122
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CONDENSATION
Condensation
What is condensation
Condensation is the process of change of
water from its gaseous form (water vapour) into
liquid water when it comes into contact with a
surface that is cold. Condensation generally
occurs when warm air cools quickly and looses
its capacity to hold water vapour, and as a result
water vapour condenses to form droplets.
Why condensation occurs
Condensation occurs when warm moist air
meets a cold surface. The level of condensation
will depend upon humidity levels, how moist the
air is and how cold the surfaces are they come
into contact with.
If the temperature falls below the dew point
temperature, it is quite normal for condensation
to occur on any material within the motorhome
that is cold, for example the external walls,
plastic windows etc.
When condensation occurs
Condensation occurs usually in winter months,
because ambient temperatures are colder
(leading to cold surfaces) and windows and roof
vents are opened less so the moist air cannot
escape.
Where condensation occurs
Condensation will occur where warm moist air
is put into the atmosphere in areas such as in
bathrooms (during showering) and in kitchen
areas (during cooking).
In the enclosed space of a motorhome, the
moist air from the kitchen or bathroom areas
will inevitably transfer to the rest of the vehicle,
which in turn condenses on cold surfaces
leading to visible water droplets. This issue
is compounded by warm moist air being
generated from normal breathing.
Condensation will also form in cold areas where
air movement and ventilation is restricted (e.g.
cupuboards, wardrobes, under beds, etc.)
What is important
It is important to provide ventilation and air flow,
so that warm moist air can escape, or
be externally cooled, and to use the heating
reasonably by not making the motorhome too
warm such that people perspire, as this will only
serve to generate more moist air and therefore
more condensation.
However, in particularly cold periods, where
the external ambient temperatures are low,
condensation may still form on external walls as
the insulation levels may well not be thermally
able to cope with the difference between the
internal and external temperatures.
How can you prevent condensation
Provide ventilation so that moist air can
escape.
a. Good ventilation of the vehicle when
cooking or when drying clothes, footwear
or pets is essential. Observe when windows
begin to show signs of misting and increase
ventilation by opening a window slightly by
1cm or opening a roof vent, as these will
help, but keep the habitation door closed as
much as possible to retain heat.
b. If drying damp clothes or towels, open a
window to ventilate the area and allow the
moist air to escape.
c. Try to make sure that the caravan is partially
heated. It can take a long time for a cold
caravan to warm up, so it is better to have a
small amount of heat for a long period than
a lot of heat for a short time.
d. .After showering, keep the bathroom
window or skylights open, and shut the
bathroom door long enough to dry off the
room.
e. Fixed ventilation is provided in the vehicle,
specifically through high level vents within
the skylights and low level vents through the
floor, it is important not to block these.
f.
Electrical heating is dryer than gas heating,
and introduces less moisture into the
atmosphere. Do not use additional portable
paraffin or flue-less gas heaters at all.
g. If left unoccupied and unheated for long
periods of time the temperatures can soak
down thermally into the entire product and
Summary of Contents for Select 122 2020
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Page 32: ...31 EN RO U T E EN ROUTE Fix Go tyre repair kit 32 Cruise Control 34 Parking Sensors 34...
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Page 42: ...41 A RRI VAL AT SI T E ARRIVAL AT SITE Positioning the motorhome 42...
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Page 130: ...129 M O T O RH O ME C ARE Select 164 rear bed BED MAKE UP...
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Page 139: ...138 JACKING POINTS Jacking Point Van Conversion T EC H NIC AL INF O RM AT IO N...
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