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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:20:15 AM EDT
I have a 4 car garage I want to dehumidify and a 2400 sq ft garage I want to dehumidify.
This is on the Texas coast. High heat and high...high humidity. help me understand this. I see stuff from 100 bucks to thousands. What do I need to know? |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:27:54 AM EDT
[#1]
A dehumidifier is just a small air conditioner that exhausts its hot air back into the same room.
Might as well just get a small air conditioner and take whatever amount of cooling it can provide as well. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:36:08 AM EDT
[#2]
I put 2 mini splits in my shop in DFW. I had to add humidifiers because it was getting too dry.
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:48:20 AM EDT
[Last Edit: neshomamench]
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Gamma762: A dehumidifier is just a small air conditioner that exhausts its hot air back into the same room. Might as well just get a small air conditioner and take whatever amount of cooling it can provide as well. So, that seems like a good idea...but it isnt. If you cool a garage/shop, (and everything in it) you will condensation on all those things. Every time you open the garage doors, all your tools, cars and bikes will get condensation all over them. Especially where I live. I actually want the benefit of not lowering the temp inside. This is why people put heating devices in gun safes. It does nothing to dehumidify the safe. It raises the temp in the safe so that condensation with not form when you open the door. You want the items inside the safe warmer than the outside air. Also, where I live, this issue is magnified to about the max level. When I open the front door to my house in the summer, the floors will get wet really fast if I do not shut the door quickly. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 3:52:23 AM EDT
[#4]
I have this one:
https://www.costco.com/midea-smart-50-pint-dehumidifier-with-built-in-pump.product.4000234426.html It works well; it has a pump that automatically pumps the tank empty when it’s getting full so you don’t have to manually empty it or gravity drain (although it does those too if you want) -If you set it to constant, it does raise the temperature nearby noticeably, however, if you set it to a specific humidity it doesn’t really make it much warmer (even at 35%). Its rated for up to 4’500 sq ft.. we’re about 2’000 and it’s handing it no problem on low fan. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 5:05:15 AM EDT
[#5]
I've got a frigidaire going on 8 years without issue, sits on a shelf and drains into the shop sink.
Think i paid. $200 at the time. My shop is. ~1500 sqft, block, insulated attic, with sheet doors that are not really sealed. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 5:36:29 AM EDT
[#6]
I have dealt with this in high humidity environments related to crawl spaces.
Go big or go home. This one has been fantastic and has a 5 year warranty. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094PZ8YSK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I had some Sante Fe units but both failed. To their credit they replaced one of them. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 6:10:31 AM EDT
[#7]
AKA Air Conditioner thread.
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Posted: 4/25/2024 7:11:35 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By RDTCU: I've got a frigidaire going on 8 years without issue, sits on a shelf and drains into the shop sink. Think i paid. $200 at the time. My shop is. ~1500 sqft, block, insulated attic, with sheet doors that are not really sealed. This is where you need to start. Is this area insulated? Does it have a vapor barrier? How high are the ceilings? Any insulation up there? You have to make sure you’re controlling the envelope of your structure, or doing stuff inside will be impracticable. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 7:20:14 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JTR: I have this one: https://www.costco.com/midea-smart-50-pint-dehumidifier-with-built-in-pump.product.4000234426.html It works well; it has a pump that automatically pumps the tank empty when it’s getting full so you don’t have to manually empty it or gravity drain (although it does those too if you want) -If you set it to constant, it does raise the temperature nearby noticeably, however, if you set it to a specific humidity it doesn’t really make it much warmer (even at 35%). Its rated for up to 4’500 sq ft.. we’re about 2’000 and it’s handing it no problem on low fan. sweet!! Thanks, @JTR , that's just what I was looking for. Reloading in a garage in Florida where he humidity is often 80%+ blows. This would make it much more bearable. |
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LA, USA
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Posted: 4/25/2024 7:39:39 AM EDT
[#10]
I've been looking at them myself for quite a while. It's been difficult finding one with better than mixed reviews. They all seem to suffer from a lack of longevity. So many reviews report that their specific unit lasted only a season or two before failing in some manner. It's very discouraging.
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Posted: 4/25/2024 7:48:27 AM EDT
[#11]
Mini split with "dry" mode. Even if you don't lower the temp much. It's amazing how much moisture they can remove. Mine runs cheaper than my dehumidifier.....
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Posted: 4/25/2024 7:49:23 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Stlrain0341]
[#12]
This has been running constantly in my garage for the last few years. Use a hose to drain. After I set the humidity I’ve never really thought about it again. Depending on how well your garage is sealed or how frequently you’re opening doors you might need something more powerful, but this has been a complete beast for what I use it for.
