Dehumidifier

[Combwork]

Would a domestic Dehumidifier dry off and keep a medium size bedroom dry? Slight but continuous penetrating damp.

I've been in the attic and up on the roof so many times, I might as well take a tent up there.

It's an old house, thick walls made of sandstone. This stuff's slightly porous. Long term once the weather's dry sealing it on the outside might do the trick but short term, I need to do something. Has to be the right thing; outside my sphere of knowledge I've a well earned reputation for screwing things up.

[merrylander]

We have one in our greenhouse, it is 8' x 14' and it cycles on and off so a decent sized one should help.

[BlueStreak]

I would think it should help.

[bobabode]

It'll help, sure but long term in Scotland? Not a whole lot. Sealing the sandstone may create more problems by sealing moisture in. How about a picture of the stonework? Are the interior walls plaster or sheetrock?

Have you considered moving to New Mexico or the south of France?

[Oerets]

A dehumidifier will pull moisture out of the air. But ambient temperature needs to be above 50*F/10*C or you can burn up the dehumidifier. In my unheated basement the dehumidifier is unplugged in the winter because of this. When it is cool the unit runs to hot and very little water is pulled out of the air.

Once you start using it the amount of moisture will be surprising. I have mine fixed so the water goes into a hose straight to a drain. No emptying a container every day.




Barney

[ebacon]

My experience with one is the same as Oeret's. I used it to dehumidify a basement that was about 1000 sq. ft. I also unplugged it during the winter because when the outside air is cold the absolute humidity level is low.

[BlueStreak]

Ah, yes, this makes sense. The ambient temp would make the heater work too hard. Hmmmmm, a conundrum; How does one remove dampness from a space in the wintertime?

Maybe run a zone heater, whilst running a dehydrator?

Regards,
Dave

[Combwork]

Replies are very helpfull, I didn't realise dehumidifiers were temperature sensitive. I've seen some advertised as having built in space heaters.

[ebacon]

Normally a space is dry in the winter. That's why we have problems with static electricity in the winter but not the summer.

If there is water collecting in the winter then I suspect the source is something other than condensate. If that is the case then a drainage system or barrier system is in order, not a dehumidifier.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by ebacon

Normally a space is dry in the winter. That's why we have problems with static electricity in the winter but not the summer.

If there is water collecting in the winter then I suspect the source is something other than condensate. If that is the case then a drainage system or barrier system is in order, not a dehumidifier.

Yep. I can recall my old man making his slaves, (My brothers and I.) , dig a trench around the basement and reseal it with some sort of goopy, rubbery tar-ish crap. It took all summer and sucked a fat one. But, it solved the problem.

Dave