Heating/drying a shed
Discussion
I have a timber shed, 50mm celotex insulation and ply clad inside, felt roof also insulated and clad. 6" un insulated concrete floor.
No windows, 1 main door - 1 high level vent.
I am storing my bikes in there and as much as i try to dry them they are still going away damp, bikes are not rusting at the moment but i am worried its only a matter of time.
Shed although watertight feels a little damp - some mould spots and the odd cardboard box feels a little claggy.
I have power in there but was is the best option - heat or dehumidifier.
If heat what? An oiled filled and set the stat lowish, storage heater, greenhouse heater?
No windows, 1 main door - 1 high level vent.
I am storing my bikes in there and as much as i try to dry them they are still going away damp, bikes are not rusting at the moment but i am worried its only a matter of time.
Shed although watertight feels a little damp - some mould spots and the odd cardboard box feels a little claggy.
I have power in there but was is the best option - heat or dehumidifier.
If heat what? An oiled filled and set the stat lowish, storage heater, greenhouse heater?
The only thing with a dehumidifier - will it just suck the moisture from outside, what with having the vent?
Don't worry the bikes are lubed and oiled after every ride, but there will always be something that is missed. The children's bikes are also in there and I don't really take much car of them!
Don't worry the bikes are lubed and oiled after every ride, but there will always be something that is missed. The children's bikes are also in there and I don't really take much car of them!
Blakeatron said:
The only thing with a dehumidifier - will it just suck the moisture from outside, what with having the vent?
From my experience, yes. It sets up a diffusion gradient and replacement moisture enters, so whilst it will work, it's also a never-ending task. I think the answer is to achieve a sustainable humidity that discourages rust.Desiccant dehumidifier is the way to go. I have one in my shed/workshop and it keeps it dryer than the house. Just leave it on 24/7 and it comes on when needed to keep it at 50%rh I have noticed that as well as no condensation there are no insects or spiders either which is a bonus.
Essentially you either have to keep the temperature of everything in there above the dewpoint, or lower the dewpoint by removing the water vapour. Large metal objects will be tough to keep warm with a heater so a dehumidifier is much cheaper. For best results seal up any air gaps or leaks in the structure.
Relying on ventilation is fine most of the year, but in the autumn there are large temperature swings between day and night. Moist warm air from the day will condense overnight even outside eg. dew on grass or condensation on the car.
Essentially you either have to keep the temperature of everything in there above the dewpoint, or lower the dewpoint by removing the water vapour. Large metal objects will be tough to keep warm with a heater so a dehumidifier is much cheaper. For best results seal up any air gaps or leaks in the structure.
Relying on ventilation is fine most of the year, but in the autumn there are large temperature swings between day and night. Moist warm air from the day will condense overnight even outside eg. dew on grass or condensation on the car.
Edited by dogbucket on Sunday 26th October 14:10
It seems to suggest that if you use the empty hose rather than the internal collector you can run continuosly - we will see. It also has a built in humistat so can have a play with that.
Time will tell!
All reviews and manuals say they work better when warmer - hence why i have also putchased the little heater.
Time will tell!
All reviews and manuals say they work better when warmer - hence why i have also putchased the little heater.
Blakeatron said:
It seems to suggest that if you use the empty hose rather than the internal collector you can run continuosly - we will see. It also has a built in humistat so can have a play with that.
Time will tell!
All reviews and manuals say they work better when warmer - hence why i have also putchased the little heater.
You are totally on the right track. Time will tell!
All reviews and manuals say they work better when warmer - hence why i have also putchased the little heater.
Trick is then to find the lowest setting that still gets the job done so you save some money on the running costs.
I've an Ebac. No probs so far even without a heater but mine gives off a fair bit of heat. Been running for years now.
BTW ACF50 as mentioned is great stuff.
I've currently got a small DeLonghi, and it has a very effective heater built in. I used to have a cheap Argos unit, and the heater wasn't up to the job. If the room temperature dropped below about 10C, it would freeze up. I had to keep turning it off to let it thaw out, which took a few hours.
Blakeatron said:
Right I have ordered a 16l delonghi dehumidifier with external drain pipe and a small 250 watt shed heater with plug in thermostat.
I have covered the vent up with a hit and miss cover, the door already has seals on.
Updates soon when everything arrives!
You would have been better with a desiccant one to be honest as they work at 100% extraction rate down to 0deg, then you dont need a heater. Meaco 8l Junior for example. Compressor ones are much less effective in lower temperatures.I have covered the vent up with a hit and miss cover, the door already has seals on.
Updates soon when everything arrives!
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