My washing machine pipe is always wet... on the outside

[barnt]

I have a washing machine installed in a utility next to my kitchen.

Some time ago I had a problem through me using washers that weren't big enough on the connection hoses and a flood occured. Since then I have bought new hoses and they seem to be fine.

But I'm paranoid...

The cold pipe not the hose get's very wet and even though I can't see an obvious leak I am worried. The flood damaged our kitchen floor and is being replaced so I don't want a repeat of the flood and want to get it sorted (if it needs it) before the floor goes down.

Might this just be condensation on the pipe as it is always the cold pipe that this happens on? I tied a bit of kitchen towel round it and within a week it was soaked through and had gone mouldy within two weeks.

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

 

[breezer]

do you use your m/c a lot

is the water "liitle beads?"

I am thinking if you use your m/c a lot the water in the cold pipe is "changed" frequently, so the pipe is often cold, so if the water on the pipe is little beads it is condensation

 

[masona]

Pipe insulation might help or good ventilation.

 

[toadstooltomato]

It's your cold-from-the-fridge-beer phenomenon. Condensation indeed.

If you cover the pipe, which is the coolest object about, humid air will 'dump' onto the next coolest thing nearby. You may not see the condensation in every case, if the cold thing can absorb, i.e plaster on a wall, you would get a damp patch- and maybe even black mould.
We have a dehumidifier which we bought when we had a genuine damp problem that needed a fast drying out after fixing. It pulls about 3 litres a day out of our house.

 

[Gees]

Agreed, Condensation......