Official Luthiers Forum! :: View topic - How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?

Here in Michigan it is C...O...L...D...

Outdoor temp is 2.7 degrees (F) and humidity is 72%

Indoor is 73 degrees and humidity is 46%

My shop is located in 3 separate areas in my house. My office which has a small bench for doing fretwork and small jobs, Downstairs in a 12X17 room and my downstairs garage which is attached but not heated yet . The temp usually runs about 40 degrees in the big shop because it is earth bermed on 2 sides and attached to the house on one and is walk out on the other (and no windows). That is pretty much used for my big saws and spraying finishes so I am not out there much in the winter except to cut wood.

I run a furnace attached humidifier and a whole house humidifier which keeps everything consistant at between 40% and 48%

I normally only have to fill my whole house humidifier about once a week or so but since we are in a deep freeze I have had to fill it every day. That is 14 gallons of water just in that humidifier and I have no idea how much my furnace humidifier uses since it is piped into the system and is automatic. I have been amazed how much water I am pumping into the air to maintain 45%

Winter SUCKS!!!!

Author:	RustySP [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:11 pm ]
Post subject:	How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
I don' have a proper humidifier so I hung a wet towel from the garage door track (btw, I disabled the opener) and put a damp sponge/travel soap dish in body. Hygrometer staying around 35%. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Author:	meddlingfool [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:33 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
I have four separate humidifiers going in my shop in the different sections. A big double canister Honeywell under the wood shelf, a wee little one in the side bending room, a self regulating one in the paint room, and a self regulating one in the glue up room.

Author:	theguitarwhisperer [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
I'm in Florida, it finally dipped down to 57 degrees. I'm still dehumidifying.

Author:	fingerstyle1978 [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:32 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
I need larger humidifier. Right now I run 2 small ones that I fill 3 times a day. Right now I'm sitting at 36% because its a toasty 20 degrees outside. When the temp dips my heater runs full time and it really dries the air out. When that happens it sits around 25%. Maybe I'll give the wet towel a try. When I get my taxes back I'm planning to buy a larger 9 gallon unit and move one of the smaller ones to an insulated room upstairs where the guitar will live.

Author:	Dave Sayers [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:47 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
Is that a Stew Mac rosewood on the form? Any way, I don't really worry about humidity here in Essex England. In winter I take tonewoods into the workshop if the temperature is above 9 degrees, and they come in at night. Otherwise I make things that aren't temperature critical except for the gluing. Side bending jigs I shall be attempting for a J45 and J200, maybe a little routing guide for the neck on the laminated 12 string I'm working on. Laminates are good for trying things out in low temperatures.

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Author:	RusRob [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
Here in Michigan it is C...O...L...D... Outdoor temp is 2.7 degrees (F) and humidity is 72% Indoor is 73 degrees and humidity is 46% My shop is located in 3 separate areas in my house. My office which has a small bench for doing fretwork and small jobs, Downstairs in a 12X17 room and my downstairs garage which is attached but not heated yet . The temp usually runs about 40 degrees in the big shop because it is earth bermed on 2 sides and attached to the house on one and is walk out on the other (and no windows). That is pretty much used for my big saws and spraying finishes so I am not out there much in the winter except to cut wood. I run a furnace attached humidifier and a whole house humidifier which keeps everything consistant at between 40% and 48% I normally only have to fill my whole house humidifier about once a week or so but since we are in a deep freeze I have had to fill it every day. That is 14 gallons of water just in that humidifier and I have no idea how much my furnace humidifier uses since it is piped into the system and is automatic. I have been amazed how much water I am pumping into the air to maintain 45% Winter SUCKS!!!!

Author:	RusRob [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
@RustySP, I forgot to add this: Why don't you try getting a hot plate and put a big soup pot full of water. That is what I used to do before I got a big enough humidifier. It really works well and you don't really have to have it boiling, just hot enough to put steam out. If you are running any kind of heater that you can put the pot on it will work really well. I use to have a small oil space heater for my old shop and a big pot of hot water comes in handy for more than just humidity.

Author:	fingerstyle1978 [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:42 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
RusRob wrote: Here in Michigan it is C...O...L...D... Outdoor temp is 2.7 degrees (F) and humidity is 72% Indoor is 73 degrees and humidity is 46% My shop is located in 3 separate areas in my house. My office which has a small bench for doing fretwork and small jobs, Downstairs in a 12X17 room and my downstairs garage which is attached but not heated yet . The temp usually runs about 40 degrees in the big shop because it is earth bermed on 2 sides and attached to the house on one and is walk out on the other (and no windows). That is pretty much used for my big saws and spraying finishes so I am not out there much in the winter except to cut wood. I run a furnace attached humidifier and a whole house humidifier which keeps everything consistant at between 40% and 48% I normally only have to fill my whole house humidifier about once a week or so but since we are in a deep freeze I have had to fill it every day. That is 14 gallons of water just in that humidifier and I have no idea how much my furnace humidifier uses since it is piped into the system and is automatic. I have been amazed how much water I am pumping into the air to maintain 45% Winter SUCKS!!!! 2 degree? That's sweater weather!!! Lol. It was 22 yesterday here and I was rocking shorts and a tee shirt. Of course it was 60 degrees cooler last week so 22 feels pretty nice. It's a dry cool I love winter though and Alaska is so gorgeous in the winter. Summer is annoying up here. The sun doesn't go down- thick smoke from forest fires and there's no A/C anywhere.

Author:	WudWerkr [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:12 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
Its a Balmy +1 here today and the Humidifier is screaming wide open to keep me at 37% ... Worst ive ever seen it in this shop ...

