As the weather gets colder, many of us are ready to hibernate, keep our windows shut and spend more time indoors. While this helps keep the heat in, it can also trap moisture inside your home. 

An average household can create around 20 pints of moisture every day through activities such as cooking, showering, drying clothes and even breathing. In fact, a person can exhale nearly a pint of water into the air each day. That’s why it’s important to help your home breathe.

Using your fans
All homes have ventilation fans, usually in the kitchen, and it’s important to keep them switched on at all times. Your fans have two settings:

• Trickle mode: runs continuously to remove everyday moisture

• Boost mode: automatically increases when extra moisture is detected, usually during cooking or showering

If your fan becomes noisier, particularly in boost mode, it’s often a sign it’s doing its job by removing excess moisture.

The good news is that running your fan costs very little, typically less than the cost of boiling your kettle over the course of a year.

Looking after your fan
Dust and grease can build up on units over time. If you’re able to, gently vacuum around the cover and wipe away grease in kitchen areas. Please don’t take your fan apart.

If you’re unable to clean it yourself, our damp, mould and condensation team can help.

Trickle vents and window latches
Our homes have trickle vents and secondary window latches to improve airflow.

To get the most out of these:

• Leave trickle vents open

• Use the secondary window latch to allow a small amount of airflow while keeping windows secure

• If possible, leave windows on the secondary latch 24/7

These simple steps help fresh air circulate and allow moisture to escape.

Burping your home
Another great way to refresh your home is through purge ventilation, or as we like to call it, burping your home.

Open your windows for around 10 minutes each day to let fresh air circulate and remove stale, damp air. This can help reduce condensation and improve air quality without making your home too cold.

We’re here to help
If your fan isn’t working properly, or you’re having problems with your windows, please let us know. For more advice on damp, mould or condensation this winter, scan the QR code or contact us on 0300 777 3000.