Keeping the heating on over winter?

[Swamp]

We’ve just got back from a few days away in the van and while the weather hasn’t yet turned properly cold I was thinking through the steps I need to take for when it does.
Our van is used every couple of weeks over winter and while parked up is at home with access to hook-up. I found myself wondering today whether it made any sense to leave the Truma heating on very low (maybe 5 degrees) to keep things from freezing and, hopefully reduce condensation.
It maybe a completely crazy idea so I would appreciate your thoughts?

 

[Gromett]

We obviously are but I genuinely would love to know your secret as all the caravans I've had , family has had and friends currently have all also have condensation on windows.

I mean the double glazed ones aren't as bad as the cab windows which are really bad on cold mornings.

But there is still pools of water lying on the bottom corners of every double glazed window in this van and its the best insulated one I've ever owned .

If it is warmer inside than it is outside then condensation will always form . .... that's just science.

On your last point... No condensation doesn't necessarily form. If the temperature of the inner pane of plastic is kept above the condensation threshold and the unit is correctly sealed such as there is no moisture laden air inbetween the two panes there is no reason for condensation to form.

do you perhaps turn your heating off or right down at night?

On the cab window front I agree, that is always an issue. That is why on my selfbuilds I keep a partition between hab and cab. I also use external thermal blinds wherever possible.

 

[Jim]

I think people confuse cold with damp, when you go into an ice-cold van and touch the furnishings they might appear damp, but they are bone dry, just very cold. As long as you are drained down, I can't see any benefit in keeping the heating on. If you are going to use it, then vans heat up and become cosy in 10 minutes. I don't heat my very-cold but bone-dry loft space at home either. There is no real need to

 

[Northernraider]

On your last point... No condensation doesn't necessarily form. If the temperature of the inner pane of plastic is kept above the condensation threshold and the unit is correctly sealed such as there is no moisture laden air inbetween the two panes there is no reason for condensation to form.

do you perhaps turn your heating off or right down at night?

On the cab window front I agree, that is always an issue. That is why on my selfbuilds I keep a partition between hab and cab. I also use external thermal blinds wherever possible.

In truth I only ever put the heating on if it becomes uncomfortable to sit in the van wearing a jumper lol. So In the 2 months I've owned this van I've only had heating on about 3 times . It's never on at night. Never did that in a house either . Heating was on for a couple of hours morning and night.


If I slept with a window open I'd not have any condensation either.


If a van is not in use there should be no reason to keep heating on as there would be no one breathing in it.

So what is this condensation threshold you speak of .

There is moisture in every molecule of air surely . It has to go somewhere

 

[Gromett]

In truth I only ever put the heating on if it becomes uncomfortable to sit in the van wearing a jumper lol. So In the 2 months I've owned this van I've only had heating on about 3 times . It's never on at night. Never did that in a house either . Heating was on for a couple of hours morning and night.


If I slept with a window open I'd not have any condensation either.


If a van is not in use there should be no reason to keep heating on as there would be no one breathing in it.

So what is this condensation threshold you speak of .

There is moisture in every molecule of air surely . It has to go somewhere

That explains why you get condensation then. I keep my van heated to a minimum of 18°C all the time and preferably a bit warmer I am most comfortable at 20 or 21°C.

The inner panes of my double glazing therefore never drop in temperature to the point where condensation can form.


The condensation threshold is where the relative humidity (RH) of the air reaches 100%. At this point, the air is cooled to the point where it can no longer hold the moisture, causing it to condense into a liquid.
Condensation occurs when warm, moist air meets a cold surface, such as a window, door, or threshold. To prevent condensation, the inside surface temperature of these areas should be higher than the dew point.

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[PaulW2]

The dew point (or condensation threshold) is where relative humidity would exceed 100%. Warm air can carry more water, but if it cools near a cold window some of the water may condensate out. So either make sure the window isn't colder than the interior, or reduce the amount of moisture in the air in the interior (typically by airing it out). Probably a bit of both.

 

[Northernraider]

That explains why you get condensation then. I keep my van heated to a minimum of 18°C all the time and preferably a bit warmer I am most comfortable at 20 or 21°C.

The inner panes of my double glazing therefore never drop in temperature to the point where condensation can form.


The condensation threshold is where the relative humidity (RH) of the air reaches 100%. At this point, the air is cooled to the point where it can no longer hold the moisture, causing it to condense into a liquid.
Condensation occurs when warm, moist air meets a cold surface, such as a window, door, or threshold. To prevent condensation, the inside surface temperature of these areas should be higher than the dew point.

