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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:32 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 4:15 pm
Posts: 1701
First name: Joey
Last Name: Holliday
City: Palmetto
State: Florida
Zip/Postal Code: 34221
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
Any advice is appreciated. I travel a lot and I am looking for some way to maintain relative humidity while I am traveling.

1. How long does it typically take for wood to stabilize back to a 40 percent humidity environment after being up around 70 to 90 for a week or so.

2. Does it take longer to lose water than to gain given steady temperature? Basically am I better off leaving the humidifier running or the dehumidifier running when I have to leave town?

3. Is there a device that maintains humidity automatically (2 in 1 humidifier/dehumidifier type unit?)

thanks


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:18 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:42 am
Posts: 1584
Location: United States
I am suprised you do not have replies. Others know more than I, but I'll tell you what I can.

I think in your climate, most of the year you will do one or the other, and not worry about both. So, in the summer, you will dehumidify and in the winter humidify.

If you set up your dehumidifier with a hose to a drain, you can leave it unattended--otherwise you will need to empty it every day which does not work while you are out or town. The dehumidifiers with a bucket to collect water usually have a threaded fitting to connect a hose. First, you have to drill an opening in the center of the fitting. The control on the dehumidifiers that I am familiar with are approximate. You fiddle with a dial over several days and locate a spot where it turns on and off at the humidity that you want to achieve, while checking with a wet bulb hygrometer. This arrangement is usually good enough.

My room humidifier needs water added avery couple of days. I am not familiar with one that has a water feed, but I am sure they exist. For example, I have a full house humidifier in the furnace system that has automatic water feed. It is not enough to keep the whole house at 40%, but I would not want to anyway, because of sweat on the walls and mold. My shop has its own HVAC so I really only watch the humidity closely in the shop.

I decide to use the humidifer or dehumidifier on a simple criteria that almost always works. If it is heating season, I use the humidifier. If it is cooling season, I use the dehumidifier. In between seasons you will decide based upon hygrometer readings.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 3:20 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:05 am
Posts: 9191
Location: United States
First name: Waddy
Last Name: Thomson
City: Charlotte
State: NC
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
Good answers. I have only seen one portable humidifier/dehumidifier model, and I don't know if it is a very good one. It looked like it was pretty light duty for a shop. More for like a room in an already HVAC controlled house. Otherwise only industrial equipment which is really pricey!

Someone posted a controller, but I don't know if it automatically switches between the two or just improves the accuracy of the systems, which is limited.

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