Let's Just Get It Over With, ok?
Discussion
Biker's Nemesis said:
BN do you have any experience of that/ those models of dehumidifier?I have a dehumidifier that I bought for £69 from Bodgit & Quik nine years ago to dry out Wedg1e Villas after a leaking shower incident... then I found it was great for drying clothes overnight in winter. It's probably run virtually continuously for six of those nine years, week in, week out. On a damp laundry day it'll pull 6L out of the air in as many hours.
I don't use it for the bikes though.
I don't use it for the bikes though.
Wedg1e said:
I have a dehumidifier that I bought for £69 from Bodgit & Quik nine years ago to dry out Wedg1e Villas after a leaking shower incident... then I found it was great for drying clothes overnight in winter. It's probably run virtually continuously for six of those nine years, week in, week out. On a damp laundry day it'll pull 6L out of the air in as many hours.
I don't use it for the bikes though.
No one likes a show off. I don't use it for the bikes though.
Biker's Nemesis said:
nervous said:
BN do you have any experience of that/ those models of dehumidifier?
I have just ordered oneSaying that if you have a garage next to your house you could just empty it each day. That only takes out 500ml a day, that's not bad mines takes out 1.5 litres or something. After a few days though, providing the doors are shut they take out all the moisture they can feasibly take out.
Honestly its a great invention I wouldn't be without one now. They basically work by drawing in air and running it over a cold evaporation coil, as the air passes the moisture in the air clings onto this, and drips down into a drip tray. The air passed out contains less moisture. I cant remember if this actually raises the temperature of the room by a degree or two, but apparently your body sweat doesn't evaporate as quickly in an atmosphere with no moisture in the air, making you feel warmer.
moanthebairns said:
I cant remember if this actually raises the temperature of the room by a degree or two, but I apparently your body sweat doesn't evaporate as quickly in an atmosphere with no moisture in the air, making you feel warmer.
The dehumidifier re-heats the air a little.Reduced humidity in a room allows your body to evaporate more sweat. When it is humid the body sweat can't evaporate, you feel clammy and you can't regulate your temperature as effectively.
Too little humidity causes the mucous membranes and eyes to dry out and is not pleasant either.
MC Bodge said:
moanthebairns said:
I cant remember if this actually raises the temperature of the room by a degree or two, but I apparently your body sweat doesn't evaporate as quickly in an atmosphere with no moisture in the air, making you feel warmer.
The dehumidifier re-heats the air a little.Reduced humidity in a room allows your body to evaporate more sweat. When it is humid the body sweat can't evaporate, you feel clammy and you can't regulate your temperature as effectively.
Too little humidity causes the mucous membranes and eyes to dry out and is not pleasant either.
creampuff said:
It would make more sense to have British homes heated and cooled by reverse cycle air-conditioners. They are around 200-300% efficient (you get more heat out than energy you put in) as they are heat pumps, not heaters. They also dehumidify the air.
They have started to do this have they not, but not all homes are suitable. Or certainly not all homes can receive the benefits in every room. moanthebairns said:
They have started to do this have they not, but not all homes are suitable. Or certainly not all homes can receive the benefits in every room.
They can work well if it is not extremely cold so, as somebody has said, good for most of the UK most of the time. Colder parts of Scotland might need extra heating. Ground source heat pumps can work well, but more difficult to implement and maintain.MC Bodge said:
They (reverse cycle air cons) can work well if it is not extremely cold so, as somebody has said, good for most of the UK most of the time. Colder parts of Scotland might need extra heating. Ground source heat pumps can work well, but more difficult to implement and maintain.
The problem with them is that because they are heat pumps, the outside bit gets very very cold. If it is already freezing outside, then the outside unit will be well below freezing, which means ice can form on it and ice is a good insulator so then your air con doesn't work. You can get around this by running the air-con as cooling (so the inside of your house gets cold!) and the outside unit gets hot and then have a heating element to reheat the cold air-conditioned air, but that is very inefficient. It's been years since I researched air-cons but reverse cycle aircons are common in North America, which tells me that there is a way to make them efficient at heating and cooling in a wide range of outdoor temperatures. For shed use it's best to take some care in picking a dehumidifier. The more common refrigerant type can work out more efficient, but this depends on air temperature, they get less and less effective as the air gets colder, many of them basically don't work below about 5degC.
Since most of the concern when storing bikes/cars etc in sheds arise when it is cold, the sensible choice is a dessicant type, they aren't bothered by cold temps as much. I got a DD122fw a couple of years ago and it has been on most of the time since then, has encouraged me to do some work making the shed more airtight though.
Since most of the concern when storing bikes/cars etc in sheds arise when it is cold, the sensible choice is a dessicant type, they aren't bothered by cold temps as much. I got a DD122fw a couple of years ago and it has been on most of the time since then, has encouraged me to do some work making the shed more airtight though.
creampuff said:
The problem with them is that because they are heat pumps, the outside bit gets very very cold. If it is already freezing outside, then the outside unit will be well below freezing, which means ice can form on it and ice is a good insulator so then your air con doesn't work. You can get around this by running the air-con as cooling (so the inside of your house gets cold!) and have a heating element to reheat the air, but that is very inefficient. It's been years since I researched air-cons but reverse cycle aircons are common in North America, which tells me that there is a way to make them efficient at heating and cooling in a wide range of outdoor temperatures.
Ground source is effective as the ground temp (below the surface) remains relatively constant. Air source Heat/cool pumps are used in some buildings in the UK, but as you say, they do have limitations.
The USA has traditionally had cheap fuel so they have been less concerned about the cost of it.
nervous said:
So, covers off, dehumidifier on, yes?
This. You will be amazed how often you have to empty the collection tank.Lift the dehumidifier up a couple of feet, (Stand it on a stool), drill a very small hole in your shed and run a hosepipe from the dehumidifier outlet (taking the tank out), through the hole so the water continuously drains outside onto the grass/hardstanding.
All this is assuming you have an electric supply to your shed.
It will cost a bit in electric all winter, but this is small fry compared to possible damage to your bikes.
(If your dehumidifier (like mine) has a plastic trip tumbler stop, wedge it open so you get continuous drainage.)
Also done this in my motorhome, I reckon it's removed about ten bathfuls of water, that otherwise would have been absorbed into the walls, causing damp issues.
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