Mildew in sump cabinet

[Egkid]

After recently moving I decided to build a new fish tank stand since it'll be in the living room now and I've added a door instead of having the sump area open for everyone to see. Well after two weeks I'm already starting to see mildew even though I coated the wood with an outdoor wood deck sealer. I'm thinking two 2" holes in the back with computer fans, and have one pulling air and one pushing. How do you guys deal with the humidity in your sump cabinets?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Safir]

Mine is open in the back

 

[Webmanny]

I think your fan idea is ok, but I would rather cut a bigger hole in the back and place a clip on fan there or something bigger than a computer fan.

If you do go with computer fans, your idea is correct. You want one pulling and one pushing air. I think they work best when placed on opposite sides of the cabinet, but your plan should work as well.

 

[Egkid]

Mildew in sump cabinet

Hmm the tank is all setup already so I'm hoping to just get a big holesaw in there with a towel laid over the sump. I'll see if I can pickup a 3 or 4" bit and run a pair of 92mm or 120mm fans. But this is something I completely overlooked and didn't plan for.

And I also want to keep this looking clean and avoid holes on the sides of the stand as both sides can be seen. I'll start with the back for now and see how that goes, but right now you can definitely feel how warm and humid it is when I open the door to the sump.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lockdown52]

+1as @Safir. The back of my stand is completely open. I also have an oscillating 12 inch fan working back there to help maintain temp.

 

[Postal]

Keep in mind, depending in your stand location, you might want to put the holes in the side rather than the back. If it is right up against the wall, your sheetrock might not like having moisture-ridden air blown directly onto it either.

 

[Egkid]

The tank is 6 7/8" away from the wall cause of the plumbing so I'm assuming that's far enough?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Egkid]

I'm hoping this does the trick. Decided on two 120mm fans to get the job done. They are now the loudest part of the tank though. Kind of sounds like when the compressor on a fridge is running.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zachfishman]

I had a big problem with mildew in my sump cabinet. Drilled holes for two 120mm USB-powered PC fans (one blowing in, one out) and things are nice and dry.

 

[fcmatt]

I left two large gaps in back. Must be 6 inches wide each all the way across when I sheeted it. This allows cords, plumbing, and air movement. Not in use yet but a fan would be added if required. I did not want fully open so I compromised. Figured holes were not enough and I did not want a fan if not required.

 

[whodeewuhdee]

What CFM (cubic feet per minute) are those fans that you installed rated for? They must be pretty powerful if they are now the loudest part of your tank.

 

[whodeewuhdee]

Also, what voltage are they powered from? You can always have the option of installing a dimmer to dial them back if they are too loud.

 

[Egkid]

The next stand I build will definitely have an open back. But I can live with this and I do like the way everything turned out. These fans are rated at 106 cfm. And they're not unbearable by any means just a gentle hum like a refrigerator is the best I can relate it to. These are 12 volt fans and I think a I have a fan speed controller left over from my led build but it's not loud enough for me to worry about it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[whodeewuhdee]

I am building a stand right now and am planning on installing fans instead of having an open back because my last stand was fully open and I didnt like hearing the equipment down unda but I also do not want mildew growth from it being enclosed. Maybe i'll make those long oval cutouts to help with air exchange and face both fans in the same direction for more air movement.

 

[whodeewuhdee]

Hopefully weeks from now you can update us on if your fan setup did the trick to stopping and mildew/humidity.

 

[Egkid]

So far there's an obvious difference in humidity and heat in the cabinet, there was a lot of heat being trapped in there before. The tank temperature also dropped a degree. Probably could've gone with smaller fans but I figured it couldn't hurt to go as big as possible with them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ted_C]

Speaking from experience - computer fans of any kind are not safe. Keep an eye on them. They do not handle humidity well. I've had computer fans as my primary air exchange for the sump and they shorted out and caught fire after about a year of continuous use.

 

[whodeewuhdee]

Ted_C, good point on the safety.
I could mount the fans to be blowing the outside dry air inward and have the humid air exiting through open port holes a few feet below them. This may help in limiting the amount of moisture that the fans come in contact with.

 

[TURKLET0N]

You should just cot holes and put the fans over the holes with one pulling air from the outside and the other pushing and from the inside out just like a computer case.

 

[Egkid]

That's how I have mine setup, won't the gfci trip in such a scenario?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk