Why does toilet tank sweat

When warm, damp air hits a cold surface, condensation forms. Dripping off a toilet tank, this moisture can keep bathroom flooring damp for days, ruining the flooring and even rotting out the sub-floor and floor framing. To prevent that from happening, you can start with simple, cheap fixes that may help, or fast-forward to more costly but surer solutions. Just as you slip a coaster under a sweaty glass to prevent condensation from leaving a wet ring, you can install a drip tray under the toilet tank to catch the excess moisture.

Insulate the tank: These are sold in-store, and made out of protective materials like foam, adhering to the inside of your tank and helping keep it from getting too cold. Use a ventilation fan in your bathroom: This will help reduce the overall humidity and temperature of the bathroom, making it less likely that your toilet will sweat.

Buy a water-saving toilet: If there is less water in your tank, less condensation will be able to form.

Buy a toilet with a temperature-increasing tempering tank: A second tank will pre-warm the water before it goes into the larger tank. Share This Post With Others! Even in the hottest conditions, an anti-sweat valve can help prevent your toilet tank from sweating.

Because it works to equalize the temperature between the toilet and the room, an anti-sweat valve can keep condensation at bay and prevent further damage from occurring in your bathroom. Insulating a toilet is an option that many homeowners might not know exists. Still, an insulated toilet can be beneficial in hot, humid locales where toilet tank sweating can be a constant problem.

Most major toilet manufacturers have an option with insulation, but you can also try a DIY solution. With the buildup of condensation in your toilet, insulation between the water and the toilet tank can help reduce the moisture.

You can place bubble wrap around the inside of the toilet, creating a layer between the toilet tank and the water. Stores also offer insulation kits for your toilet tank. A leaky flapper could also be the cause of extra sweat dripping down your toilet tank. To see if the flapper is the culprit, you can add food coloring to the water in your toilet tank. If your bathroom has an exhaust fan, always turn it on before you start the shower.

Then, leave it on for at least minutes after finishing the shower. Venting out as much of the warm, humid air as possible will reduce the likelihood of tank sweat. Taking shorter, cooler showers will also help--and they're invigorating!

Turn the fan on when you take a bath or run a lot of hot water in the sink as well. If your bathroom doesn't have a vent fan, crack open the door as a less ideal option. Opening a window won't help much unless the humidity is low outside. Wipe down the shower walls to remove surface moisture. After finishing a shower, use a towel to quickly wipe away most of the water on the shower walls. You can also wipe the tub surface or shower floor.

Then, take the wet towel somewhere outside the bathroom to dry out. If you don't do this, the water on the shower walls will evaporate into the surrounding warm air and condense on the cool toilet tank. Keep bathroom windows closed on warm, humid days.

Your first instinct on a hot day may be to open up the windows. However, if it is warmer outside than inside, and especially if it's both warmer and more humid outside, keep the bathroom windows closed. Otherwise, you're just increasing the temperature differential between the tank water and the air outside the tank, and providing moisture to condense on the surface. Run an air conditioner or dehumidifier.

An air conditioner will bring the temperature of the air around the toilet closer to the temperature of the tank water. Likewise, either an air conditioner or a dehumidifier will reduce the moisture content in the air, which in turn reduces condensation.

Central air conditioning or a whole-house dehumidifier should do the trick. Method 2. Buy a toilet tank insulation kit, or make your own. You can find these kits at hardware stores and plumbing supply retailers.

A kit should include sheets of insulating foam, adhesive, an adhesive application tool, and instructions. Alternatively, you can create your own tank insulation kit by buying a standard size yoga mat and a tube of high-quality waterproof adhesive.

Unless you find a good deal on the yoga mat, however, the price difference may not be that great. Empty most of the water from the toilet tank.

Turn off the water supply by turning the oval valve at the end of the supply line clockwise. Remove the lid of the toilet tank and set it aside. Flush the toilet to drain nearly all the water from the toilet tank. It will help you clean out the tank. Clean off any buildup on the walls of the tank. Use your preferred spray-based cleaner and a handled scrub brush. Scrub away as much of the rust-colored buildup on the tank's interior sides and bottom as you can.

Dip your brush into the water in the bottom of the tank occasionally to rinse it off. Rinse and drain the tank. Once you've cleaned off most of the buildup, rinse down the interior walls with clean water, then flush again to empty away most of this water.

Use a turkey baster to suck up the remaining water in the tank, or use a sponge to sop it up. Remove all surface moisture from the tank's porcelain interior.

Your fastest option is to wave a hair dryer on high power back and forth throughout the tank for minutes. Or, you can try one of the following: [9] X Research source Position a space heater so that it is blowing hot, dry air into the tank.