Author:	RustySP [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:47 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
Dave that's LMI rosewood. RusRob, I thought about using a pot of water on a hotplate just today while I was watching the towel drip water on the floor, thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Author:	Michael.N. [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
I doubt that a wet towel will have much of an effect, unless you have a highly sealed workshop. As stated previously you would be better served by using steam, a lot faster and a lot more effective.

Author:	Ken Jones [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
On the driest days, I'll throw a few pots of water on the unsealed concrete shop floor. Instant humidity, and it lasts a full day, releasing moisture gradually as it evaporates out of the floor. Ken Jones Mountain Song Guitars

Author:	StevenWheeler [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:23 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
That's funny, Joey has 22 in Alaska and we woke to -16 in Chicago. I do somewhat like Ken but it's a few shovels of snow when I leave the shop at night.

Author:	Robbie_McD [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:35 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
This puppy dumps up to 18 gallons into the forced airstream daily. Attachment: truesteam_feature.jpg

Author:	nickinbruns [ Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:14 am ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
While I don't really miss the kind of cold weather NY/NJ is having at the moment, I'd almost trade it for my current climate. Friday last. 96degrees and 90%RH. Saturday 108degrees and 90%RH. Just a leettle beet uncomfy.....Oh, as it's usually pretty good around here, we haven't any air conditioning.......

Author:	Ruby50 [ Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:51 am ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
Relative Humidity is .. well .. relative, and it's relative to temperature. If I heat up air, its RH drops and if I cool down air, its RH rises. Dew point is nothing but air that has cooled enough to reach 100% RH, them some more and the moisture condenses on any cold surface it sees. I am in energy conservation and indoor air quality contracting. There is only one problem I can diagnose over the phone. If someone tells me that he gets sparks when he touches the light switch in the carpeted living room, I know that is a dry house and I say "hey, you're house is very leaky". For you guys in the garage (and for your house too), air leakage will dry the space. Warm, humid inside air leaks out and cold outside air leaks in. As the cold air heats, it's RH drop dramatically. If the space were 100% airtight and you kept it at a constant temperature (insulation levels don't matter for this), the RH would not change regardless of the outside temperature. So find the big leaks and seal them - around the garage door, any hatches into the attic above, where the wall meets the foundation, holes where the garage door rails go through the ceiling, etc. It will be easier to humidify (and heat too). Stay warm Ed Minch

Author:	Hesh [ Tue Jan 07, 2014 11:14 am ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
I wanted to thank Ed for his excellent explanation of RH in a home and shop! I'm not holding up well and have yet another day where I can't leave because the road has not been plowed and now the snow is pretty much hard and icy too.... It was -15F last night which makes me nervous and unable to relax.... I called the road commission this morning and spoke to the supervisor and requested that he pull his finger out and come do my roads. He hung up on me. Go figure.... Still running four humidifiers, a huge pot of water on the range, the shower every hour or so, and we are approaching 40% but still not yet there.... Although I know better most of my personal instruments including mandos, guitars, etc. are hung on walls (inside walls only) and not in cases.... So I have to maintain decent RH throughout my home which can be difficult in this crappy weather. But they are calling for it to go UP to zero.... today which would be very welcome under the circumstances. On the plus side and not that I would wish this on anyone this time of year our bread and butter is crack repair. And no we are not proctologists either.... So this weather should bring lots of business our way for both repairs and case and guitar humidifiers. Hope everyone is safe and warm too!

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Author:	crich [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:21 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
It's -10 deg.F right now in central Ohio. Humidity in my shop is down to 21. I gave up and closed the shop for the next couple of days. Clinton

Author:	fingerstyle1978 [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:37 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
StevenWheeler wrote: That's funny, Joey has 22 in Alaska and we woke to -16 in Chicago. I do somewhat like Ken but it's a few shovels of snow when I leave the shop at night. Hahaha, I think that's just our -48 from last week up here making it's way South/East. It's been great weather this week. Actually able to hold some humidity in the shop.

Author:	DennisK [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
Robbie_McD wrote: This puppy dumps up to 18 gallons into the forced airstream daily. That's a lot of water What becomes of all of it? Whenever I've tried to humidify in the winter, it just condenses on the windows and then runs down and rots the wood or curtains. It's been really dry here for the past few weeks, but there must have been some trace of moisture left in the air because it was all frozen on the windows when I woke up

Author:	the Padma [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:58 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
Cold temps??? go here dudes.... http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10112&t=42410

Author:	RustySP [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:07 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
That's funny Padma, but it's cold for Louisiana. Michael, you are right about the towel, not very effective. Ken, my Beagle will be putting down some water on the floor tomorrow while I'm at work. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Author:	Alex Kleon [ Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:20 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
My runny nose is actually keeping the entire house at a comfortable RH. Alex

Author:	Goodin [ Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:23 am ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
It was 0 degrees outside when I got up this morning. Shop temp is at 55 degrees. Humidifier in the shop was reading 32%, but the hygrometers were reading 40-50%. I usually leave the humidifier on level 1 in the winter but when it gets this cold I crank it up to 3 (high as it goes). My basement shop is pretty well air tight (see Ed's great advice above).

Author:	RusRob [ Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:48 am ]
Post subject:	Re: How Are You Coping With Low Temps & RH?
It is still bitter cold here in Michigan but I saw something very strange today. I am not sure what I was seeing but the sky had some strange blue patches and this really bright object could be seen. I am not sure what it was but it was almost blinding and it lit the ground up and was coming through the windows almost blinding me. I have heard of strange lands where the sky turns a beautiful shade of blue and this thing is visible for hours at a time .