 
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Posted: 4/25/2024 8:52:07 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Slimcake: Mini split with "dry" mode. Even if you don't lower the temp much. It's amazing how much moisture they can remove. Mine runs cheaper than my dehumidifier..... This is the answer. I have used Daikin inverter units to control humidity in data centers. Frankly it worked better than the Liebert units and used considerably less energy. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 9:05:03 AM EDT
[#14]
Heat pump with hot gas reheat.
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Posted: 4/25/2024 10:16:47 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JTR: I have this one: https://www.costco.com/midea-smart-50-pint-dehumidifier-with-built-in-pump.product.4000234426.html It works well; it has a pump that automatically pumps the tank empty when it’s getting full so you don’t have to manually empty it or gravity drain (although it does those too if you want) -If you set it to constant, it does raise the temperature nearby noticeably, however, if you set it to a specific humidity it doesn’t really make it much warmer (even at 35%). Its rated for up to 4’500 sq ft.. we’re about 2’000 and it’s handing it no problem on low fan. I’m going to look into this one. I’m due for a new one. I have property an hour from my house with our hunting pole barn that’s finished with living quarters. I have to run a dehumidifier all summer here in MO. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 10:43:32 AM EDT
[#16]
There is no cheap solution.
You live in the most humid area of the US, and this is high air-change space. Ducted system, mini split, stand alone dehumidifiers - these can all do it, but will have the drawbacks of expense, efficiency, and less comfort, respectively. Ducted systems will have higher initial costs. Mini split systems might not be as mechanically effective as a ducted system. But easier install. Stand alone dehumidifiers solve the problem via a two-food process: vapor removal via condensation at the evaporator, and slightly raising the temperature of the space because the waste heat is rejected into the same space - for a space as large as this, however the temp rise would be negligible. Garage doors aren't well sealed and the are opened fairly often. It's an inefficient and costly space to condition. Being on the Texas coast, you could be seeing dewpoints in the mid 70s for half the year, if not more. This is not a favorable initial condition for a space that is already challenging. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 10:52:17 AM EDT
[#17]
Just double check the government’s recall list. I say this in every dehumidifier thread.
I’ve personally had 2 recalled, and in both cases I got a compensation check, which I used to buy new dehumidifiers. Dehumidifiers are pretty much the bane of my existence, but I need them to keep my basement from getting gross and my tools from rusting. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 11:12:19 AM EDT
[#18]
@bighumidity
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Posted: 4/25/2024 11:56:16 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Gamma762: A dehumidifier is just a small air conditioner that exhausts its hot air back into the same room. Might as well just get a small air conditioner and take whatever amount of cooling it can provide as well. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:22:53 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By txgp17: [/thread] Did you read my reply to his post? Cooling these spaces is a bad idea. N |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:24:16 PM EDT
[Last Edit: housewolf]
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By neshomamench: So, that seems like a good idea...but it isnt. If you cool a garage/shop, (and everything in it) you will condensation on all those things. Every time you open the garage doors, all your tools, cars and bikes will get condensation all over them. Especially where I live. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By neshomamench: Originally Posted By Gamma762: A dehumidifier is just a small air conditioner that exhausts its hot air back into the same room. Might as well just get a small air conditioner and take whatever amount of cooling it can provide as well. So, that seems like a good idea...but it isnt. If you cool a garage/shop, (and everything in it) you will condensation on all those things. Every time you open the garage doors, all your tools, cars and bikes will get condensation all over them. Especially where I live. Of course you'd need good insulation before attempting to control the air. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:27:55 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By L_JE: There is no cheap solution. You live in the most humid area of the US, and this is high air-change space. Ducted system, mini split, stand alone dehumidifiers - these can all do it, but will have the drawbacks of expense, efficiency, and less comfort, respectively. Ducted systems will have higher initial costs. Mini split systems might not be as mechanically effective as a ducted system. But easier install. Stand alone dehumidifiers solve the problem via a two-food process: vapor removal via condensation at the evaporator, and slightly raising the temperature of the space because the waste heat is rejected into the same space - for a space as large as this, however the temp rise would be negligible. Garage doors aren't well sealed and the are opened fairly often. It's an inefficient and costly space to condition. Being on the Texas coast, you could be seeing dewpoints in the mid 70s for half the year, if not more. This is not a favorable initial condition for a space that is already challenging. This. I live in the same kind of climate and I don’t see how this wouldn’t run 24-7 except in fall and winter when it would still run half the time. July, August and the first half of September it would run constantly and probably not help very much. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:30:37 PM EDT
