Choosing a Dehumidifier is Hard

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BigBlonde

BigBlonde

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It's clear I'm going to need a dehumidifier very soon. The RH in the tent is high -- over 68% last night -- and the crop is flowering. At the moment, I favor this one: Hisense 50-Pint 2-Speed Wi-Fi Connected Dehumidifier ENERGY STAR (from Lowe's)

It's pricey at $270, but I like that it has WiFi with a phone app. It also works with Alexa. I'm already controlling my lights with Alexa. So this looks good. My main concern is its capacity. The specs say it covers an area up to 4,500 sq ft. The room is only 260 sq ft. Nevertheless, I'm thinking my lung room is no ordinary room and too much capacity is certainly better than too little. We live in a wooded area near water, so it's always very humid here. Humans also like to use that room, so I'm thinking of their comfort, too.

What do you think? Is this overkill or a good long-term solution?
 
freezeland2

freezeland2

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It's clear I'm going to need a dehumidifier very soon. The RH in the tent is high -- over 68% last night -- and the crop is flowering. At the moment, I favor this one: Hisense 50-Pint 2-Speed Wi-Fi Connected Dehumidifier ENERGY STAR (from Lowe's)

It's pricey at $270, but I like that it has WiFi with a phone app. It also works with Alexa. I'm already controlling my lights with Alexa. So this looks good. My main concern is its capacity. The specs say it covers an area up to 4,500 sq ft. The room is only 260 sq ft. Nevertheless, I'm thinking my lung room is no ordinary room and too much capacity is certainly better than too little. We live in a wooded area near water, so it's always very humid here. Humans also like to use that room, so I'm thinking of their comfort, too.

What do you think? Is this overkill or a good long-term solution?
A drain function is a plus if you have somewhere to route it to. How many pints is it?
 
freezeland2

freezeland2

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A drain function is a plus if you have somewhere to route it to. How many pints is it?
Sorry I just saw it’s 50. Mine is 70 but a 50 will do the job. Running off a controller like Inkbird really helps reduce run time.
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

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Running off a controller like Inkbird really helps reduce run time.
The phone app can do that. It can also warn when the tank needs to be emptied. (There isn't a drain in the room, unless I run the hose out a window.) I'm thinking it would be better not to turn the equipment on and off at the power source, which is what Inkbird does. The difference is the location of the sensor, but I'm not sure it matters. The lung room basically creates a closed loop in and out of the tent. It's also a buffer for dehumidified air.

At least, that's the way I'm thinking about it at the moment. I think I'm mostly worried that this might be more of a dehumidifier than I need. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to deal with the RH, though.
 
freezeland2

freezeland2

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The phone app can do that. It can also warn when the tank needs to be emptied. (There isn't a drain in the room, unless I run the hose out a window.) I'm thinking it would be better not to turn the equipment on and off at the power source, which is what Inkbird does. The difference is the location of the sensor, but I'm not sure it matters. The lung room basically creates a closed loop in and out of the tent. It's also a buffer for dehumidified air.

At least, that's the way I'm thinking about it at the moment. I think I'm mostly worried that this might be more of a dehumidifier than I need. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to deal with the RH, though.
Location of that sensor in the tent helps immensely and using the Inkbird to power on and off doesn’t hurt it all. I have a Hisense and it’s been constantly plugged into a Inkbird. I set the Hisense setting at 35% so it won’t fight the Inkbird. I set the Inkbird at 50% or whatever. Works much more effective and efficient like that.
 
FlyinEagle

FlyinEagle

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I added heat to curb humidity. Little black space heater. Set to barely on, brought humidity down to 55% from 80%.
Max out the heater and run it off the inkbird.
 
sambapati

sambapati

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It's clear I'm going to need a dehumidifier very soon. The RH in the tent is high -- over 68% last night -- and the crop is flowering. At the moment, I favor this one: Hisense 50-Pint 2-Speed Wi-Fi Connected Dehumidifier ENERGY STAR (from Lowe's)

It's pricey at $270, but I like that it has WiFi with a phone app. It also works with Alexa. I'm already controlling my lights with Alexa. So this looks good. My main concern is its capacity. The specs say it covers an area up to 4,500 sq ft. The room is only 260 sq ft. Nevertheless, I'm thinking my lung room is no ordinary room and too much capacity is certainly better than too little. We live in a wooded area near water, so it's always very humid here. Humans also like to use that room, so I'm thinking of their comfort, too.

