# Solved: Dehumidifying!?



## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Hi all,
Sorry to post in here again so soon.
Last summer I built a very small but nice little shower room. It gets very wet in there and sometimes you get more wet than dry after showing its gets so humid!

The things Is, I never put an extractor fan in, and I don;t want all the hassle of it now.
Is there such a thing as a battery powered dehumidifier or something else I don;t know about that I could to to solve the problem - besides opening the window!!?

Guess I am just hoping here that someone knows about something that can be done I don't!
Any advise is much appreciated 
Thanks.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

Anything with the power to do the job would need house current. Dehumidifiers are really small refrigerators or air conditioners and use compressors, so they are pretty power-hungry. Anything less is not going to do any good.

An exhaust fan is really the best idea. Or at least a window fan that can draw dryer air into the space. One of those small, 6-inch corner fans that they sell to move heat from a room with a fireplace to other rooms would do the job. You could even block off the rest of the window so air was drawn in from the house rather than cold air from outside.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

oh right, thanks for clarifying that!
Guess and exhaust fan is going to have to get the vote! :/

Thanks.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

LOL. Not too many opinions here, but the choices really are limited. Batteries just won't cut it in some situations, though I love using portable devices whenever appropriate.

Good luck.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

yeah!,
I thought once upon a time i saw a bettery dehumid. But i can't find any trace of anything that looks vaugely upto the job - Guess it must have been a fluke!...espiecially if you say (as makes sense) if they have compressors in them!

Thanks for the help :up


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

If such a thing exists, it is probably based on the use of some absorbant material and not suitable for much more than keeping a small enclosure or a cigar case dry. It sounds like you have quite a bit of moisture to move or absorb and you would need all your paychecks to keep it filled with the absorbant.  It's probably most sensible to try to move it rather than absorb it under those conditions.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Ok, thanks a lot again. That makes a lot of sense.
I found one nice n' cheep on ebay I think. I'll go for that!

Thanks again.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

Easier in the long run. The moisture needs to go somewhere, so if you don't blow it out, you'll need to carry it out.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Lolo!...Semas like it, It can't stay as it is!
Its like onw of them walk-in showers at the moment!!! (You know, where the whole room is a shower!)


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## new tech guy (Mar 27, 2006)

Just another idea, similar to what elvandil said, cant you just put a window fan in and let that pull the air out of the room? Beats dragging a bucket back and forth.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Hi mate, 
yeah lol...good idea. The only problem with the windowfan idea is that the window is only about 5cm wide LOL.

Thanks all the same!


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## new tech guy (Mar 27, 2006)

Im sure you could find a 5cm fan . BTW, happy birthday.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

yeah, I guess so!, but how effective it would be I don't know. 
Its only a small though i guess.

Aw thanks dude 
Hos you enjoying being and adult now then?!


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## new tech guy (Mar 27, 2006)

Its fine i just live the way i do now . Really though it doesnt matter how big the fan is. Alot of bathrooms have little fans like that as exhaust ones. I figure you prob could put it in and see how it goes with one.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Oh glad to hear it! 

Oh, fair enough ..I'll give it a go when I get a spare min.
Thanks agai for all the advise guys.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Don't get the fan blade type of exhaust fan with the small duct because they are loud and can not move as much air. Like are put in almost all new homes because they are cheap. 
Good fans are quieter and better made, with ball bearings and have a bigger duct size and lots don't have the fan blade type but t
Sizing an Exhaust Fan

Look at this one here. Humidity Sensing Fan and Fan/Light
And others they have. http://www.nutone.com/product-category.asp?CategoryID=10077&image.x=8&image.y=10


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Ok, thats good advise, thanks a lot for that.

I like the look of the ones that heat too!! 
Im just not sure I have enough ceiling space for that though :/..I'll have to measure up! 

By any chance, distribute heat between rooms!??


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Well a heat lamp one is not that much bigger then the smaller basic one but it is higher or deeper and that can help as long as it moves more air with a larger duct. Also what can help if you don't have to worry about others when you are taking a shower is don't close the bath door all the way so you can bring in more fresh air into the bath. May if you want to keep it close then you could get a vent for the bottom of the door. May be best to buy another door with the vents on it because if you cut a door vent hole your have to frame in the vent hole.


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## new tech guy (Mar 27, 2006)

hewee said:


> Well a heat lamp one is not that much bigger then the smaller basic one but it is higher or deeper and that can help as long as it moves more air with a larger duct. Also what can help if you don't have to worry about others when you are taking a shower is don't close the bath door all the way so you can bring in more fresh air into the bath. May if you want to keep it close then you could get a vent for the bottom of the door. May be best to buy another door with the vents on it because if you cut a door vent hole your have to frame in the vent hole.


Only problem with a cracked door, is that if u have a smoke alarm nearby, they tend to false positive on shower steam and go off .


