Hello everyone,
I am planning a ~160G total system. My plan is to have the sump in the utility room (~45G). My biggest hangup right now is humidity. I've heard humidity can be a big problem for your HVAC / furnace, and other exposed equipment, not to mention wooden material in the home.
I see five solutions that can work in tandem or separate: 1) Moisture Barrier, 2) Dehumidifier, 3) Exhaust fan, 4) Air exchanger, 5) Sump lid. I have multiple questions about each of these solutions, weighing the pros/cons of each.
For 1) it seems like a no-brainer cheap solution. However, my concern would be you end up with excess humidity in the area you section off, which could potentially be an issue for any electronic equipment you keep in there? Not sure.
on 2) A dehumidifier sounds like a foolproof solution - however, the high-end units are quite costly. Additionally, the upkeep/electricity costs are not insignificant.... So not a fan of the economics on this one. Finally, and actually most importantly, I heard dehumidifiers carry a fire risk and put out heat. Is this a legit concern? Or overblown. Cheaper models especially, so I'd avoid those most likely.
For 3) I'm confused as to how this wouldn't create a significant air vacuum. Especially if you go with 1). If you take efforts to make a space near air-tight, and you're pulling air out of that section.... How would that not create an air vacuum.
4) Again these are pricey, but also... It's not a viable solution in the summer/winter. I get extreme temperatures in both seasons, so to me it'd be wasteful/annoying to have to use different solutions seasonally.
On 5) I don't want to go this route but will consider it. I've heard air exchange is important for oxygen, ph, etc...
As you can see I'm really having a tough time designing this thing. I would appreciate any answers to questions above, your own solutions, or thoughts in general about Humidity control...
Thanks everyone I really appreciate it.
Charlie
I am planning a ~160G total system. My plan is to have the sump in the utility room (~45G). My biggest hangup right now is humidity. I've heard humidity can be a big problem for your HVAC / furnace, and other exposed equipment, not to mention wooden material in the home.
I see five solutions that can work in tandem or separate: 1) Moisture Barrier, 2) Dehumidifier, 3) Exhaust fan, 4) Air exchanger, 5) Sump lid. I have multiple questions about each of these solutions, weighing the pros/cons of each.
For 1) it seems like a no-brainer cheap solution. However, my concern would be you end up with excess humidity in the area you section off, which could potentially be an issue for any electronic equipment you keep in there? Not sure.
on 2) A dehumidifier sounds like a foolproof solution - however, the high-end units are quite costly. Additionally, the upkeep/electricity costs are not insignificant.... So not a fan of the economics on this one. Finally, and actually most importantly, I heard dehumidifiers carry a fire risk and put out heat. Is this a legit concern? Or overblown. Cheaper models especially, so I'd avoid those most likely.
For 3) I'm confused as to how this wouldn't create a significant air vacuum. Especially if you go with 1). If you take efforts to make a space near air-tight, and you're pulling air out of that section.... How would that not create an air vacuum.
4) Again these are pricey, but also... It's not a viable solution in the summer/winter. I get extreme temperatures in both seasons, so to me it'd be wasteful/annoying to have to use different solutions seasonally.
On 5) I don't want to go this route but will consider it. I've heard air exchange is important for oxygen, ph, etc...
As you can see I'm really having a tough time designing this thing. I would appreciate any answers to questions above, your own solutions, or thoughts in general about Humidity control...
Thanks everyone I really appreciate it.
Charlie