Still MORE RH Issues

[nnickusa]

OK, having got jack of not being able to do any work yet this year, due to average RH around 80% up here, I built myself a small dry room....

1.2m x 2m x 2m

It isn't insulated, but it IS very well sealed, and all the gaps have been filled. I putmin two benches, which will double as go-bar decks. It's on a slab and has a block base due to the fact that this area under the house has flooded before. If it goes more than the 450mm, it deserves to get wet.....

Here's the problem. I have a small de-humidifier, which in the past wo days has removed about 1/2l of water from the room, I've tried a heater, and a spot light, but neither of my hygrometers measures lower than 68%..I've ordered two more, as my two are always at least 10% apart....

I'm going to Brissie on Sunday to have Mother's Day dinner with my wife and daughter(who is in Brissie) and there is a delonghi dehumidifier for sale on the bay, that I could pick up on the way. It is a bigger unit than what I have now, not to mention half the price....

Would a bigger dehumidifier make the room dryer, faste ad more efficiently? I'm struggling with this RH issue up here, and sort of only get a week or two a year.....My dry box goes low, but, as I learned last year, I can't ever open it to manipulate the materials inside....

It does have a door and weather stripping to seal it now....
Pics

Oh, I also have four Damp-rid buckets in there....

[jeffhigh]

I have a Dimplex which I really like set up to drain to the exterior
I only use it when I am bracing or gluing on plates etc but it brings down the RH qite effectively in a 3.5 metre square room not very well sealed

1/2 a litre in two days does not sound like much to me

Check the specs on any dehumidifier before you buy, when I was looking some had a range only down to 50 or 55

[nnickusa]

Did check, as far as I was able, and most of the info suggests that they will run down to 40%, at which point, they have an auto shutoff.....

Of course, the other option is to sit with 4-6 sides bent and tops and backs ready for bracing and hit them all in a 2-3 week timeframe later in the year.....Not too keen on that option, as I do have to keep my day job......

[jeffhigh]

The Automatic control delongi I looked at was able to be set for 50, 60 or 70, I didn't want to be limited to that.
The manual ones can probably get lower
The dimplex can be set in 5% increments

[Nick]

Looks like you and your wife should be sitting in there with only towels on, spreading camphor on the bricks Nick
Can't advise on the dehumidifier but just wanted to say it looks like a nice elegant solution to your problem.

[liam_fnq]

My dimplex will pull 6-8L of water from my dry room (1.2x1m not well sealed) per day when it's wet outside to keep it at 45%.

[Allen]

My Delonghi fills the reservoir every single day. Whatever that is. 8 to 12 litres.

[nnickusa]

Bought the one on eBay. 20l tank, and reviews that I found are pretty good, tho they say it's a bit noisy.....That doesn't worry me too much. I only plan to run it a week or so at a time, when I'll try to close up 2 or 3 guitars.

Worth a try at $84. I just don't want to spend $400-800 on one of these....new....and the little one I have cost me $175, which was a waste of cash....clearly.

I figure that once the box is closed, I can leave it out, or stick it in my dry box......

Going to pick it up Sunday, as long as I hear from the seller in time, as we're going to Brissie....serendipitous.....

Oh, and Nick, my wife thinks I'm completely bonkers, tho she did paint the outside of the room....she does love a project....

[Taffy Evans]

As Allen said, but I have a hose coming out of mine running water to the outside of the workshop, unless I need to bottle it.

[Taffy Evans]

Hey Nick, what do you do when the sealed room runs out of air, is there a panic button near by? I have a plan for an aqualung system

I had a customer who I visited once and he showed me his sound proof recording/practice room he had built under the stairs of his flat, he said that it was sealed so good the he felt ill after a time due to lack of or stale air. He installed a small computer type fan to put air in the room.

[nnickusa]

Well, I guess I could always open the door and go outside....

Maybe a breathing hose, if I ever experienced a problem....

Honestly, I don't really expect to spend more than brief periods in the room. It's almost always nice, temperature-wise around here, it's just damp this year....

[ozziebluesman]

The old humidity debate! It's been very dry here in Townsville this past wet season compared to other years. I still could not build a stable guitar here though without my drying box and the air conditioned workshop. Got to have control over the building environment.

