Member Article

Darlington family chosen for home damp trial

A Darlington family has been chosen to take part in a home humidity trial aimed at discovering how much moisture is generated by everyday living in different types of properties to help understand modern problems of homes around the country. Amanda Allen, who lives with her son in a two-bedded flat in the town, utilised a dehumidifier to find out how much water it captured in a 24-hour period. Condensation is a major cause of damp in homes, caused by activities such as showering, washing, cooking, drying laundry, boiling a kettle, and even breathing. In addition to the well documented issues of wet walls, damp carpets and mould and mildew, a common problem with excess moisture in the home is that it spawns the growth of some of the most common allergens which can be detrimental to health, especially for those with allergies and asthma. Amanda’s trial showed that around two litres of water were removed from her flat each day. She said: “My home doesn’t really show any significant signs of damp, so I was surprised to see how much water the dehumidifier removed from the air. “It was simple to use, just plug in and leave it works its magic and I am pleased I took part in the research and understand why it’s important to prevent problems with damp rather than deal with them when they occur.”
Andrew Hobson sales and marketing director at Ebac, which is the only UK manufacturer of dehumidifiers, which are made specifically for the British climate, said: “Excess moisture is invisible but has untold damage in millions of homes, some of which we can see, some we can’t . “We wanted to determine just how much moisture different families generate and how much of a problem this is across the country. We know that a normal family generates around seven litres of water every day and between one and two litres needs to be removed to ensure the property is safe and comfortable. “Dehumidifiers attract and capture the moisture than can cause damp, mould, condensation and musty smells. Preventing this is far better than having to deal with it when it has really taken hold and become a major issue.”

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