Coachman Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Have good humidifirer in camper and get about 1 ltre a day out and my meter shows all is well apart from two seat cushions . Had them in house for couple of days and they got dryed. Back in camper after 24 hrs they showed damp again.Undone zips on covers and interior is dry, its the cover only. Any ides why this happens. My thoughts were they had some sort of upholstery protection on them and it has been washed off in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 If the cushions are foam filled it acts as a very effective insulator of any residual heat in the centre of the pillow. The covering drops to ambient temperature that is below the dewpoint and moisture collects and due to lack of heat arriving from the interior the moisture does not dry off like other items. Suggest the cushions are stored indoors Incidentally I have never bothered with a dehumidifier believing that due to gas drops in the floor and permanent vetilation built into the roof vents, moisture removed is speedily replaced from the environment.. My thinking is that you would be as well off suppling a similaar amount of background heat to keep surface temperatures just above dewpoint. Fortunately my 'van points SW and a combination of daylight/sunlight and the greenhouse effect of the windscreen keeps damp under control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coachman Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 Thanks stalwart, regarding the humidifier ,when I put it in the reading was 93% and now down to 69%. I take on board comments about cushions except its only two and not the other 6 which have this problem. When I undone the zips I inserted plastic bags balled up to let air in between cushion and cover, still did not make any differance.As for bringing into house I can only do that for short while as there is not enough space to leave them . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 It would seem the extra plastc bags just acted as additional insulation. At a guess the pair of wet cushions are of a different construction or materiel to the others. Otherwise its difficult to explain why tallthe cushions are not similarly affected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 It does sound odd. Are you sure there is no source of moisture nearby that is transferring to these cushions? A leak round a window, for example. However, as you say these are zip covers, why not remove just the covers and take them into your house until you can find out where the damp is coming from? I assume you are detecting the damp with your hand? Very high ambient relative humidity (RH) levels are normal in winter, the cold air can't support that much moisture in real terms, so tends to hover around saturation point (100% RH). I agree with George that a heater may be more effective than your dehumidifier (at least I hope it is a dehumidifier, because if it is a humidifier it will be the cause of the damp! :-)). Warming the air slightly will reduce its RH. RH is the measure of the amount of water the air COULD carry at its ambient temperature, relative to the amount it is actually carrying. That is why it is expressed as a percentage. The warmer the air, the more moisture it CAN carry. So, if you take saturated air (100% RH) at 0C, and just raise its temperature to 10C, it's RH will fall to 50%. Even if only raised to 5C, its RH will fall to 70%. This is likely to prove more energy efficient than running a dehumidifier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Pastiche - 2013-01-01 3:52 PM Thanks stalwart, regarding the humidifier ,when I put it in the reading was 93% and now down to 69%. I take on board comments about cushions except its only two and not the other 6 which have this problem. When I undone the zips I inserted plastic bags balled up to let air in between cushion and cover, still did not make any differance.As for bringing into house I can only do that for short while as there is not enough space to leave them . I find it very hard to believe that only 2 of the 8 cushions would be affected by the humidity in the van ... it just doesn't make sense at all. The only exception to this could be if the 2 cushions in questin are at the opposite end of the van to the rest, but as you don't say what van/layout you have it's just speculation. Far more likely that something is making the cushions damp in their normal location - have you tried swapping these cushions round with a different couple and see if these original cushions still get damp and/or the 'surrogate' cushions suffer instead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 In all the years we have had caravans/mhomes we have only ever used Damp Traps and we have never had this sort of problem, on other vans except this new one we have been able to stand cushions on their sides and away from the walls, so letting the air flow around. Im suspicious that something might have at some time been spilled on these cushions that might be causing this problem! I would bring the effected cushions in clean them lightly and lasty rub them over with dettol or something similar, make sure they are dry before taking them back into the van, stand them on end if possible. Using a dehumidifier is only sucking in damp air from outsides vie the air vents, no way should you be getting so much damp out of the atmosphere inside. Good Luck. p.s rather than using polythene to plump the cover you would have been better using some kitchen roll then you could have tested that for dampness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coachman Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 Thank you all for comments.The cushions in our camper are at the dining table area and are stood up and not against the walls. As for Brians suggestion of bring in the covers only would mean removing the buttons which is a pain to relocate them afterwards. They have ,thats the two large cushions been put in several places but still attract the damp. As it has been said its weird.The testing for damp has been useing a two prong damp meter with audabl sound. The bags were meant to let air between the interior and cover.I also take on board to leave out the humidifier and see what happens. This morning the interior is 69% at 4.5 c..Bye the way there are ten cushions in all, the two large ones are ones that have problems.The other comment about using a disenfectant on those that have damp I have been