[#23]
Originally Posted By neshomamench: I have a 4 car garage I want to dehumidify and a 2400 sq ft garage I want to dehumidify. This is on the Texas coast. High heat and high...high humidity. help me understand this. I see stuff from 100 bucks to thousands. What do I need to know? |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:34:25 PM EDT
[#24]
Originally Posted By neshomamench: I have a 4 car garage I want to dehumidify and a 2400 sq ft garage I want to dehumidify. This is on the Texas coast. High heat and high...high humidity. help me understand this. I see stuff from 100 bucks to thousands. What do I need to know? Humidity moves via vapor pressure and will diffuse through your walls via osmosis. It will move upstream of airflow values up to several hundred feet per minute. You don't want to just dehumidify, right? You probably want to cool the air too. Trying to pressurize a garage like the inside of your house via fresh air probably isn't realistic, and using a "dehumidifier" instead of an air conditioner will roast the inside of your garage as they reject the heat of the refrigeration cycle directly into the area they are dehumidifying. I would just seal air cracks as best as possible and run a traditional residential air conditioner. Mini splits would be great but in my experience lack the latent heat capacity (dehumidification capacity) of traditional AHU style units, but since it's in a garage and will be running a lot anyways I don't see a big deal. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:38:03 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By neshomamench: So, that seems like a good idea...but it isnt. If you cool a garage/shop, (and everything in it) you will condensation on all those things. Every time you open the garage doors, all your tools, cars and bikes will get condensation all over them. Especially where I live. I actually want the benefit of not lowering the temp inside. This is why people put heating devices in gun safes. It does nothing to dehumidify the safe. It raises the temp in the safe so that condensation with not form when you open the door. You want the items inside the safe warmer than the outside air. Also, where I live, this issue is magnified to about the max level. When I open the front door to my house in the summer, the floors will get wet really fast if I do not shut the door quickly. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By neshomamench: Originally Posted By Gamma762: A dehumidifier is just a small air conditioner that exhausts its hot air back into the same room. Might as well just get a small air conditioner and take whatever amount of cooling it can provide as well. So, that seems like a good idea...but it isnt. If you cool a garage/shop, (and everything in it) you will condensation on all those things. Every time you open the garage doors, all your tools, cars and bikes will get condensation all over them. Especially where I live. I actually want the benefit of not lowering the temp inside. This is why people put heating devices in gun safes. It does nothing to dehumidify the safe. It raises the temp in the safe so that condensation with not form when you open the door. You want the items inside the safe warmer than the outside air. Also, where I live, this issue is magnified to about the max level. When I open the front door to my house in the summer, the floors will get wet really fast if I do not shut the door quickly. If you don't reject the heat outside you will overheat your garage. Install an air conditioner with a much smaller capacity and set the setpoint to above the outside dewpoint. An uninsulated garage with two standard doors at 2400sqft probably would need 5+ tons of cooling. So, install a 2 ton unit. You don't need it to reach a sensible temperature, just remove the latent heat. The only other option would be to install a more commercial type unit with a reheat configuration designed for dehumidification. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 1:40:57 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Stlrain0341: This has been running constantly in my garage for the last few years. Use a hose to drain. After I set the humidity I’ve never really thought about it again. Depending on how well your garage is sealed or how frequently you’re opening doors you might need something more powerful, but this has been a complete beast for what I use it for. www.amazon.com/dp/B06X9MFTZZ I have two of these for the basement. One had the auto defraust shit the bed which caused it to not work at all after one year. They replaced it under warranty. The two I have now are working well. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 2:06:00 PM EDT
[#27]
Originally Posted By neshomamench: Did you read my reply to his post? Cooling these spaces is a bad idea. N You don't need to cool it that much to remove the humidity. 5-10 below outdoor won't cause condensation and will dehumidify things significantly. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 2:09:57 PM EDT
[#28]
Frigidaire FFAD3533W1 Dehumidifier, Moderate Humidity 35 Pint Capacity with a Easy-to-Clean Washable Filter and Custom Humidity Control for maximized comfort, in White
I got this from Amazon late last year, and so far it has been great, it is in my home. The first one I received was damaged, somewhere, someone dropped the box and Amazon delivered it that way. 
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USA
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Posted: 4/25/2024 2:18:28 PM EDT
[#29]
Originally Posted By neshomamench: I have a 4 car garage I want to dehumidify and a 2400 sq ft garage I want to dehumidify. This is on the Texas coast. High heat and high...high humidity. help me understand this. I see stuff from 100 bucks to thousands. What do I need to know? BiG HuMidIty NeEds BiG MaCHinEs!!  Good Luck OP! 
