Dehumidifier experience so far

[Randy Redding]

I have been having some rust problems on tools in my shop. I've tried the waxing, oiling, cabinet with light bulb, etc. Things have improved some. I'm in the Pacific Northwest and our winters tend to be a little wet. So, I bought a dehumidifier for my 1000sq ft shop (70Pint, 38F rated Whirlpool). I plugged it in last night and found a full bucket of water in it this morning. Wow! Anyway, I had no idea how much water was in the air out there. It's still chugging along, having not reached the "medium humidity" set-point yet (the manual was not clear on %humid. that is). I may have to put in a drain hose. Anyway, I thought I'd just share my experience so far.

[Dick Bringhurst]

Randy - Put the drain hose on, it'll save you a lot of messing around to say the least the fun you'll have if you forget to empty it and the automatic feature forgets to work. Dick B.

[Al Willits]

A FYI, for those who let their shop get cooler at night, they make a "low temp" humidifier, it was designed for cooler basements, the unit would/could freeze up and quit working properly other wise.

Al

[Greg Cole]

Randy,
I have the same problem at the opposite time of year.... here in the middle o the mid-west, it's rather humid in the summer months. I religiously wax my CI stuff, but still feel better using the dehumidifier in the shop in the steamy times of year. Filling a 40qt dehumidifier tank can be done in 1/2 a day if it's ucky out.

Cheers.
Greg

[Reed Wells]

Jeeze Randy, Where I am I have to keep my humidifier running about half the time to keep a 50% rh. I put in about eight gallons of water a day when it is below zero outside.

[gary Zimmel]

Randy

Up hear in Alberta we don't have a problem with humidity in the winter. In fact I keep a couple of humidifiers going in the house all winter to put some moisture in the air for our hardwood floors and furniture.

We don't have extreme humidity in our Spring, summer and fall but I run a dehumidifier hooked into a floor drain for my shop. Did this because I was tired of empting the bucket. During these months I try and keep the shop at around 50% and also can't believe how much water is taken from the air. In my plane tills and cabinets I have got little dehumidifiers that I got from LV and they also seem to do the job.

We seem to spend a smal fortune on tools so I think doing this is good insurance.

[Scott Crumpton]

Florida here... When I bought this place, the storage room had white mildew on the back side of the T111. Washed the whole thing down with mildew killer and put in a dehumidifier. It's now 10 years later, I've finished the walls and am on my 4th dehumidifier. In the summer they run almost continuously. The first one lasted 6 years it was a Kenmore (from 10 years ago), the next one lasted 2 years, the last one didn't even make a year. They were LGs. The current one is a Whirlpool. LG replaced the second failed unit and I haven't even opened the box yet, why bother it's probably crap like the other two. Anyway, no more mildew and no rust. In the work area, I depend on a window air conditioner and the fact that the room heats up during the day. During the summer, I will also leave the door open to the storage room when not making dust.

---Scott.

[David Axmann]

[quote=Randy Redding;765374]I plugged it in last night and found a full bucket of water in it this morning. Wow! quote]

Randy, I'm curious to know if your shop is climate controlled and by what means?

[Randy Redding]

[QUOTE=David Axmann;765553]

I plugged it in last night and found a full bucket of water in it this morning. Wow! quote]

Randy, I'm curious to know if your shop is climate controlled and by what means?

I heat the shop only when I'm out there. This is mostly on weekends and maybe an evening during the week. I heat using vented propane heaters. The shop has insulated walls and a hung tile ceiling. The upstairs has a loft for storage. The roof in uninsulated and has vents at the top ridge.

[Randy Redding]

Florida here... When I bought this place, the storage room had white mildew on the back side of the T111. Washed the whole thing down with mildew killer and put in a dehumidifier. It's now 10 years later, I've finished the walls and am on my 4th dehumidifier. In the summer they run almost continuously. The first one lasted 6 years it was a Kenmore (from 10 years ago), the next one lasted 2 years, the last one didn't even make a year. They were LGs. The current one is a Whirlpool. LG replaced the second failed unit and I haven't even opened the box yet, why bother it's probably crap like the other two. Anyway, no more mildew and no rust. In the work area, I depend on a window air conditioner and the fact that the room heats up during the day. During the summer, I will also leave the door open to the storage room when not making dust.

---Scott.

One of the reasons I went with Whirlpool is the 5 year warranty. I looked at Kenmore but saw lots of bad user reviews on the Sears site. With all the dust the fan has to eat and compressor, I doubt it will make it the 5Yrs. Well, maybe 5 years, 1 day....

[keith ouellette]

Here in florida we always have a humidity problem. I have an air conditioner but it is really only on when I am in the shop. I thought about a dehumidifier to run when I am not in the shop but Don't know how much it would cost.

Does anyone know how much it costs to run a dehumidifier in a 500sq. ft shop with 10F ceilings?

[Steve Leverich]

Keith, they're essentially an air conditioner, in that they have a chiller/compressor - it runs about the same as a window AC on low or medium. I have a Sharp portable AC/dehumidifier that's really quiet and one of the low temp Whirlpools (really LOUD) - in winter I run the whirlpool in a back bedroom (wood stove in the other end of the house) and it seems to add about $25-30 a month to the power bill... Steve

[David Stonner]

i have the same model you have...it runs almost continuously in my basement shop in the midwest. summer, winter, spring and fall. i don't have heat or cooling in the shop, it just stays 55 in the winter and 70 in the summer, so that might be part of the humidity problem. i let it run on automatic with the bucket for about two nights until i got tired of the chore of emptying it. i too am amazed at how much water is in the air in my shop. hooked up a garden hose and ran it to a drain in the shop. really keeps the rust at bay.

[Rick Moyer]

Here in florida we always have a humidity problem. I have an air conditioner but it is really only on when I am in the shop. I thought about a dehumidifier to run when I am not in the shop but Don't know how much it would cost.

Does anyone know how much it costs to run a dehumidifier in a 500sq. ft shop with 10F ceilings?

Depends on the power consumption (wattage) of the device and how much it runs. I was shocked when I first put one in my basement a few summers ago. Mine was, I think, about 800 watts and it probably ran 16 hours a day for a while until it established lower humidity. That's nearly 13 Kw/hrs per day, so whatever the electric company charges you per Kw/hr X how much it will run will give you an idea on cost. You can regulate the run time/humidity level to suit your comfort/pocket book.

[Peter Quinn]

Don't know what my dehumidifier costs to run but in any given year its cheaper than a new pm66. On my 5th LG in 6yrs. I use a Little Giant pump that sits that sits in the bucket because in the summer in New England i can fill the bucket 3 times/day! Little giant has never failed. Check this link if your sick of buying LG's anually. Saving my pennies for one of these. I know a guy who has one of these, quieter, more powerful, cheaper to run, lasts for decades, not months.

http://www.thermastor.com/Santa-Fe/