Electrical damp systems: what the evidence says

Rising Damp Ipswich arranges damp assessments across Ipswich and the western corridor.

What they claim to do

Electro-osmotic systems run a small electrical potential through a wall, on the principle that it will drive water back down toward the ground rather than letting it climb. Wireless variants claim to do something similar with a low-frequency field and no wiring in the wall at all.

What the independent evidence shows

It is weak. Reviews of controlled testing have generally not found a measurable difference between treated walls and untreated control walls, and the strongest claims tend to come from suppliers rather than from independent assessment. That is not the same as proving the technology cannot work, and we are not going to overstate it - but it is a long way short of the evidence behind a physical barrier, which is well understood and easy to verify.

Our position

We would not recommend spending money on an electrical system before the ordinary things have been dealt with: the ground level outside, the drainage, the render, and a physical damp course if the wall genuinely has none. Those are known quantities. In a good number of Ipswich cases they are also the entire answer.

What to ask, if you are considering one

• Is there controlled testing, with an untreated control wall, rather than testimonials?
• What exactly does the guarantee cover, for how long, and who honours it if the company closes?
• Has the ground outside been measured, and what did it show?
• What happens to the salt already in the wall?

A supplier who answers those four plainly is worth listening to. One who cannot is telling you something.

Areas we cover

We take enquiries across the Ipswich local government area and the western corridor.