Humidity control

[seagirl]

I have a tank in my basement that adds to my already bad humidity problem down there. I was running as high as 90% sometimes, so i bought a dehumdifier. It's working great at keeping the humity between 50%-55%, but running 24/7 to keep it there. Does anyone use a fan or blower connected to a humistat to keep there basment/fishroom under control? Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated, thanks

 

[dendro982]

Have the same problem, also bought the dehumidifier. But it heats basement to intolerable temperature in the summer. In winter, the excessive humidity wasn't an issue, maybe condensation on colder objects works.

I didn't try, but I had seen in stores stand alone unit room air conditioner with dehumidifier, $600. Input and output tubes are inserted in the window, as for any room conditioner. I would be concerned about security of this, at least at night.

I also asked about humidity control at forums, and was told just improve ventilation, making hole in the wall with grid and fan attached, as for bathrooms. When I asked, how this will protect basement from freezing air, coming into basement in winter, I was told to seal it for a cold season. Apparently, most live in the very warms areas
HTH

 

[salty joe]

My fish room is 6'x13'. No tank yet.

I plan on running a continious loop for air. About 80' of 4" thin wall PVC that will be fed with a fan. Not sure about the CFM. At the low point of the loop will be a trap/drain. The loop will run alongside the foundation wall to cool the air & cause the moisture to condense. Then the not so moist air will be returned to the fishroom. I am going to try this because I don't need another heat source and I don't like the idea of my electric bill getting higher. The only problem I foresee is mold growing in the 4" PVC and blowing spores around. That would be bad. So I'm thinking maybe plumb my ozonizer into the 4" PVC and running it an hour a day.

Joe

 

[CyanoMagnet]

You need to export the humid air out one way or another. Come up with a aeration system.

 

[salty joe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13125710#post13125710 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CyanoMagnet
You need to export the humid air out one way or another. Come up with a aeration system.

Humid air does not necessarily need to be exported. The humidity needs to be decreased one way or another, such as a conventional de-humidifier.

I am going to try a condesation loop that pulls warm moist air out of the fishroom. The foundation wall will act as a heat sink, cooling the air. Moisture will condense out and go to a trap/drain. The de-humidified air will be returned to the fishroom.

 

[ediaz]

I have 60 tanks in my basement plus sumps, I keep them covered and got a commercial dehumidifier, paid about 2K but my house and family its worth more than that.

Also if you bougth one of those small home units it will measure low in that spot check in the other side of the basement.

Best way to check is to call a reastauration company they can check humidity all around and can check the wood in the basement they have like a meter that can tell how close the wood is from growing mold.

It might sound too much but I went from water dripping from the windows in the second floor to 30% humidity and no condensation anywhere in the house.

E

 

[ludiNano]

great timing for this thread. I was just wondering what negative effects having higher humidity were??

I do not have an extream amount of water in the house, 65 gallons up stairs and 65 gallons in the basement.

I saw mold was one, im guessing this is on a wide spread through the frame work that can cause serious problems?

What other problems can high humidity cause???

 

[dendro982]

Neither wet or dry rot are not covered by insurance (and who needs even more repairs, than usual), in termite-prone zones houses with wood studs may have problems eventually (remember the "Three little pigs", twig house vs stone house - improper materials for the task), even without it quality of air suffers and tools will rust. And basement is the usual place for a storage, if no garage.

 

[salty joe]

You're right about termites & other wood destroying insects-they definitely prefer damp wood. Excess humidity can warp hardwood floors and cause windows and doors to stick due to swollen wood. It can ruin furniture. Tools & mold were mentioned. I don't think it would do electronics or optics much good. Then there's that musty odor. Water running down the inside of the windows and doors and that aint good.

So what is the ideal humidity? Maybe 30-50%?

 

[das75]

don't use it as humidity not a problem (have central air) but I installed a bathroom fan in the basement fish room. Simple, quiet, cheap and if I want could put on a humidistat but running it 24/7 I probably wouldn't break even on the cost until after about 2 years.

To prevent problems should try to keep the humidity under 60%

 

[eshook]

das, does the fan vent to the outside?

seagirl - I have the same problem. I will be setting up a small fish setup in my basement. I bought a 70 liter dehumidifier (largest consumer grade), but I'm sure it is taking a lot of energy.

