Dripping mushrooms

[MtB]

Hi everyone,

 

Our boat has a number of conventional brass mushroom vents in the roof. One of them is in the cabin directly above our bed, and has the enfuriating habit of dripping a drip of condensation water directly into my ear at about once an hour throughout the night when the outside temperature falls below about seven degrees C.

 

Our current solution is a wodge of tissue paper tucked behind the brass grill on the ceiling on the inside of the boat, but this is hardly the real answer as it further reduces ventiation in the cabin. I've no doubt the other mushrooms in the boat roof do it too and I'm sure we can't be the first to have this problem!

 

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to reduce/prevent condensation forming on the underside of mushooms and dripping into the boat?

 

Cheers Mike

[blackrose]

Hi everyone,

 

Our boat has a number of conventional brass mushroom vents in the roof. One of them is in the cabin directly above our bed, and has the enfuriating habit of dripping a drip of condensation water directly into my ear at about once an hour throughout the night when the outside temperature falls below about seven degrees C.

 

Our current solution is a wodge of tissue paper tucked behind the brass grill on the ceiling on the inside of the boat, but this is hardly the real answer as it further reduces ventiation in the cabin. I've no doubt the other mushrooms in the boat roof do it too and I'm sure we can't be the first to have this problem!

 

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to reduce/prevent condensation forming on the underside of mushooms and dripping into the boat?

 

Cheers Mike

 

The problem as you've discovered is condensation forming in the vent. It should in theory run down the inside of the vent and drip outside onto the roof, but sometimes the condensation at the very top doesn't run down and can drip in. I had this problem when the condensation froze on a cold night and in the morning when the sun hit the vent it defrosted and dripped onto the bed.

 

My solution was to take off the top of the mushroom vent and put a tiny bit of sprayfoam from a can into the very top of the dome. I was told off by other forum membes for doing it and I've no doubt I will be told off for suggesting it again. However, unless your mushrooms are misaligned (that is if the outer edge is over the hole), then the problem is only that condensation at the very top of the dome is dripping in. Therefore that's the problem area that needs to be addressed and a 2" diameter blob of foam less than half an inch thick in the very top of the dome will not restrict ventilation. Other vents are flat designs so it is not the height of the dome which provides ventilation - the mushroom dome top is simply a baffle and as long as it does not alter the air gap underneath then I don't see the problem. Sprayfoam does get a bit messy and is difficult to control so perhaps you could try it with a bit of cork tile cut into a small circle instead, using some PU adhesive or silicone to stick it on.

Edited September 2, 2008 by blackrose

[RLWP]

...of mushooms and dripping....

 

Cheers Mike

 

 

Mmmmm. Can I have that on toast?

 

Richard

 

How about laying a wick from the centre of the upstand to the edge?

[bag 'o' bones]

Why is a thin layer of spray foam such a bad idea?

 

As long as it does not restrict ventilation I think its an excellent solution.

 

If your gob of foam gets a bit thick you could always carve to shape once cured.

Edited September 2, 2008 by bag 'o' bones

[Neil Corbett]

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to reduce/prevent condensation forming on the underside of mushooms and dripping into the boat?

 

Thanks to the previous owner, our boat has brass ashtrays suspended on thin brass rods a couple of inches below the vent. It looks cute and catches anything that falls and it evaporates from there so there is no maintenance /emptying required. Sadly I don't have any photos to demonstrate.

 

Neil

nb Herbie

[RobinJ]

Our boat has a number of conventional brass mushroom vents in the roof. One of them is in the cabin directly above our bed, and has the enfuriating habit of dripping a drip of condensation water directly into my ear at about once an hour throughout the night when the outside temperature falls below about seven degrees C.

I've never had this problem, water is always forced back up by the escaping hot air! We do have a similar problem with the hatches though, condensation forming on the metal edge and dripping down (can't insulate it as it would stop it opening and closing).

It occurs to me that the problem is the bar through which the vent is screwed, if these are made correctly, the water should run across the top and down the outside of the vent, so the only place it might drip from is the underside? How about some sticky padded plastic like headlining stuff?

[Machpoint005]

Heat the dripping gently in a frying pan, then add the finely chopped mushrooms. Delicious on toast!

[RobinJ]

Heat the dripping gently in a frying pan, then add the finely chopped mushrooms. Delicious on toast!

Still need the tissue paper to clean the dripping up!

[RLWP]

Heat the dripping gently in a frying pan, then add the finely chopped mushrooms. Delicious on toast!

 

Right, I'm off to the VP to see if Stavros can make this.

 

Richard

[carlt]

In the absence of snails I'll have my mushrooms dripping in garlic butter, ta.

 

Or preserved in honey.....

[simonk]

Hi everyone,

 

Our boat has a number of conventional brass mushroom vents in the roof. One of them is in the cabin directly above our bed, and has the enfuriating habit of dripping a drip of condensation water directly into my ear at about once an hour throughout the night when the outside temperature falls below about seven degrees C.

 

Our current solution is a wodge of tissue paper tucked behind the brass grill on the ceiling on the inside of the boat, but this is hardly the real answer as it further reduces ventiation in the cabin. I've no doubt the other mushrooms in the boat roof do it too and I'm sure we can't be the first to have this problem!

 

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to reduce/prevent condensation forming on the underside of mushooms and dripping into the boat?

 

Cheers Mike

 

Aha, I was wondering why the brass grille below the vent over our bed had a load of kitchen towel sandwiched in it... Now I know why I should leave it where it is (for the moment, until someone has suggested the best answer on here)....

[Smelly]

Or preserved in honey.....

 

A person of rather interesting taste! Ill go with that

[bag 'o' bones]

We do have a similar problem with the hatches though, condensation forming on the metal edge and dripping down (can't insulate it as it would stop it opening and closing).

 

Heres a suggestion, why not try black electrical insulation tape? Depending on how wide the edgings are you can buy insulation tape in wider widths from a agricultural supplies - Farmers use the wider stuff to repair plastic silage bags. Worth a try as its very cheap.

[Malarky]

Thin wire mesh, grill?Fluffy padding if needed.

[Machpoint005]

Heres a suggestion, why not try black electrical insulation tape?

...or the stuff that you take off the edge of a slice of black pudding. Bet Carl wouldn't eat that with honey, though.

[carlt]

A person of rather interesting taste! Ill go with that

Much tastier than mushroom tea...

[Nine of Hearts]

Much tastier than mushroom tea...

 

One doesn't drink mushroom tea for the taste.

[carlt]

One doesn't drink mushroom tea for the taste.

I'd rather get drunk on a bottle of Petrus than a can of Superbrew, though.

[Grace and Favour]

One doesn't drink mushroom tea for the taste.

 

 

Never a truer word uttered . . . . . or s's's'stuttered

[pearley]

We bought an offcut of the padded material sold as table protector and glued it to the underneath of all the mushrooms and wrapped it round the central support. To make doubly sure we than painted it with International anti-condensation paint. Seems to have worked.

[stuart]

How about moving your pillows to the other end of the bed and sleeping around the other way. The water will drip on your toes then

[tidal]

This used to be a commom problem on older wooden yachts and like a previous poster some people used anti-condensation paint.

 

However, thanks to the training I had in a Yorkshire sailing club where spending excess brass was frowned upon, I have found that a small artists brush laden with that rubberised gunk they used to spray on the bottom of cars has the same effect and at a signifcant cost saving......

 

 

edited to avoid offence to yorkshiremen

Edited September 8, 2008 by tidal