humidity controll fan selection?

[humboldt reefer]

I'm just finishing setting up the equipment on my 210 thats built into the wall and filled it with fresh water for leak testing and am having some humidity problems.
The tank is built into a garage that was remodeled into a room. The wall where the tank sits is infront of the garage doors so I can open them up and access the entire back of the tank, sump and everything else. The tank and sump are enclosed in a pretty small area 11' wide 3' deep and 8' tall.
Is a bathroom fan going to be enough to get rid of the humidity or am I going to need something bigger?what cfm range Should I be looking at?
Here is a picture before I had the doors finished.
Thanks

 

[steve671]

I also considered the bathroom fan to try to control humidity.
I just went to Lowes tonight and picked one up. None of the fans had any of the motor specs on the box, so I picked up one that was 50cfm. When I got home and opened it, the motor specs were on the chassis of the motor and OMG!!! 1.6amps
Let me see if I can figure this out:
1.6 amps X 110 volts = 176 watts or .176Kw
.176Kw X 24 hrs = 4.224 Kwhr per day
4.224 Kwhr X 30 days = 126.72 Kwhr per month
126.72Kwh X $0.26 per Kwh (thanks California) = $32.94 per month just to run that one fan.
That is insane
I am most likely going to use a 4 inch computer fan with an AC adapter, or this: http://www.hellolights.com/fan4121.html
17watts sounds much better
Cost per month: $3.18
Just something to think about.
Someone please correct me if my math is wrong.

 

[eastcoaster1]

I'm interested in hearing some ideas as well.
I think you can hook the fan up to a humidistat so that the fan only kicks on when needed - so that would somewhat address the power consumption issue.

My guess is the computer fan won't have enough 'power' to do the job. It would probably move enough CFM, but they don't seem designed to move air as much as just blow it around.

 

[nyvp]

home depot has one I belive 160 or 190 cfm very quiet much less on the electric

 

[pyro383]

go with the panasonic unit, more money $145 but so much better, quiter at 190cfm at 1.3 scones instead of the hd 50cfm 3.4 scones. Uses 65 watts and hook it to a ranco humidity controller and it will run at most 2 hrs a day.

 

[SaraB]

I have a bathroom fan as well with a humidstat for my basement fishroom ... not yet fully wired as the humidstat is stumping the father-in-law.

pyro383 - I have an electrical question. Is there a particular place to hook up that humidstat or did you connect it somewhere to the 110 wires? HELP! Mine is a Fantech and it said to hookup the humidstat with bell wires, but there is no place to connect them.

 

[andycook]

Sara B sounds like you got a low voltage dehumidistat. I went with a line voltage dehumidistat. Seemed easier than running a low voltage line.

 

[humboldt reefer]

I ended up getting 2 nautilus bathroom fans together they draw 110watts not bad but at 6 sones here not the quietest things. There 70 cfm apiece and my humidity is now lower in the tank stand than anywhere else in the house. But now that I have my third halide up the temp is another story. Probably wont hook mine up to controller just on a timer with the halides.

 

[SaraB]

andycook - Thanks for pointing that out as I did not know there was a difference ... typical girl!

Sara

 

[andycook]

Took me a lot of searches here to figure that out.

 

[SaraB]

Is that something I can just pick up at Lowes or Home Depot?

 

[pyro383]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7480728#post7480728 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sara B
Is that something I can just pick up at Lowes or Home Depot?

What's that the fan or the humistat

 

[SaraB]

The humistat - a full voltage one, not low voltage like I have and can't figure out.

 

[andycook]

You want a dehumidistat for humidity control. Yes Lowes or HD. I got mine from EBAY. Honeywell Dehumidistat Humidity Control. It can also be called FULL LINE.

 

[pyro383]

http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/product_info.php?cPath=370_363&products_id=361

 

[SaraB]

Thanks Everyone!

Sorry humboldt reefer to hijack your thread, but this is good information for you as well when it comes time to hook these buggers up!

 

[SaraB]

I hit Home Depot this weekend and they did not have any humidistat's there.

I checked a catalog I had laying around and found 2 that may work. Can any of you experts confirm that?

This one shows as a Ranco in the catalog but looks different online. It may save me some wiring:
http://www.growerssupply.com/webapp...ats&breadcrumb_categoryIds=35086|35088&isDoc=

http://www.growerssupply.com/webapp...ts&breadcrumb_categoryIds=|35086|35088&isDoc=

 

[SaraB]

~Bump~

Help, it's getting hot in Chicago and the humidity in the basement is rising! I need to get this fan working soon!

 

[humboldt reefer]

The one in the link posted above will work for you. You should be able to find one at a local hydroponic store also. The one down the street from me carries green air products controllers and they make a couple that controll heat and humidity.
Here's another link to some more
http://www.hydroempire.com/store/index.php?manufacturers_id=13&gclid=CKXf4-yruoUCFR4fSAodKTO6qA