Looking to invest in a dehumidifier for the garage before winter arrives. Have done a bit of digging around via google and read a few review sites already. However, I'm wondering if you good people have any real world experiences and recommendations to offer before I pull the trigger on anything? Also any real world figures on running costs of these units would be much appreciated so we have a rough idea on what we should be looking to increase our electricity DD by a month
I would begin by using passive measures first. ie sort out leaks, insulation, heating and ventilation. Otherwise you may as well throw money down the drain trying to environmentally control a space running wild. Then hit the dehum.
Ebac might be worth a look, saw them on offer somewhere recently. I use Dimplex at home, small cheap, a little rattly but they are very worthwhile
Thanks for the input mate. Funily enough, I've just gone through the process of ensuring all is good with the ventilation, leaks, damp wall etc... I'm still looking to reduce the amount of draft from the main and side doors as these are wooden and can be improved. Howvever, I'm not going to go to the extreme of insulating and heating this garage as further down the line, this will just become an out building and a new garage will be built (which will insulated and nicely finished inside)... In the interim though, I would like to provide a better environment for the bikes being stored. The aim being to maintain a relatively stable humidity of around 50% year round.
Keep it within the band of 45% to 55% RH. Dont try to close control to 50%. It will cost you the earth and you may not be able to get there with infiltration from outdoors. But 45-55% is doable. Good luck.
Thanks for that Andy, doesn't look like a bad deal. I had seen Ebac mentioned as a reliable brand elsewhere also. Will keep this one on offer at wickes in mind
If you have enough natural window lighting how about a shit load of cactus plants? Working with nature than against it is better for your pocket.
I have been using a Mitsubishi dehumidifier to keep my cellar humidity down and find it to be very efficient and totally reliable. https://www.meaco.com/dehumidifier/home-dehumidifiers/mitsubishi-electric-mje14cg-e1-dehumidifier
I was concerned about high humidity levels in my garage, over 85% RH in the winter. It's an integral double garage with a bedroom above, it has cavity walls (block and brick, with insulation), good doors (Hormann; sectional, 40 mm insulated with good seals) and plastic tiles on the floor (EcoTile; 7 mm PVC). I used a Oregon Scientific multi-zone weather station with a remote probe to monitor temperature and humidity. I purchased a Meaco DD8LJ Junior dehumidifier because it has a drain tube and relatively low power consumption. I've got it on a time switch set to 3 on/offs a day for an hour at time. The drain tube pokes out of a small hole in the corner of a door frame, so there is no tank to empty. It can maintain about 50% RH if I don't open the main doors to often, not a problem as I usually tuck the bike up in November and don't use it again until March.
Thanks for all of the input fellas, that certainly gives me a few bits to look at and ponder over the next couple of weeks at work One of the sites I looked at were offering free weather station gifts with dehumidifiers and thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to also have one for monitoring ambient conditions in the garage
Couldn't you use stuff like shed shiplap on the inside as wood would breath in and out with the moisture?
Would a bike cover not be an idea, then you have a smaller relative area to worry about? So either heated bike cover, or whack the dehumidifier under that? Or is that a bad idea?
Personally I’d try to control the humidity in the garage as a whole. Multiple bikes, tools, machinery are all susceptible to sweating if the dew point danger zone is reached.
Sounds good to me, less energy... but you might have other things in the shed that you want to protect.
