Condensation Problems...

Funky_Mimizu

Thought I seen a post like this before, but I have no clue what I would search for... Forgive me if this has been extensively discussed already.I'm in Japan, and there's no central heating or snything like that... So basically, you got heat the room you are in, and only when you are in it, using a kerosene heater.Lately, I've noticed after I by a record, I'm checking it out, and the sleeve is leaning on the floor or wherever... When I go to put the record in the sleeve, the sleeve is already getting all wobbly and wierd. I am not kidding... this seems to happen in under 5 minutes in my house.Records that stay in the case seem to fair better, but, as soon as a pull a record from the case, the plastic sleeve completely fogs up...I'm thinking this condensation couldn't be healthy for these records.I've never had to deal with shit like this before... I'm in a new apartment from last year... and this is the first year this has happened. Winters here are notoriously dry, and wherever there are kerosene heaters, people are useually running humidifiers to pput some moisture in the air.Anybody got any tips...? Is there any way to fix the sleeves once they get like that? When an otherwise mint record has the sleeve go wobbly, how much would you suppose this would affect it's worth?Peace...FNM

Imperial_Mao

You could try getting a dehumidifier, I bought one recently and am amazed at how much water it will pull out of the air in very little time...

HAZ

Hi, Mimizu,

Are you noticing black spots of mold on the walls in your room or anywhere else in the house? get a dehumidifyer & a humidity meter so you can monitor the levels of dampness in your apartment. i don't know about kerosene heating. is it dry heat like electrical heating? is that type of heating standard in japan?

peace

h

Grope

Seems like you're overheatin your room. The humidity will always concentrate in cold places (see the condensation on cold walls or cold windows). Your record (dry cardboard) covers will work like a sponge inside a humid room.

Make sure:

1) to vent your room for 3-5 minutes at least five times a day (opening all of your windows)
2) to buy a dehumidifier (or 2 or 3 or 4...)
3) not to overheat (20-22 degrees Celsius [60-70 degrees Fahrenheit] are totally comfy)
4) not to heat to fast - slow but constant heating (your walls need to be warm too - cold walls will attract water and mold)
5) to tell your landlord about your situation

venting your room will help most. do it as often as you can.

Funky_Mimizu

Hi, Mimizu,

Are you noticing black spots of mold on the walls in your room or anywhere else in the house? get a dehumidifyer & a humidity meter so you can monitor the levels of dampness in your apartment. i don't know about kerosene heating. is it dry heat like electrical heating? is that type of heating standard in japan?

peace

h

Hey man... no, no mold... I don't know what kinda heating it is... Basically, you fill it it up with kerosene and it blows out hot air.
It's a pretty crappy way to heat, but it is standard here... The Japanese like to persevere in the winter time... Whenever I ask why they don't join the 21st sentury heating-wise, the reply is always... "gaman" FNM

Peace...

Funky_Mimizu

Seems like you're overheatin your room. The humidity will always concentrate in cold places (see the condensation on cold walls or cold windows). Your record (dry cardboard) covers will work like a sponge inside a humid room.

Make sure:

1) to vent your room for 3-5 minutes at least five times a day (opening all of your windows)
2) to buy a dehumidifier (or 2 or 3 or 4...)
3) not to overheat (20-22 degrees Celsius [60-70 degrees Fahrenheit] are totally comfy)
4) not to heat to fast - slow but constant heating (your walls need to be warm too - cold walls will attract water and mold)
5) to tell your landlord about your situation

venting your room will help most. do it as often as you can.

Hey man... yeah, I may be overheating it, but if I'm gonna be in there, I kinda got no choice. Seriously, if I don't have the heat on, my hands go numb in minutes.

Theres no insullation in Japanese homes/apartments, and one of my walls is always icecold. I had some records leaning against it, and sure enough, they ended up wet.

I can dig your advice, but there is really no way to do slow and constant heating. It's like hot for an hour or three a day... Whenever I'm in there. The shitty thing is, like I said, there is no way the walls are ever gonna be warm in the winter, at least without insullation.

The wierd thing is, the summers here are humid as fuck, and I've never had the same problem then.

I'm thinking my only option is to move all my shit to the ground floor, which rarely gets heated... Kinda shitty option though.

Anyhow, thanks, I'll be opening the windows...

Peace...
FNM

Grope

Hey man... yeah, I may be overheating it, but if I'm gonna be in there, I kinda got no choice. Seriously, if I don't have the heat on, my hands go numb in minutes.

Theres no insullation in Japanese homes/apartments, and one of my walls is always icecold. I had some records leaning against it, and sure enough, they ended up wet.

I can dig your advice, but there is really no way to do slow and constant heating. It's like hot for an hour or three a day... Whenever I'm in there. The shitty thing is, like I said, there is no way the walls are ever gonna be warm in the winter, at least without insullation.

The wierd thing is, the summers here are humid as fuck, and I've never had the same problem then.

I'm thinking my only option is to move all my shit to the ground floor, which rarely gets heated... Kinda shitty option though.

Anyhow, thanks, I'll be opening the windows...

Peace...
FNM

just been reading this. wow. never knew about those japanese housing issues. you still pay a lot of money for your apartments, right? what a f*cked up situation. sorry to hear about your problems. a nice and cozy home is priority #1 for me.