looking at stores and most will leave a stain it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Brian Kirby - 2013-01-01 7:01 PM It does sound odd. Are you sure there is no source of moisture nearby that is transferring to these cushions? A leak round a window, for example. However, as you say these are zip covers, why not remove just the covers and take them into your house until you can find out where the damp is coming from? I assume you are detecting the damp with your hand? Very high ambient relative humidity (RH) levels are normal in winter, the cold air can't support that much moisture in real terms, so tends to hover around saturation point (100% RH). I agree with George that a heater may be more effective than your dehumidifier (at least I hope it is a dehumidifier, because if it is a humidifier it will be the cause of the damp! :-)). Warming the air slightly will reduce its RH. RH is the measure of the amount of water the air COULD carry at its ambient temperature, relative to the amount it is actually carrying. That is why it is expressed as a percentage. The warmer the air, the more moisture it CAN carry. So, if you take saturated air (100% RH) at 0C, and just raise its temperature to 10C, it's RH will fall to 50%. Even if only raised to 5C, its RH will fall to 70%. This is likely to prove more energy efficient than running a dehumidifier. Thats what I was thinking So are these cushions really very damp at all? Or do they just feel very damp because they are cold. So that when their temperature is raised, they still contain as much water, but no longer feel damp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hang on a minute here!!! Is this not the same MH that you have just been praising the dealer for fixing severe damp in the rear of the bodywork? Link to thread I wonder if the 2 are related? Or am I being too cynical? Keith. Edit. And you've suffered damp related issues in the past,,, Link to Mildew thread Sorry but I think you've been sold a pup :-( :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purple princess Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hi, I'd tend to agree with Maggyd, I suspect that at some point there could have been something spilt on the cushions, especially as you say they are near the dining table. You could try lightly cleaning them with a disinfectant solution. We have small children and this has happened to us in the past, we now find if we put low heating on for a couple of weeks mid winter all tends to be well. Maybe worth a try :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Damp on the seat cushions ;-).................................... Maybe I'm finking out the box 8-) Time to change the "Tenna Lady"???? :-S :D (lol) (lol) (lol) (lol) (lol) (lol) (lol) (lol) :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Your suggestion may be on the money. This webpage http://www.mightymacclean.com/images/bulletins/Animal%20Stains%20&%20Urine%20damage.pdf suggests that the effect of dried urine on upholstery can be to make the material hydrophilic, when it will absorb moisture from the air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Now that sounds like the winning entry! :-) In which case possibly easier in the long run to remove and wash, or dry clean, the covers, despite the fag with the buttons. Just check if there are any cleaning instructions first! With the covers off, have a good sniff around to be sure the cushion filler isn't contaminated, or the problem may just come back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Keithl - 2013-01-02 9:51 PM Hang on a minute here!!! Is this not the same MH that you have just been praising the dealer for fixing severe damp in the rear of the bodywork? Link to thread I wonder if the 2 are related? Or am I being too cynical? Keith. Edit. And you've suffered damp related issues in the past,,, Link to Mildew thread Sorry but I think you've been sold a pup :-( :-( I was wondering how long it would take before somebody twigged. :D Damp issues ..... humidifier in operation ...... 1 litre of water per day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 We tend to air our MH every time we use it. We have just been away for New Year and as soon as we got home last night we open all the vents leave the habitation door wide open whilst we're taking things out. We leave the vents open for as long as we can and all the cupboards drawers etc we leave open for a couple of days. My brother suggested doing in this cos he says the moisture in the MH needs to escape and the whole MH needs to be an even temperature to avoid cold spots as that is where damp could form. Even when we're using it we have it aired. Happy New Year :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock312 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Hi pastiche,a bit puzzled by your damp, over the last 45yrs i/we have owned 5 caravans,3 m/homes,whilst now our van is never parked up for longer than 3/4 weeks,and is normally in Spain for the winter period. In bygone years my vans have stood still for up to 6 months,outside,under trees,sometimes not in sunny spot,one period in storage in boggy field in 12inches long grass. inc.one period for two years when my late wife was very ill.i have never used heating,never used dehumidifier,or anything else,just pulled seat cushions away from walls. I have never had any damp problem with any part of any van inc,cushions,they feel VERY cold sometimes,but never damp,i feel as suggested you might be the victim of a past liquid spill. regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 There has to be an underlying problem. My anti dampness routine is as follows: Fill 2 bowls with salt and place them in the van. After a week or 2 the surface gets crusty. Bring them indoors and place on a radiator until dry, use a fork to grind the solid block back to individual grains again and put back in van. For the first time this year I used a disposable dehumidifier. They cost less than £2 in the cheap shops. The dry granules gradually merge into a Gel when there is dampness and then you bin them. Well, we have had a lot of damp weather (you might have noticed :D ) and the granules are just getting tacky but have not started turning to gel. If anyone has a much different story to tell then they have a problem. BTW, I have said it before on here. When you get a milder sunny day, open the blinds and windows to get some fresh air through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coachman Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Yes this is the van which was found to have ingress but they as said before they stripped it back and renewed where water had got in. Further testing found no damp anywhere.Plus I have four of those tubs with crystals in and they have collected no water at all, proberly because of the humidifier which was in there.Back to the cushions, as I said its only the covers, the interiors are dry and no smells etc ie urine etc..I also mentioned the dealer took one cushion in and his valeter used the Vax wet/dry cleaner on it and also as said when i brought both cushions in doors they both dried with no reading on my meter.If it persist I will have to bite the bullet and remove the buttons and have them cleaned maybe by the dry cleaner people although to look at them they are clean and in good condition (!) Story to be continued.But thanks for input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 747 - 2013-01-04 4:26 PM There has to be an underlying problem. My anti dampness routine is as follows: Fill 2 bowls with salt and place them in the van. After a week or 2 the surface gets crusty. Bring them indoors and place on a radiator until dry, use a fork to grind the solid block back to individual grains again and put back in van. For the first time this year I used a disposable dehumidifier. They cost less than £2 in the cheap shops. The dry granules gradually merge into a Gel when there is dampness and then you bin them. Well, we have had a lot of damp weather (you might have noticed :D ) and the granules are just getting tacky but have not started turning to gel. If anyone has a much different story to tell then they have a problem. BTW, I have said it before on here. When you get a milder sunny day, open the blinds and windows to get some fresh air through. We have used these for years! but the way they work is the damp collects into the reservoir underneath the granualls (sp thats not right I know!) you dont need to throw them out when tacky only when finished with them, make sure you empty the water that has collected before that overflows though. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Pastiche - 2013-01-04 7:05 PM Yes this is the van which was found to have ingress but they as said before they stripped it back and renewed where water had got in. Further testing found no damp anywhere.Plus I have four of those tubs with crystals in and they have collected no water at all, proberly because of the humidifier which was in there.Back to the cushions, as I said its only the covers, the interiors are dry and no smells etc ie urine etc..I also mentioned the dealer took one cushion in and his valeter used the Vax wet/dry cleaner on it and also as said when i brought both cushions in doors they both dried with no reading on my meter.If it persist I will have to bite the bullet and remove the buttons and have them cleaned maybe by the dry cleaner people although to look at them they are clean and in good condition (!) Story to be continued.But thanks for input. (lol) Id just stick a throw on top if I was you !! you never know it might just disappear !! I bet its only you that notices it !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 maggyd - 2013-01-05 4:17 PM 747 - 2013-01-04 4:26 PM There has to be an underlying problem. My anti dampness routine is as follows: Fill 2 bowls with salt and place them in the van. After a week or 2 the surface gets crusty. Bring them indoors and place on a radiator until dry, use a fork to grind the solid block back to individual grains again and put back in van. For the first time this year I used a disposable dehumidifier. They cost less than £2 in the cheap shops. The dry granules gradually merge into a Gel when there is dampness and then you bin them. Well, we have had a lot of damp weather (you might have noticed :D ) and the granules are just getting tacky but have not started turning to gel. If anyone has a much different story to tell then they have a problem. BTW, I have said it before on here. When you get a milder sunny day, open the blinds and windows to get some fresh air through. We have used these for years! but the way they work is the damp collects into the reservoir underneath the granualls (sp thats not right I know!) you dont need to throw them out when tacky only when finished with them, make sure you empty the water that has collected before that overflows though. ;-) That's just it. I don't have enough dampness to produce a drop of water after more than 6 weeks. :'( With all this talk of dampness and dehumidifiers, I feel neglected. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coachman Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 Well took the plunge and removed buttons on cushion one. It seems that it is urine in four places. Went on a web site and it nearly said word for word what we are having with these two cushions. First off took it to cleaners to see how they get on. the foam over the cover showed the places where it happened. Will try to get that replaced plus the web site said I would not get out urine which has penatrated the interior so might have to renew that. It said that when damp weather is around the moisture comes to the surface and will attract mould as well, all of what we have experianced. One member quoted how many years and campers they have had, to date we have been doing it first with trailer tent in '64 moving on to caravan, Sprite Alpine then nine motorhomes three of which were Hymers A class and one more caravan Bailey Pegasus and now old Mobilvetta Driver 52 03plate. As for damp the year old 544 had it by the passenger door /window., Autotrail Cheyenne 634 by rear window.others nothing found.When looking at present one I even took my meter and found nothing, did not expect to go underneath and test, just looked to see what it was like.Will post when cover comes back from cleaners next Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Good! At least that is a result of sorts, and clears up the issue for you. Laugh? I nearly p**sed myself! As they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Brian Kirby - 2013-01-06 6:12 PM Good! At least that is a result of sorts, and clears up the issue for you. Laugh? I nearly p**sed myself! As they say. Looks like you might need the male version of Tenalady Brian! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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