What do you think? Is this overkill or a good long-term solution?
I've bought 2 Haefle dehumidifiers and have them. both working in the grow -- also like you in a 'room'. This is year 2 for them and I like them -- but no added bells or whistles (which you pay for).
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

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Location of that sensor in the tent helps immensely and using the Inkbird to power on and off doesn’t hurt it all. I have a Hisense and it’s been constantly plugged into a Inkbird. I set the Hisense setting at 35% so it won’t fight the Inkbird. I set the Inkbird at 50% or whatever. Works much more effective and efficient like that.
I have a sensor in the tent and it has been very useful, but it only provides information. It doesn't control anything. Something I'm considering is that the Inkbird costs at least $40 and that money could be applied to buying a dehumidifier with more features.

Sensor at canopy level is a must imo
I have wondered about where the best location for a sensor would be. I put mine at canopy level. It's nice to get lucky once in a while. 🙂

I added heat to curb humidity. Little black space heater. Set to barely on, brought humidity down to 55% from 80%.
Max out the heater and run it off the inkbird.
Good idea! I had been thinking about running my heater on a timer so it would run when the lights are off. Heat certainly makes a difference. I run a heater most nights, depending on the weather. It hasn't been enough to control the RH, however. This morning I turned it off after the lights had been on for almost two hours and the RH started to increase.

I've bought 2 Haefle dehumidifiers and have them. both working in the grow -- also like you in a 'room'. This is year 2 for them and I like them -- but no added bells or whistles (which you pay for).
There certainly are a lot of dehumidifiers with lots of features. It's hard to know which to choose. I'm a techie at heart, so I am drawn to high-tech toys.



I'll probably get the dehumidifier with WiFi and remote monitoring and control. Knowing myself, I know I'll be wondering about what I didn't do if I don't do it.

I keep thinking that a temp & RH sensor in the room would be helpful. (We might put one outside, too.) So, by watching the two, the best setting for the dehumidifier could be determined. I keep wondering about how the air in the tent is continuously exchanged with the room air. The exhaust fans have combined (rated) CFM of four times the volume of the tent. Thus, theoretically, the air is being exchanged every 15 seconds. At that rate, the air can't be much different between the inside and the outside of the tent.

Here's a screen capture of the report from the sensor in the tent. It clearly shows the relationship between temperature and humidity. I turned off the heater in the room just after 6:45 AM and it's easy to see the effect. The outside temperature was in the 50s last night and we're supposed to have a hot day today. There's no A/C for the lung room, so I'll be fighting excessive heat most of the day.

Temperature and Humidity   Screenshot 2022 07 30 074334


The RH has been worse lately even though the weather is hot now. I think it may be because the plants are large and transpiring more. I have two plants in a 4x4 tent. For the next grow, I plan to have four plants, so the transpiration is likely to be worse and dehumidifying will be even more important.

The good news for my next grow is that I will have learned so much doing this first grow and will be much better prepared. I have been taking "lesson-learned" notes and I'll have most of the equipment in place.
 
MIGrampaUSA

MIGrampaUSA

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Good thread all the way through, although I scanned through it and may have missed the one thing I do with my dehumidifier ... I collect the condensate. It's mineral free and very clean (as long as your equipment is clean). My dehuey sits on a tv tray and drains into my water reservoir which I then use to water my plants. While not directly related to what unit to choose, if the one you choose has a drain plug, you can do this instead of draining to a floor drain.
 
PipeCarver

PipeCarver

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I have a sensor in the tent and it has been very useful, but it only provides information. It doesn't control anything. Something I'm considering is that the Inkbird costs at least $40 and that money could be applied to buying a dehumidifier with more features.


