Jorge Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Highly considering a dehumidifier. Both my tanks are set up in the garage. In the winter I lose about 2 gallons due to evaporation and in the summer 5 to 6 gallons. What size would you guys recommend. Not sure of the exact dimensions of the garage. Its basically a standard two car garage. TIA.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitrillion Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Does the exost from cars affect tanks? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 That's a good question. I'll leave that one for the experts lol. I don't keep my cars in the garage so I couldn't tell ya.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitrillion Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Lol! That's good! I assume it wouldn't be to good for them! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spilo Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Dunno we have the largest one home depot had... like 70 pints a day... I probably dump 7 or 8 gallons a day from it... tho I just tore down the 225g so that will probably drop a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spilo Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 It's amazing how much water it pulls out of the air lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Dunno we have the largest one home depot had... like 70 pints a day... I probably dump 7 or 8 gallons a day from it... tho I just tore down the 225g so that will probably drop a lot Wow.. didn't think it would actually pull that much.. Sounds like I'm gonna have to do 70 pints minimum. Im currently at about 350g total volume. Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spilo Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 So only had to dump mine once in 24hrs after taking down the 225g... thats a little over 2gallons... still running a 55g open top a 40g open top and a 40 with a lid... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Do you run the dehumidifier 24/7? I was thinking to set it up on a timer to save a bit on electric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 My unit turns off when it is full. When I had 400g ish if water I was pulling about 2g a day on the dehumidifier. At our new house I only have 180g or so (for the moment) and haven't found a need to run it yet. The air seems to be a bit drier where we live now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombertech Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Do you cover your tanks? I have all my stuff set up in the garage as well, covers are a must. My space humidity sits at 30%, same as the house with very little air exchange. I let the sump breathe though. No de-humidification used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Display has canopy and sump is in the stand. My grow out tank is completely exposed though. I'm seeing condensatio around the window sill. How do you know what your humidity level is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 My unit turns off when it is full. When I had 400g ish if water I was pulling about 2g a day on the dehumidifier. At our new house I only have 180g or so (for the moment) and haven't found a need to run it yet. The air seems to be a bit drier where we live now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Good to know they have an auto shut off. Id like to downgrade as well but I'm not ready to take a loss on it. Only been up for two years.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spilo Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Yea mine auto shuts off aswell I can also tell it to turn off at a certain humidity %... it is running 24/7 but thinking I'll be changing that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Yea mine auto shuts off aswell I can also tell it to turn off at a certain humidity %... it is running 24/7 but thinking I'll be changing that That opens up another question. Whats an acceptable humidity level that will not create trouble in the long run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spilo Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I really don't know lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I also run one and I set it to 45%. My wife and I originally had it around 35%, but you can really notice that dryness in the air. It was a bit irritating on our throats during sleep. As far as what works for your condensation issue, that is based on your house. A house with triple paned windows will be able to handle much more humidity with no condensation compared to a house with single pane windows. There is also the issue of air circulation and the amount of fresh air coming in and stale air going out. Maybe there are more variables, but I can't think of them at the moment. Also, most all units will have an auto shut off when full and/or you can hook a tube up to it and let it drain somewhere continuously. The units turn on and off depending on the humidity. That's why you can set it to a certain percentage and it will maintain it there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 That opens up another question. Whats an acceptable humidity level that will not create trouble in the long run? What trouble would you be referring to? I don't think there is any trouble with reduced humidity apart from what I posted above about personal preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 What trouble would you be referring to? I don't think there is any trouble with reduced humidity apart from what I posted above about personal preference. I meant trouble as in too much humidity that could potentially cause dry rot. I'm not worried about it being dry in the garage. I just don't want the dehumidifier working harder than it needs to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombertech Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Keep it below 70-80% and you won't have condensation issues. You can always bust out a pyschrometric chart if you have single pane windows and know what temperature they are at night to figure out how low you need to be. Otherwise, if the space/stuff/piping in the area is all the same temperature, you're fine at 80%. I measure space/outside air humidity with sensors. I have a hang on the wall one and some other stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontus Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Keep it below 70-80% and you won't have condensation issues. You can always bust out a pyschrometric chart if you have single pane windows and know what temperature they are at night to figure out how low you need to be. Otherwise, if the space/stuff/piping in the area is all the same temperature, you're fine at 80%. I measure space/outside air humidity with sensors. I have a hang on the wall one and some other stuff. Bombertech, I have spent my life building homes. The ideal in door humidity is 30 %. Above 50% will result in mildew or mold You state 70-80 % is OK? DID you stay at Holiday Inn Express last night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombertech Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 This is a non occupied space. I design HVAC controls for a living. He asked about a high limit and that is what I use on data centers, loading docks, etc... Indeed, the ideal occupied space humidity is 30-40%. No one in the valley acheives this on a regular basis, even in their home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kona26 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I have a question on this if I where to get a dehumidifier and plum the drain into a storage tank. Could I use the water for my water changes or top offs ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Holiday Inn lol.. try great wolf lodge haha.. ok so 70-80 acceptable without mold mildew issues? Mold and mildew are my biggest concerns. Since its a garage and 30 to 40 is optimal for an occupied area maybe 50% is a good number? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I have a question on this if I where to get a dehumidifier and plum the drain into a storage tank. Could I use the water for my water changes or top offs ?No you can't. Dehumidifiers work by passing air around a very cold metal coil, usually copper. I wouldn't trust that water in a freshwater tank, let alone a reef. Even if it doesn't have copper, there could still be other traces of hard metals. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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