tea

I think my worrying is justified, given the number of problems, and subsequent cost of repairs, we've had

I don't drink alcohol (well, extremely rarely) but I was looking forward to making a brew and sitting looking out of the window It's still hammering it down here, so I'm not going out yet. I'll be drowned by the time I get across the garden and in the MH However, I'm going to try to get in there tomorrow

 

[Puddleduck]

I used to use ours as a writing room when I had stuff to get finished.

 

[HKF]

I used to use ours as a writing room when I had stuff to get finished.

I'm part way through editing a book my husband has written, so am also thinking of doing that in the MH. It's bright and cosy in there and I think it'll be a good place to concentrate

 

[Nanniemate]

I'm part way through editing a book my husband has written, so am also thinking of doing that in the MH. It's bright and cosy in there and I think it'll be a good place to concentrate

Sounds like a lovely idea as long as you don't worry about day dreaming out the window and thinking about your travels

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[HKF]

Sounds like a lovely idea as long as you don't worry about day dreaming out the window and thinking about your travels

Haha, you're right!!

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

You would probably create more condensation by just breathing in a cold van. Just get in there and turn on the heating. It's a dry heat anyway.

 

[HKF]

You would probably create more condensation by just breathing in a cold van. Just get in there and turn on the heating. It's a dry heat anyway.

Thank you! That's one thing I wasn't sure of, too.....whether it creates humidity. Now I know it's a dry heat, I'm happy to use it

 

[LostInSpace]

You would probably create more condensation by just breathing in a cold van. Just get in there and turn on the heating. It's a dry heat anyway.

Exactly. The heating will warm all of the cold surfaces (even the windsreen).

Keep the main ventilation for a dry day.

 

[Nanniemate]

Thank you! That's one thing I wasn't sure of, too.....whether it creates humidity. Now I know it's a dry heat, I'm happy to use it

Whatever you do DON'T FART

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

Whatever you do DON'T FART

If it is a closed heating system she should be safe but no candles.