The bigger dehumidifier will set you up right Nick.

Cheers

Alan

[Jeremy D]

Hi Nick,

I am in pretty much the same climate as you (Gold Coast). I have this really cheap small dehumidifier in a spare room. I have it connected with one of these http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_ ... cts_id=265. I have absolutely no problem keeping the room between 39-42 RH. Since it has cooled down a bit I have only had to empty it less than once a week and I think its only a couple of liters. Are you sure your hydrometer is correct? I have a couple in the room + the one on the controller just to be sure. The one I bought from stewmac seems to be the best.

I know mine is in an insulated house but the room itself is not sealed in any way so maybe comparable. I also don't run air conditioning.

[nnickusa]

Alan, I'm hoping so. I think the little one I got is just a piece of shit, to be honest. Out it goes with the garage sale junk, and welcome the new one....

Jeremy, mate, I would love to have a room in the house, but, alas, she who must be obeyed has decreed otherwise

This ought to work once I get the new dehumidifier. It'll dial in soon enough. It's only a small space. Maybe none of my meters are worth a damn, and it's actually 25%RH

I should know by next weekend. Gonna chuck the three in progress in there Monday morning and see what happens by Saturday.

I also have two other hygrometers coming. Problem really is that there isn't a reliable way to test them, so far as I can see.....I do compare the results from the Byron observation station to my meters, but they are not consistent....

[Jeremy D]

I heard these are good http://www.amazon.com/Quality-Importers ... B000A3UBLA. I haven't had a need yet but I considered getting one.

P.S. I get a little grief about the room from time to time

[GregL]

Hi Nick,

I have one of these:

http://www.testoaus.com.au/product_deta ... ata_logger

and it seems to be reasonably accurate. You're welcome to borrow it if it will help.

Thanks,
GregL.

[Mark McLean]

Nick
If your new dehumidifier is any good it should easily manage a space that size. I have a relatively cheap Delonghi in a 6x3m unlined (but sealed) garage and it keeps me around 50% pretty well. It should be possible to hook up a drainage hose and run it outside. It will a lot easier than emptying the tank, and avoids the problem of it shutting down when the tank is full but the air is still moist. Be aware that it will make the room significantly warmer. The other Nick's suggestion of it doubling as a sauna could be a good one. I agree that it looks great, by the way.
Mark

[kiwigeo]

Hey Nick, you'll need a confined space work permit to enter that dry room.

[nnickusa]

Greg, I might take you up on the loan. If I have at least one relatively reliablew reference, I can interpolate from that to see where mine are any good. Will get in touch thru the week. May pop round next weekend if that's any good for you?

Cheers, Mark. Was a builder for many years, and this was a 4 day project. I had that big sheet of plate glass left over from a job(OK measured wrong ) It would be an aweful little space to work in without a window.....

Reports during the week......Next weekend I may get to glue up some braces....

true enough Martin, hence the window....

[Mark Fogleman]

Just a guess but could the issue be that the volume of air in the room is too small for the dehumidifier? As the temperature in the space increases from the dehumidifier, the RH drops but no substantial reduction in actual (absolute) water vapor happens. Your existing dehumidifier is probably doing its job but at a higher temp when the room is closed.

[nnickusa]

Hey Mark, I think that's not the issue in this case. The temperature only reached 25C, and the RH was still at around 70%.

Picking up the new DH today, and will see how we go....

[GregL]

Hi Nick,

Yep, next weekend should be fine. You can see Bobs wonderful curly blackwood creation at the same time!

Thanks,
GregL.

[nnickusa]

thanks Greg. Will be in touch later in the week. Be nice to have a close up with your guitar.

I am ready to declare myself weather independant. I stuck the dehumidifier in my little room when we got home last night, and this morning the humidity, even on my dodgy meter is 45%. All remaining the same, I'll be ready to start making guitars again next weekend....

[nnickusa]

Now, here's a question.

The bits I've got ready, are around 2-3mm. How long do they need to be in the room, before I start gluing them up? 5 days OK?

[Bob Connor]

I'd leave them about a week.

Regards