keeping washing machine in outhouse: condensation

[gitbags]

I'm looking for ideas guys, due to the unfortunate kitchen planning of the previous owner I have to keep my washing machine in the outhouse.
Obviously in the summer this isn't an issue, but with winter upon us I'm now having chronic problems with condensation on the casing of the machine.

The outhouse is single skinned block, flat/felt roof and concrete floor. No insulation whatsoever and seeing as the outhouse is only 3 to 4 inches wider than the machine I doubt i could do a decent job insulating it.

I've got water coming in under the door so my first job will be to sort that but I'm not too sure where to go from there any suggestions? Some things I've read suggest increasing ventilation others insulation, for a small outhouse which would be best?

I was also considering putting a greenhouse heater in there to keep the temp up a little as frost protection mainly, would this help control condensation as well or just make things worse? I'm in two minds about trying it due to the gas meter being located in the same space.

I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

 

[jpaul]

a curious google immediately shows that Miele say

Do not install your washing machine in rooms where temperatures
below freezing may occur. Frozen hoses may burst or split. The
reliability of the electronic control unit may be impaired at
temperatures below freezing point.

if the water freezes in the electric valve on the inlet presumably it could damage it.
if you are only using it a couple of times a week drain it between uses - bottom pump access and inlet tube ?
swap appliances - put standalone freezer in the outhouse and washing machine inside ?

 

[bremen1874]

If you get it dry in there most of your problems will probably go away.

My washing machine is in the back of my attached garage (single brick, flat roof, concrete floor, unheated) and I have no condensation issues. This particular machine has been out there about 7 years.

I do have a small tube heater in there, but that only comes on if the temperature drops below zero.

 

[gitbags]

Unfortunately bringing it indoors currently isn't an option, I'd have to rip the units out and have a feed and a drain from the sink plumbed in (previous owners ripped it all out on the suggestion of their builder friend ) And the other half won't let me touch the kitchen, she likes it as is.

As for freezing, I should hopefully be able to manage that with a small heater. Winters tend to be mild in west cornwall, I can only remember snow settling once in the past 7 years my way. But draining it often sounds like a good idea just in case.

bremen1874, I think most of my problems are due to the water getting in and the small size of the outhouse (literally no bigger than your average toliet cubicle) allowing swings in temperture to affect it much quicker. I have got a garage at the end of the garden with a water supply, which i did consider moving the machine into using a bucket for waste if needs must. just need to seal the bottom of the wall.

 

[darael]

I'd work on stripping the outhouse to the bare bones and install foam-backed plasterboard. Re-grout the brickwork if needed, then check the roof for damaged or missing tiles and any where leaks might get in. You can get foam insulation for pipes and I'd maybe consider installing air vents on the door to allow the outhouse to breath and keep your washer drawer and door open when not in use.

 

[drunkenmaster]

Ventilation won't necessarily help as in winter the humidity outside won't be great. If the condensation is just on the washing machine casing itself and not elsewhere, it says to me the washing machine is colder than everything else, fix that and the condensation should go away.

Is the washing machine sitting on bare floor while the rest has some kind of underlay and flooring above it? Maybe it's sitting on a very cold floor, causing the washing machine to be much colder and that is the issue? either way maybe get some kind of insulated layer below the washing machine.

Maybe the way the drainage is done is letting cold air up the drainage pipe, is it just a pipe dropping water into an open drain, if so adding some pipe to change the orientation of the exit so wind doesn't blow up it could make a big difference.

As said, the reason for condensation to be on the machine and nothing else is if it's colder than the rest of the room.

 

[AHarvey]

OSB3 9mm + wood frame + 25mm polysterene insulation on the inside of the wall = 1.34 inches per side of the machine.

I'd be looking at raising the floor as well, insulate. same with the ceiling.

Seal the door.

Depends on the space you could insulate the outside of the outhouse.

Insulate all pipes

This may seem rather daft, but buy some plants and rotate them if there is no sunlight in the outhouse, plants can do a decent job of dehumidifying a house http://www.doityourself.com/stry/5-indoor-plants-that-will-absorb-the-humidity-in-your-house

 

[SPG]

Easy fix.

First off you need to stop the water getting in, or the very least get the machine off the floor.

Get the air moving inside, with some air bricks and a rain cover.

 

[gitbags]

Cheers for the help guys. So the first to things I'll do is sort the door and raise the machine off the floor on some timber. As for the waste pipe, it runs into the old toilet waste (rubber capped). There are no leaks through the roof (new 1 year ago) but there is a gap running around the plaster board ceiling I could do with sealing.

As suggested the coldest surface besides the washing machine itself is the floor, I don't get condensation on any other surfaces. So before trying to insulate the floor somewhat I guess I need to seal it to stop the concrete wicking in moisture. Any suggestions on what to use? I've used sika waterproofer in the past at work and it seems to help with spills, but is there a better option?

Might sound like a daft question but would it be worth lagging the gas main with a foam jacket to remove another potential cold surface?
Would you lot be worried about leaving a tube heater unattended in close proximity with a gas meter (a rusty one at that)?

Here's a crap photo to show what I'm working with.