Humidity strategy

[bheron]

Hi all,
I'd like to better deal with the excess humidity from my tank. Here's my situation:

- I live in southeastern PA. So we get hot, humid summers and cold dry winters.

- My tank is 220 gallons with a 75 gallon sump. It's in the basement but not in an area that's serviceable by my central heating and AC system. The tank room is 8' x 10' in size, with concrete walls on two sides.

- Currently I have an 80CFM ceiling fan to push air outside. I it to connected a wall humidistat so that, theoretically, it turns on when the humidity hits a certain level.

I still have humidity issues. The fan seems to run 24/7. Not sure if:

1) the fan is the wrong approach and need a dehumidifier?
2) the fan not strong enough?
3) the fan is old - installed it 10 years ago.

I do have access to a drain and was about to just get a dehumidifier. But after reading online I see it may not be a slam dunk. Power costs arent a show stopper but would like to be efficient wherever I can.

Any thoughts on what is the right approach here?

 

[bheron]

Help ?!

 

[alex gonzales]

Following.

 

[Tinkanator2000]

Same problem here in northern Maryland. Following as well

 

[BlackTip]

When the fan turn on and push the humid air outside, where does the replacement air come from?

If the basement is not air conditioned/heated, then the outside air will rush in through cracks/windows/etc.

If you are pushing humid air out, you need to replace it with dryer air.

 

[bheron]

When the fan turn on and push the humid air outside, where does the replacement air come from?

If the basement is not air conditioned/heated, then the outside air will rush in through cracks/windows/etc.

If you are pushing humid air out, you need to replace it with dryer air.

thanks for responding. the tank is in a large basement, partically finished and partially unfinished. but none of it is climate controlled. there are some windows and a door about 25' away.

You can see in this rough sketch below the shaded part is unfinished. I usually leave the door to that part open to mix the air. But now that you ask Im thinking the entire basement is more or less the same humidity. So does this fan really do anything?

 

[Reef Frog]

What is the typical temperature and relative humidity reading in the basement in its natural state (unventilated) and after ventilation? How large a space? How much do you want to drop the humidity. Warmer air can hold more humidity so if the basement room is cold & clammy bumping up the temp a little can make it feel better and drop RH a little bit.

The fan could very well be undersized. You may want to look at the more powerful squirrel cage fans sold by hydroponic & greenhouse suppliers. The thing is, if the replacement air is being drawn from an adjacent location that is humid as well, you won't be making much headway.

If practical, you could always have a second fan pumping dry, heated or air conditioned air from another part of the house simultaneously while operating the exhaust fan. They need to be placed far apart and in such a way as the dry air isn't vented immediately.

No reason a dehumidifier wouldn't work and could possibly compliment the fans. Partial coverage of tank or sump while allowing air exchange could also take a dent in the humidity.

In a basement in the wet eastern US, you would also want to ensure that your gutters are not overflowing near the house foundation and downspouts carry rainwater a good distance away from the house & downhill. Sometimes water vapor can seep through some foundation materials like cinderblock or even concrete. In that case, a waterproof paint like Drylock can help.

Depending on how much you want to drop the humidity, using several techniques may provide the solution. Good luck.

 

[BlackTip]

This look like a very large open space. It will be almost impossible to get uniform humidity level everywhere. If the tank room has a door, I think the best option is a de-humidifier.

 

[Reef Frog]

Cross posted while you added the diagram. Yes an 80cf fan is going to be way undersized.

Some HVAC contractors specialize in these kind of jobs. Heat recovery exchangers might be the ticket.

Is it possible that the basement is naturally humid with or without the aquarium? What is the relative humidity & where do you want it to be? That may suggest the best approach.

 

[bheron]

Thanks for the feedback Reed Frog

What is the typical temperature and relative humidity reading in the basement in its natural state (unventilated) and after ventilation?

- Good question. Dont know actually which I guess makes this a bit challenging. Its a basement so temperature stays relatively cool all year. I do have the current fan wired up to a wall humidstat and know that its usually set to like 75% and always seems to be running. So at least its > 75% humidity.

How large a space?

- about 80SF

How much do you want to drop the humidity.

- good question. enough to not have a damp layer of sweat on everything and also prevent mold issues in the house

The fan could very well be undersized. You may want to look at the more powerful squirrel cage fans sold by hydroponic & greenhouse suppliers. The thing is, if the replacement air is being drawn from an adjacent location that is humid as well, you won't be making much headway.

- I should've called out the 80SF room is enclosed and has a door. so thats why I thought 8CF would work in that room. Not looking to control the entire basement.

In a basement in the wet eastern US, you would also want to ensure that your gutters are not overflowing near the house foundation and downspouts carry rainwater a good distance away from the house & downhill. Sometimes water vapor can seep through some foundation materials like cinderblock or even concrete.

- That could be true in my case. My gutters flow into the ground and not sure if they then push out from the foundation or not. but I do get 'sweaty" looking walls inside the fish room.

This look like a very large open space. It will be almost impossible to get uniform humidity level everywhere. If the tank room has a door, I think the best option is a de-humidifier.

- Sorry, as noted above the humid part is only the 10' x 8' fish room which has a door.

Cross posted while you added the diagram. Yes an 80cf fan is going to be way undersized. Is it possible that the basement is naturally humid with or without the aquarium? What is the relative humidity & where do you want it to be? That may suggest the best approach.

- No I dont think the basement is naturally humid at all.

So maybe a bigger fan and/or de-humidifier?

 

[gus6464]

http://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-FA...8-1&keywords=Kenmore+Elite+54571+dehumidifier

 

[rags111875]

This thread may offer additional insight-
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2467491

 

[zachts]

I'd suggest a portable AC unit, vented outside or into a different room in summer and just vented into the fish room in the winter if the extra heat would be beneficial (which just makes it an expensive dehumidifier)

 

[bheron]

Thanks everyone. I was able to confirm the humidity level in my fish room today was about 72. Its really cold and dry here in southeastern PA right now, so gives you an idea of how much humidity is in there. Also I found that air is being pulled from the main part of the house upstairs, and down the basement stairs. assuming this means i'm pulling air from the house when the fan is on.

So guess I have to figure out if running a more powerful fan 24/7 is more efficient/smarter than running a dehumidifier together with the current fan in place.

 

[zachts]

If you go with a larger fan venting outside just make sure you have adequate vents to let air from outside into your home, you don't want to be creating a vacuum and suck air in thru a chimney or get air sucking in thru seals and stuff in the home where it's not meant to, possibly pulling water with it on a rainy day.

 

[rgulrich]

Ditto. Had the same problem here in MD with my basement filter room, and the new "bathroom" fan took care of it nicely. I picked mine up from Amazon. It's always a balance between noise level and amount of air moved, but I'm sure you'll find one that works for you.

 

[Windy2]

Look into ductless split system heat pumps.