I'm no expert in plumbing matters, so I generally look to experts for advise.
This exact problem you're describing was addressed on an "Ask this old house" episode and Richard the master plumber described the whole thing, why it happens and how to fix it.
--- In DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com, "LarenCorie" <larencorie@...> wrote:
>
> Posted by: "Ron Johnson" l0c0l0b0@...
>
> > I have a tenant with a problem with his toilet. He is from
> > a more temperate climate and keeps his temperature higher
> > than most people. As a result, he gets condensation from
> > the toilet tank; mainly from the back.
>
> Hi Ron;
>
> Your tenant's thermostat settings can not possibly have
> anything to do with it. Warming a room does not put more
> moisture into the air, so it can not effect the dew point temp-
> -erature, where condensation occurs. There are several things
> that might be causing this situation. First, you need to under-
> -stand that this is an issue of "dew point". If you do not have
> an understanding of how that works, you might do a Google
> search and read up on it. For some reason, in that residence,
> either the dew point is unusually high, or the toilet tank is
> unusually cold (because condensation only happens when a
> surface is cooler than the dew point), one or the other, or a
> combination of the two. Both could be to blame for it, and
> improving one or both could be a solution, even if it does
> not correct the root cause.
>
> If the tank is too cold, it is because there is too much water
> cycling through the tank. This might be because the tenant
> is around the house a lot, and flushes the toilet a lot. Or, the
> tank may have a leaky flapper, so that the tank is automatically
> being replenished with fresh colder water. Either way, may be
> costing in higher water or electric bills, as well as producing
> the condensation problem.
>
> The second contributor to this problem, would be that there is
> excess humidity in the house. It could come from any of several
> sources. Since it is in the bathroom, my first thought is the tenant
> may take a lot of hot showers (and maybe blasts the hot water
> on the sink) with the door closed and the bathroom vent fan (if
> there is one) not turned on. Of course, that causes condensation
> on everything, which soaks into the walls (and could feed mold
> growth) so that excess moisture, in the room, will continue to
> keep the humidity excessively high. That could account for
> the toilet tank condensation. Another unpleasant though, is
> that you could have a small water leak, inside a wall, or under
> the floor, that is creating the excess humidity (actually happened
> to me, less than six months ago).
>
> You might mount a hygrometer in the bathroom (digital
> thermometer/hygrometer with HI/LO memory, about $12 at
> WalMart) to show the current, as well as the high and low,
> relative humidity levels. They should not exceed 60% and
> 50% would be better, though in Winter it is good for it to
> never exceed 30% (not because of this toilet issue, but to
> avoid condensation on windows, and inside the exterior wall)
> The excess humidity could be coming from a source that is
> not as near as the shower, or long hot baths. It might come
> from the kitchen, with a lot of steamy cooking, without using
> a vent fan. A lot of people have the really wild idea that
> boiling water is a more efficient way to heat a house.
> Evaporation does not increase BTUs, and humid air leaking
> out of a house, or condensing on the walls and windows,
> just increases heat loss. Your tenant may be intentionally
> putting excess humidity into the air (thinking it is a good
> idea), or it may be accidental. Either way, it is not a
> good thing, and the toilet is telling you that either it is
> too cold, or the house air is too humid. Either way
> (or both) it is a problem that needs to be corrected.
> So deal with the problem, not the symptom. Do not
> insulate the tank. Solve the dew point problem,
> because the toilet tank condensation is not the only
> condensation that it will create, and the others may
> cause real damage.
>
> There are a couple of other potential causes. One has
> already been mentioned. It is the unvented burning of
> fossil fuels in the house, like with an unvented gas heater,
> or excessive usage of a stove and/or gas oven. The other
> could be excessive moisture in a crawlspace, or under
> a wood floor over a slab. The water source could be
> ground water, or a leak (is there a sealed crawlspace
> with ducting, and no vapor barrier on the ground?).
> Remember, this is unusual, so there is something wrong.
> This is not suposed to be happening...keep that in mind.
> The toilet tank condensation is just a warning sign, for
> a real problem, which may be as simple as a leaky flap
> valve, or your tenant taking a lot of hot baths and leaving
> the water in the tub to cool (for it to warm the house in
> winter). Or, it may be a warning sign of a much bigger
> problem, like a water leak in a crawlspace. When there
> is condensation on the toilet tank, there is ALWAYS
> condensation on other cold surfaces, and condesation
> on organic materials (like structural wood) feeds mold
> rot and mildew. So, solve the problem, Do not cover
> it up with tank insulation, or wasting hot water..
>
> Posted by: "jeffinvero65" jeffinvero@...
>
> > the water is colder...throw him out.. you really want
> > a tenant like that? complain complain.
>
> Hi Jeff;
>
> Wow! They may be a complaining tenant. Some can
> be annoying. But, it is important to determine what is
> actually happening. It is good for the tenant to let Ron
> know that this is happening, so that Ron can determine
> the cause. It may be something the tenant is doing, and
> Ron can advise them on how to prevent it. Or, it may
> be caused by something that is malfunctioning, and Ron
> can fix that. But, if there is condensation, the tenant
> telling Ron about it, is not causing it. It is sure not
> grounds for evicting a paying tenant.
>
> -Laren Corie-
> Natural Solar Building Design and
> Solar Heating/Natural Cooling/Energy
> Efficiency Consultation Since 1975
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