I would like to find a solution that also works in the winter (I live in Illinois and the winter temperatures go below freezing - so just cracking a window and putting a fan to the outside doesn't work for that

 

[salty joe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13170706#post13170706 target=_blank>Originally

I would like to find a solution that also works in the winter (I live in Illinois and the winter temperatures go below freezing - so just cracking a window and putting a fan to the outside doesn't work for that [/B]

Youmight be OK once you start using your furnace. Maybe just open a register in the basement.

 

[dendro982]

Furnace or bathroom fan - as far as I know - will require venting outside. This means 4" hole in the wall, allowing the freezing air flood the basement.

For blow-out air vent there are plastic shutters, built-in in the vent, but they provide no protection from cold, and may freeze in closed position, when the extreme cold weather comes, or cycle freezing-thawing, again and again.

I had read, but couldn't find locally, that there are air intake vents (for furnaces), that has shutters (closed, when furnace is not pulling air in), made for freezing temperatures. Checked forums, in Alberta the same model was frozen in closed state, this means lack of air for fuel's complete burning and possible danger of backdraft and drawing products of incomplete burning into the living space.

But - what relates to the tanks in the basement in winter, not furnace or bathroom fan - in my case the basement is relatively dry in winter, if the doors to the living space are open all the time.
If not - dehumidifier may help in winter, it will heat the basement as well, reducing time of water heaters' work.

In the summer dehumidifier without air conditioner heats basement too much, and can't be used (again, in my particular case). Wettest season in the basement, even if it is sunny and dry outside. Keeping tanks topless and with fans, increasing evaporation to lower water temperature (no central AC), contributes to the process, but not too much - tried to cover tank, same effect. Could be condensation on colder surfaces, could be not. I tend to find inexpensive way to influence that, than find the theoretical explanation, why the process works this way

 

[salty joe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13170956#post13170956 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dendro982
Furnace or bathroom fan - as far as I know - will require venting outside. This means 4" hole in the wall, allowing the freezing air flood the basement.



A lot of people use a humidifier in the winter. Running a furnace can dry the air to the point of causing your skin to crack open and bleed. Annoying stactic electricity is another issue of low humidity. The right amount of humidity can allow the heat to be set a little lower with the same comfort level. If your house gets too dry in the winter, evaporation from your tank might be fine as long as it gets distributed throughout the house. So I'm not talking about exchanging heated air with cold air, at least not for me.

 

[das75]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13170706#post13170706 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by eshook
das, does the fan vent to the outside?

Normal bathroom fan vented to the outside.

Wouldn't worry about the cold. I live in north central Alberta and -30° is common and every house around has bathroom and range-hood fans, as well as dryer vents and cold air intake ducts for furnaces. If the fan is on, cold air isn't going to come down the pipe and for when off, a little flapper valve closes.

Fans are the very least of my concerns for winter.

 

[dendro982]

das75: What kind of flapper valve do you have: made from thin white plastic?

salty joe: No such low humidity in my place (usually 50%), and I have tanks only for the last 2.5 yrs. It sounds like vitamins A and D deficiency, together with frequent hands washing without using hand creams.

 

[Baalz]

Ive had high humidity problems for years. Finally was able to help alleviate it.

My problem was my attic ventilation. I had no ridge vent and insulation was blocking air from venting from soffit. So I added an attic fan that has a humidity and temp controller. Probably could of just cut the roof for a ridge vent though. As for the insulation blocking the soffit vents I installed baffles to direct soffit air flow. Also found out where I was getting mold in ceiling corners was where Insulation was pulled away from wall in attic.
This made a world of difference in my humidity levels so I would suggest checking out your attic first.

 

[das75]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13176305#post13176305 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dendro982
das75: What kind of flapper valve do you have: made from thin white plastic?

The fan units themselves often have a flapper (black for the one in the fish room), then common that the wall vent portion also will have a flapper built in.

 

[dendro982]

I meant the air vent (tube with thin flaps) that goes through the wall:


So far I had read responses, that it doesn't help with keeping basement protected from frost. Same about air intake vent for furnace, the only available in hardware stores are fixed in open position.

 

[das75]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13183159#post13183159 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dendro982
I meant the air vent (tube with thin flaps) that goes through the wall:


So far I had read responses, that it doesn't help with keeping basement protected from frost. Same about air intake vent for furnace, the only available in hardware stores are fixed in open position.

Don't know what to say, other than there's what you read and the real world.

I've got a fan in bathroom downstairs, a similiar one in the fish room and a cold air intake that tied to the furnace's return air plenum (by code) and my basement is toasty warm in winter.