ᐅ Electro-osmosis for drying out damp walls

Hello

I wanted to ask if anyone has experience with "electro-osmosis" for drying out damp walls. I have found some very skeptical posts online. Is this system effective, or is it better to avoid it?

Thanks for your answer

Hello swissmaker,

this does not work in practice; strictly speaking, it does not even work in theory.

Hello Swissmaker

I am absolutely convinced by electro-osmosis! We had our 190-year-old house protected in 1984 for 3000 CHF. The ground floor walls were completely dry after 3 years, and still are today. I would have paid 20,000 CHF for that!!

Best regards
from Dämmunsinn-1

Hello Dämmunsinn,
is the device still in operation?

You write that you had your house protected. Were the walls damp, and did you have the device installed for dehumidification, or did you acquire the device as a precaution to prevent possible future dampness?

Excuse me, but may I ask why you refer to electroosmosis as a DEVICE in this specialized forum?
This is completely incorrect.
These things have nothing to do with the actual definition of electroosmosis. Anyone knowledgeable on the subject will understand why.
However, you need to be familiar with the definition first.

Furthermore, in Germany, this scam is currently being stopped nationwide through legal warnings.

"...permanently operated by applying a direct current from an electronic controlunit..."

So, dear electro-osmosis system providers, should we now argue about the definition of "device"? The quote above is taken from the page you linked to (which, by the way, is full of half-truths).

By the way, I am knowledgeable about the topic of "electro-osmosis"; as an engineer and architect, I frequently encounter this subject.

I do not wish to engage in a debate about "electro-osmosis" here; I answer questions from laypersons largely impartially and without embarrassing other users.

Here are a few quotes from people who have also dealt with the topic of "active electro-osmosis":
From: Dettmann, A.; Bakhramov, O. and Venzmer, H.; New possibilities for... 2nd Dahlberger Symposium, Moisture- and salt-affected masonry, Wismar 2000, p. 78:
"Dehumidification of masonry based solely on electro-osmosis cannot achieve complete drying, but only reduce moisture content to about 50 percent. Beyond that point, the increased electrical resistance of the masonry and deteriorated contact result in a cessation of water transport."

From: Scherpke, G.; Schneider; Electro-osmosis – a comparison of theoretical results with experimental findings, DGZfP report volume BB 69-CD Moisture day 99 Environment · Measurement methods · Applications October 7/8, 1999, BAM, Berlin:
"The measured moisture transport effects are insignificant in scale. They can hardly be considered supportive in drying measures. At best, minor and practically imperceptible effects can be observed in the area of the maximum capillary rise height."

What all non-mechanical methods for drying masonry have in common is the fact that moisture in the masonry to be dried has a source – the masonry itself is not inherently damp.
Assuming electro-osmotic methods are effective, their effectiveness requires a constant applied electrical voltage (hence my question to Dämmunsinn). If after some time the masonry is assumed to be dry and the electro-osmotic treatment is stopped, rewetting begins again.

Only mechanical methods for drying are suitable to separate the moisture source from the wall. That is why basement walls sealed from the outside and equipped with a horizontal barrier are not damp – and that is indisputable.