I have wondered about where the best location for a sensor would be. I put mine at canopy level. It's nice to get lucky once in a while. 🙂


Good idea! I had been thinking about running my heater on a timer so it would run when the lights are off. Heat certainly makes a difference. I run a heater most nights, depending on the weather. It hasn't been enough to control the RH, however. This morning I turned it off after the lights had been on for almost two hours and the RH started to increase.


There certainly are a lot of dehumidifiers with lots of features. It's hard to know which to choose. I'm a techie at heart, so I am drawn to high-tech toys.



I'll probably get the dehumidifier with WiFi and remote monitoring and control. Knowing myself, I know I'll be wondering about what I didn't do if I don't do it.

I keep thinking that a temp & RH sensor in the room would be helpful. (We might put one outside, too.) So, by watching the two, the best setting for the dehumidifier could be determined. I keep wondering about how the air in the tent is continuously exchanged with the room air. The exhaust fans have combined (rated) CFM of four times the volume of the tent. Thus, theoretically, the air is being exchanged every 15 seconds. At that rate, the air can't be much different between the inside and the outside of the tent.

Here's a screen capture of the report from the sensor in the tent. It clearly shows the relationship between temperature and humidity. I turned off the heater in the room just after 6:45 AM and it's easy to see the effect. The outside temperature was in the 50s last night and we're supposed to have a hot day today. There's no A/C for the lung room, so I'll be fighting excessive heat most of the day.

View attachment 1266398

The RH has been worse lately even though the weather is hot now. I think it may be because the plants are large and transpiring more. I have two plants in a 4x4 tent. For the next grow, I plan to have four plants, so the transpiration is likely to be worse and dehumidifying will be even more important.

The good news for my next grow is that I will have learned so much doing this first grow and will be much better prepared. I have been taking "lesson-learned" notes and I'll have most of the equipment in place.
I have 3 dehues a small 1 pint closet dehue for my drying box , 30 pint and a 35 pint, I got the 35 used on kijiji this year $100 ..with both units on I can get my basement down to 50% pulling out 12 gallons of water out in 24 hrs I have to carry it out twice a day. Its waste water reads 8 ppm @ 6.6ph and I used to use it in my humidifiers but even that 8ppm causes mineral build up eventually so I use RO at 0 ppm for them now.

So the bigger the better is my answer to your query...........I think all the wifi info can make you loony trying to keep on track of every dip and rise through the day..... simple is better a good unit with a simple operation....

Even better is an air conditioner that also dehue's but up goes the costs...
 
Madmax

Madmax

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Agree bigger the better...they suck the watts too..i have a 200 watter but isnt up to the task for a 5x5 in my climate so im upping to 4-500watts.also looking at putting a hepa filter on the passive intake to my room to get those mold spores on the way in..i think they are def worth trying..
 
MIGrampaUSA

MIGrampaUSA

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@PipeCarver 12 gallons per 24 hrs is a lot! Have you considered using it for your plants? 8ppm is almost nothing. It would save you from hauling "all" of that water away.

My basement is pretty stable. There's only a few weeks out of the year where my dehuey is on over-drive. Regardless, I agree that the largest affordable unit (preferably energy star certified) is the way to go.
 
PipeCarver

PipeCarver

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@PipeCarver 12 gallons per 24 hrs is a lot! Have you considered using it for your plants? 8ppm is almost nothing. It would save you from hauling "all" of that water away.