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Posted: 4/25/2024 2:53:49 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BigHumidity: If you don't reject the heat outside you will overheat your garage. Install an air conditioner with a much smaller capacity and set the setpoint to above the outside dewpoint. An uninsulated garage with two standard doors at 2400sqft probably would need 5+ tons of cooling. So, install a 2 ton unit. You don't need it to reach a sensible temperature, just remove the latent heat. The only other option would be to install a more commercial type unit with a reheat configuration designed for dehumidification. Mass transport? Dewpoint? Duty cycle vs raw capacity? [sigh]Draw me ... like you draw your French girls."[/sigh] |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 3:39:39 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By neshomamench: Did you read my reply to his post? Cooling these spaces is a bad idea. N |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 3:44:06 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Gamma762: A dehumidifier is just a small air conditioner that exhausts its hot air back into the same room. Might as well just get a small air conditioner and take whatever amount of cooling it can provide as well. Beat like a rented mule! 
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Posted: 4/25/2024 3:49:02 PM EDT
[#33]
Well worth it to prevent mold/rust, especially if you have high dollar things you want to protect, in my case it was machinery and old cars/parts
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Posted: 4/25/2024 4:01:16 PM EDT
[#34]
Go commercial. Desert Aire is the brand.
We've done these in the past with indoor swimming pools. 80*+ water, it's a steam bath without a Desert Aire. |
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CT, USA
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Posted: 4/25/2024 4:20:58 PM EDT
[#35]
I bought 2 of the same unit from Amazon. One was no good at delivery and the second was great for a year and died upon restarting, after being off all winter. Total loss and the foreigner disappeared. A hvac guy says they are all junk do to lousy soldiering.
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LA, USA
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Posted: 4/26/2024 6:31:28 AM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Nowicanhitabarn: I bought 2 of the same unit from Amazon. One was no good at delivery and the second was great for a year and died upon restarting, after being off all winter. Total loss and the foreigner disappeared. A hvac guy says they are all junk do to lousy soldiering. |
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Posted: 4/26/2024 7:34:21 AM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By neshomamench: So, that seems like a good idea...but it isnt. If you cool a garage/shop, (and everything in it) you will condensation on all those things. Every time you open the garage doors, all your tools, cars and bikes will get condensation all over them. Especially where I live. I actually want the benefit of not lowering the temp inside. This is why people put heating devices in gun safes. It does nothing to dehumidify the safe. It raises the temp in the safe so that condensation with not form when you open the door. You want the items inside the safe warmer than the outside air. Also, where I live, this issue is magnified to about the max level. When I open the front door to my house in the summer, the floors will get wet really fast if I do not shut the door quickly. This was my BIL’s experience with his Florida “toy barn”. He now uses a couple dehumidifiers that drain to the outside when the doors are closed and a couple BIG fans to keep air moving when the doors are open. That and keeping tools wiped down with a light oil and keeping things off the ground on pallets or shelves and he really doesn’t have problems with rust or mildew. |
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USA
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Posted: 4/26/2024 8:05:29 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Ops: Go commercial. Desert Aire is the brand. We've done these in the past with indoor swimming pools. 80*+ water, it's a steam bath without a Desert Aire. Not sure if you meant AprilAire, but yes, OP needs a real dehumidifier, one that removes much more water per kW than any of the portable home dehumidifiers could. Just the electric cost of running a fleet of 50 pint home units would quickly outstrip the purchase price of a real dehumidifier. |
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VA, USA
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Posted: 4/26/2024 8:25:15 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By PepePewPew: Not sure if you meant AprilAire, but yes, OP needs a real dehumidifier, one that removes much more water per kW than any of the portable home dehumidifiers could. Just the electric cost of running a fleet of 50 pint home units would quickly outstrip the purchase price of a real dehumidifier. Desert-aire.com |
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Posted: 4/26/2024 8:57:20 AM EDT
[#40]
I live on Galveston Bay and have a AC unit for my garage. It works awesome. I love working on my garbage in the summer and winter equally now.
 Attached File |
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USA
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Posted: 4/26/2024 9:05:00 AM EDT
[#41]
I once used Calcium chloride in a 6 car garage they was used for keeping wood dry after drying. I just put it in a feed sack with a bucket under it. It worked well
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Posted: 4/26/2024 9:07:47 AM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By neshomamench: So, that seems like a good idea...but it isnt. If you cool a garage/shop, (and everything in it) you will condensation on all those things. Every time you open the garage doors, all your tools, cars and bikes will get condensation all over them. Especially where I live. (snip) You are only partially correct. If you set the AC around 80 degrees, it will dehumidify without getting could enough to make anything sweat in the summer. I live on the Gulf Coast South of Houston and have been doing this for years. |
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Posted: 4/26/2024 11:04:57 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 545days: You are only partially correct. If you set the AC around 80 degrees, it will dehumidify without getting could enough to make anything sweat in the summer. I live on the Gulf Coast South of Houston and have been doing this for years. This is what I do |
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