Isolator on extractor fan

Fair enough. If the problem involves the whole house, there are obviously potential energy/cost issues involved with continuously extracting the heated air from the whole house (unless one has some fancy heat-recovery system!).

Which would be a sledgehammer...

It would seem sensible to start by eliminating/reducing major avoidable sources of humidity (such as drying of washing), including specific extraction of above-cooker air etc., and maybe even to consider the use of dehumidifiers.

Spot on! Extract the over-moist air, directly at source, put rules in place, no need for a dehumidifier.

Ironically, in the days when many were installing central heating for the first time, one of the 'complaints' was about 'dry air', which lead in some cases to deliberate measures to 'humidify' the air!

We had both issues - too dry air, yet in some areas, it was still humid enough to grow mould - plus high heating bills, from running the temperatures higher, trying to combat the mould.

Now our bills are much lower, and we have no mould. Insulated, DG'ed, added local extraction at moisture sources.
 
Well, I suppose you will have to define 'reasonably heated' and is 'what' in houses which are 'reasonably heated' .
True - I suppose I'm talking about the sort-of degree of heating one would expect in an occupied property which was occupied by peole who could afford to heat the property to the extent they would like.
I will point out that I have never had a bathroom extractor fan in any of the UK properties I have lived in and never had any mould.
I've never had mould problems in bathrooms, either - although, admittedly, some of my bathrooms have had little extractors. I do tend to keep my bathrooms fairly warm.
Also, condensation and associated mould does not occur in unoccupied (cold) properties.
Not necessarily true. It's obviously the case that there are no sources of humidity within an unoccupied house, but humid air can get in from outside and, in the absence of any heating, the dampness never dries out - so mould can occur.

It so happens that I'm writing this whilst sitting in the one currently heated room (fan heaters :-) ) in house which has been totally unoccupied (and certainly unheated) for about 25 years (I recently inherited it, and am currently trying to 'renovate'!). When I first saw it, walls and ceilings were all very damp, and there was a lot of mould, particularly on ceilings.
Not according to the recent news and ill-informed Government legislation
I think that probably stems mainly from the (many) reports we are seeing of extensive mould (and other horrors) in very 'low end' rental properties often owned by very dodgy landlords (including some councils!) and occupied by people who currently can't afford enough food, let alone heating, after they have paid their (possibly extortionate) rent.
 
Which would be a sledgehammer...
It would, but extracting large amounts of heated air without the sledgehammer would obviously have energy and cost implications
Spot on! Extract the over-moist air, directly at source, put rules in place, no need for a dehumidifier.
Where possible. If people have to dry washing indoors, it's probably worth at least considering a dehumidifier.
 
You maybe need to read some of the posts in the General forum, where there are lots of questions about mould, other than in bathrooms.
I generally don't go anywhere near GD but, in general, when one hears about mould in rooms other than bathrooms it is most commonly in properties which are not 'reasonably heated' (however you chose to interpret that).
 
Not necessarily true. It's obviously the case that there are no sources of humidity within an unoccupied house, but humid air can get in from outside and, in the absence of any heating, the dampness never dries out - so mould can occur.
I disagree.

It so happens that I'm writing this whilst sitting in the one currently heated room (fan heaters :-) ) in house which has been totally unoccupied (and certainly unheated) for about 25 years (I recently inherited it, and am currently trying to 'renovate'!). When I first saw it, walls and ceilings were all very damp, and there was a lot of mould, particularly on ceilings.
How can that be condensation?

I would think it more likely because of leaks?
 
How can that be condensation?
As I said, I presume that fairly warm humid air comes in from outside (during warmer weather) and then, when the building cools, condensation occurs. There's nowhere else the humidity can go!
I would think it more likely because of leaks?
Certainly some of that, as well, but that was identifiable as such. Most of the dampness/mould was in places where it clearly wasn't the result of leaks.

Does it really surprise you that, even with no leaks, it is pretty 'damp' inside a house that has been unoccupied for 25 years?
 
As I said, I presume that fairly warm humid air comes in from outside (during warmer weather) and then, when the building cools, condensation occurs. There's nowhere else the humidity can go!
Back out?

Certainly some of that, as well, but that was identifiable as such.
There you go.

Most of the dampness/mould was in places where it clearly wasn't the result of leaks.
Yes, but you cannot class it as the sort of 'condensation' we are discussing when a constant supply of water is being introduced into the building.

Does it really surprise you that, even with no leaks, it is pretty 'damp' inside a house that has been unoccupied for 25 years?
It used to surprise me how cold empty properties were (colder than outside) but had no condensation.
 
Back out?
Once humidity has condensed onto surfaces, I imagine that return of that, in the absence of heating, into the air (by 'evaporation'), hence some prospect of it going 'back out', would be a very slow and incomplete process, wouldn't it?
There you go.
I'm not sure what you mean. As I said, it's pretty obvious what is water damage due to leaks and what is just 'dampness'. The scope for leaks was actually limited to rain water getting through roof/windows etc. There was no plumbing above ground floor and, in any event, the water supply to the property had been turned off.
Yes, but you cannot class it as the sort of 'condensation' we are discussing when a constant supply of water is being introduced into the building.
I didn't "class it" it as anything - I merely responded to your suggestion that one can't get condensation in an unoccupied building.

In any event, I'm not sure that the two situations are all that different - "what we are discussing" applies just as much to a single brief shower as it does to a situation in which "a constant supply of water is being introduced into the building", doesn't it?
It used to surprise me how cold empty properties were (colder than outside) but had no condensation.
Interesting. For the inside of a property to be colder than outside would be rather odd, unless there had been a recent rise in outside temp. However, I have to say that I don't think I have ever previously been in a residential property which had been unoccupied and unheated for a as long as this one, so I suppose I don't really know what I should have 'expected'!

In fact, it's a bit worse than I have suggested. Although it's theoretically a 'residential property' which has been totally unoccupied for about 25 years, no-one has actually lived here for well over 80 years. For nearly 60 years prior to the period of 'inoccupancy', it was used essentially for storage (plus a little 'office space') by a charity, with minimal heating.
 
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Where possible. If people have to dry washing indoors, it's probably worth at least considering a dehumidifier.

Which is the only place I have and use a dehumidifier, in an outhouse, for clothes drying. We have washing outdoors at the moment, drying, despite the heavy, continuous rain - in the shelter of the summerhouse veranda.
Interesting. For the inside of a property to be colder than outside would be rather odd, unless there had been a recent rise in outside temp.

As you may recall, I run a weather station, which, amongst other data, continuously logs indoor and outdoor humidity, plus temperatures. I often see indoor temperatures logged, lower than outdoor, even in winter. It happened quite recently, where it was a couple of degrees warmer outside, than indoors, mid-morning.

Even in summer, the house interior, can lag behind a heatwave, for a few days, due to insulation and thermal mass - if windows remain closed in the day, and blinds made use of.
 
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I often see indoor temperatures logged, lower than outdoor, even in winter. It happened quite recently, where it was a couple of degrees warmer outside, than indoors, mid-morning.
Fair enough. As I said, I presume that can only happen if the outside temp has risen and the inside not yet 'caught up'?
Even in summer, the house interior, can lag behind a heatwave, for a few days, due to insulation and thermal mass
Again as above.
 

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