My basement is pretty stable. There's only a few weeks out of the year where my dehuey is on over-drive. Regardless, I agree that the largest affordable unit (preferably energy star certified) is the way to go.
No, I have a deep drilled well @120ppm it has some silt but good water and rebottling is more work than dumping...lol @ 90 - 100% @ 80 -90+f outside daily add 12 plants getting 1+ gallons every 2.5 days now. 12 fans running 24/7 a 1000 w hps + 2 - se3000 Plus all of my veg shit adding heat... and I'm 8 ft under ground......lol...she' can be a pretty dank place if I don't stay on it....
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

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Good thread all the way through, although I scanned through it and may have missed the one thing I do with my dehumidifier ... I collect the condensate. It's mineral free and very clean (as long as your equipment is clean). My dehuey sits on a tv tray and drains into my water reservoir which I then use to water my plants. While not directly related to what unit to choose, if the one you choose has a drain plug, you can do this instead of draining to a floor drain.
Thanks. 🙂

I had been wondering about reusing the condensate water. It probably would have a neutral pH. It's basically distilled water. I understand the new vertical farms are closed systems that reuse water. In doing so, they add very little water.
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

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I have 3 dehues a small 1 pint closet dehue for my drying box , 30 pint and a 35 pint, I got the 35 used on kijiji this year $100 ..with both units on I can get my basement down to 50% pulling out 12 gallons of water out in 24 hrs I have to carry it out twice a day. Its waste water reads 8 ppm @ 6.6ph and I used to use it in my humidifiers but even that 8ppm causes mineral build up eventually so I use RO at 0 ppm for them now.

So the bigger the better is my answer to your query...........I think all the wifi info can make you loony trying to keep on track of every dip and rise through the day..... simple is better a good unit with a simple operation....

Even better is an air conditioner that also dehue's but up goes the costs...
12 gallons of water in 24 hours! Oh, my!

I agree. It's better to have more capacity than needed than to not have enough. I have had a sensor in the tent from the beginning and understand about avoiding loonyness. I mostly just check it a few times a day unless I have a specific reason to pay attention.

It's funny you mentioned an air conditioner. We happened to acquire one for free. It actually works, too. It has a dehumidifying function, but it doesn't have a way to set the level. So it's probably just set to someone's idea of human comfort. We have it running now. I'm watching the temp and RH levels. So far, both are dropping. I found a manual for it online and it has an interesting feature: It exhausts the condensate out through it's exhaust tube, so it's not necessary to drain it when it's in A/C mode. This windfall came at a perfect time. We're just now beginning a high-heat warning period. I'll probably still need a dehumidifier for the rainy season, though. This just give me more time to figure out what I need/want to do.

After about a half hour running the A/C unit, the temp is 77F and the RH is 58%.
 
RootsRuler

RootsRuler

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Small form factor. Constant drain hose. Reasonable price. I've been using it in the lung and it has kept it at a steady 55% without even breaking a sweat.
 
MercDod

MercDod

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I run a dehu in lung room and use its sensor at about 5%-10% lower than what I need in the tent and works fine. Keep in mind that the dehu will raise the temp inside the room. I only use the inkbird for humidifiers inside the tent during seedling and early veg. I also run a dehu in house and im sure it helps to the one in the lung room with the added benefit of making sure there is no mold in the house as well as keeping things healthy for the people who live here. I get 0 EC and ph is in mid 5s. I save this water for humidifiers until I build up to 8 gallons which is more than enough for the seedling and early veg needs for each grow. The dehu in lung room must sit higher than the drain as it has no built in pump. You can skip the early seedling humidifier needs simple by placing clear dome over seedlings.

I got all my dehus super cheap at amazon auction sales at proxibid. Like 15$ for a 50 pint although you may not have that option in your area.
 
sambapati

sambapati

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I have 3 dehues a small 1 pint closet dehue for my drying box , 30 pint and a 35 pint, I got the 35 used on kijiji this year $100 ..with both units on I can get my basement down to 50% pulling out 12 gallons of water out in 24 hrs I have to carry it out twice a day. Its waste water reads 8 ppm @ 6.6ph and I used to use it in my humidifiers but even that 8ppm causes mineral build up eventually so I use RO at 0 ppm for them now.

So the bigger the better is my answer to your query...........I think all the wifi info can make you loony trying to keep on track of every dip and rise through the day..... simple is better a good unit with a simple operation....

Even better is an air conditioner that also dehue's but up goes the costs...
AC also guarentees air exchange inside the room...
 
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