View attachment 971386

That must be incredibly expensive to keep heating on 24/7 and surely every time you go outside you must be freezing.

20° is too hot for me all the time .

It's 16° here today and I'm comfortable sat in jeans and a t shirt .

Dogs would be cooking lol

 

[Gromett]

That must be incredibly expensive to keep heating on 24/7 and surely every time you go outside you must be freezing.

20° is too hot for me all the time .

It's 16° here today and I'm comfortable sat in jeans and a t shirt .

Dogs would be cooking lol

Not really expensive. I have to work sat on the computer. I am most comfortable in a tshirt. I spend around £20 a week on heating at worst. currently less than £10 a week.

20°C is comfortable for me whilst sat on the computer. 18°C is where I start to feel a bit chilly and my fingers start to slow a little on the keyboard.

If I am up and active I am happier with lower temps but not sat on the computer for 10-16 hours a day.

when I am outside I am moving and dress suitably. So no I don't feel cold outside.

 

[Northernraider]

Not really expensive. I have to work sat on the computer. I am most comfortable in a tshirt. I spend around £20 a week on heating at worst. currently less than £10 a week.

20°C is comfortable for me whilst sat on the computer. 18°C is where I start to feel a bit chilly and my fingers start to slow a little on the keyboard.

If I am up and active I am happier with lower temps but not sat on the computer for 10-16 hours a day.

when I am outside I am moving and dress suitably. So no I don't feel cold outside.

That's not as expensive as I'd have imagined. I can't see my camper even on refillable lpg only using 10 quid a week to keep heating on all the time

But if it works for you fair enough


I hate condensation in campers it's one of the things that annoys me most about fulltiming and I'd love to eradicate it but as I move almost daily I doubt I ever will .. too big to have an external screen cover on this too as it would be a task putting it off and on .

Next best thing is try to stay in warmer climates in the colder weather but even that doesn't always work out lol.

 

[Gromett]

That's not as expensive as I'd have imagined. I can't see my camper even on refillable lpg only using 10 quid a week to keep heating on all the time

But if it works for you fair enough


I hate condensation in campers it's one of the things that annoys me most about fulltiming and I'd love to eradicate it but as I move almost daily I doubt I ever will .. too big to have an external screen cover on this too as it would be a task putting it off and on .

Next best thing is try to stay in warmer climates in the colder weather but even that doesn't always work out lol.

When I was on LPG it was a lot more than that. I am using red diesel in a chinese heater. Absolutely love it.

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

Images below. Our house moisture level. A.M. heating not on.
Pic.2 Motorhome , early AM, just opened door.Pic.3 Motorhome a couple of minutes later, moisture % raised already.
Mike.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Images below. Our house moistureView attachment 971437View attachment 971438 level. A.M. heating not on.
Pic.2 Motorhome , early AM, just opened door.Pic.3 Motorhome a couple of minutes later, moisture % raised already.
Mike.
View attachment 971436

Picture loading error, Nb 3 picture is our house at 07.30 AM.

 

[HugoBNB]

I have just checked the temperature in our MH via its app. If it is correct, it states that it is 17⁰C inside. From the weather xappon my phone it is 13⁰C outside. The heating, as stated earlier, is set at 8⁰C so can not have kicked in. I can only put the variation down to sunlight passing through the clear panels in the storage unit heating up the body of the MH. So, if that is the case, would not all motorhomes stored where sunlight can heat the body (along with the inside air) suffer from condensation as that heat hits the colder sections of the body not heated by the sun? Or, am I missing something obvious?

 

[Vanman]

We’ve just got back from a few days away in the van and while the weather hasn’t yet turned properly cold I was thinking through the steps I need to take for when it does.
Our van is used every couple of weeks over winter and while parked up is at home with access to hook-up. I found myself wondering today whether it made any sense to leave the Truma heating on very low (maybe 5 degrees) to keep things from freezing and, hopefully reduce condensation.
It maybe a completely crazy idea so I would appreciate your thoughts?

I have done that every year since 2017 with the exception of one. The year I drained down I had air locks on refilling, the pump wouldn't work and needed replaced and the toilet flush pressure has never been the same again. For the sake of a bit of leccy, helped by the solar, my van is ready to go whenever I need it.