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

mm, Ok, thanks a lot for all that info guys 

Good idea. Thanks, I will take that into concideration.

Sooy, what there is a type in my last post - Even though what you said is very true, and useful,

where I said this 


> By any chance, distribute heat between rooms!??


I meant to say, does anyone happen to know anything about the systems which dehumifiy, remove odour, and distrubute heat?

Many thanks again for the continued help.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Sounds like an air conditioner with an electrostatic air cleaner.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

mmm, thanks John. It could be, But I had heard these were also meant to be fairly eco...thats not an air conditioner is it?!


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

I think we may be back to the exhaust fan, even a small one. That would remove the moisture as well as draw in warmer air and fresher air from the rest of the house. A small vent in the door would facilitate air movement.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

new tech guy said:


> Only problem with a cracked door, is that if u have a smoke alarm nearby, they tend to false positive on shower steam and go off .


I never had any trouble and the smoke alarm was right there in the hall right over the bath door.



Elvandil said:


> I think we may be back to the exhaust fan, even a small one. That would remove the moisture as well as draw in warmer air and fresher air from the rest of the house. A small vent in the door would facilitate air movement.


I used to always keep the bath door open when I was living at the condo and other places if I was in the master bedroom and used the master bath. 
But at the condo I took out the fan that was there and put in a heat lamp fan. Opening had to be cut only about 3/8 inche more on two sides so was very easy to make it fix. Then the duct was 3 inche so was bigger then the one that came with it. The fan was the type you see in a water coolor or in your AC/Heater unit and not the fan blade type so it was not loud at all. Then once the red heat lamp burned out I got a white heat lamp I like even better because it help you see better when you was in the shower.


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## new tech guy (Mar 27, 2006)

Hewee, i dont think newer ones will have that problem, mainly older ones if your house has an older smoke alarm. I had problems with an old one in my house a few different times. Goofy thing went off after someone took a hot shower.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

new tech guy said:


> Hewee, i dont think newer ones will have that problem, mainly older ones if your house has an older smoke alarm. I had problems with an old one in my house a few different times. Goofy thing went off after someone took a hot shower.


Sure is odd thing to happen unless someone was smoking and told you they were not or you got it so wet with steam that it makes contact somehow.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Ive had some older ones here until recently and they never went off...but hay..prehaps I was just lucky!


Thanks for all the other ideas guys, very useful.
Im still trying to weigh up whats the best option. Sill quite liking the idea of a heated one though as there o heating down there (not they you need it as it is only used in summer, and one the shower's on with no air removal lol....)

I'll keep thinkin!..thanks.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Speakersrock said:


> mmm, thanks John. It could be, But I had heard these were also meant to be fairly eco...thats not an air conditioner is it?!


Actually, dehumidifiers are basically an air conditioner with the evaporator and condenser coils both in the airflow. However, when you add the air cleaner, that's when things get a bit more complicated, depending on how good you want the air "cleaned".


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Oh ok that figures!!

I was thinking about this while I was out today..made me think of something else slightly related. 
I never have managed to work it out, for a computer case, what way arund is the correct and most efficient way for the fan to blow? Cooler air in? or warmer air out!?


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Fans high on the computer case, typically in back, should be exhaust fans. If you use a front mounted fan, (I find them somewhat ineffective), it should be low and be an intake fan. Since the natural convection is hot air rising, you want the exhaust fans high to remove the hotter air and encourage cool air to enter.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Right!, thanks for that!, I have never know the right way to put them in lol!....I'll have to go change all mine around now! 
-Does make sense when you think about it logically like that I guess.

Im glad to hear its not just me who find the front fans ineffective!, I have a couple of boxes which are the same, the only place for a fan is in the front, and I do think I have seen any difference besides increase noise since I put the front fans in! (might be partly because I think they are blowing out at the moment! lol )

Anyway, Thanks for clarifying that, and the extractor thing as well everyone. This thread has been really useful to me. Thanks.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I actually removed the front fans from two full size towers, and it decreased the temperature of the MB about 4C, so in that case, they were *really* ineffective!  Sometimes, I believe they cause turbulence in the case and actually create hot spots. It's desirable to have smooth airflow. Cable dressing will have a big impact in case temperatures, especially the flat IDE and floppy cables.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Ok, good advise there, Thanks.
I will remember that, but whats cable dressing?!


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

"cable dressing" is simply the intelligent routing of the cables. In the case of the flat cables, keep them tied together and out of the main airflow if possible. I've also been known to roll them up more like round cables to minimize the airflow disturbance they create.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

ohh right!, that makes lots of sense, thanks, I already mostly do that!, so know I know what its called!

Thanks!


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

My case had two fans. One blowing out in the back that sets below the PS and beside the CPU. The other was on the side that blowing out.
I then added one to the front that is at the bottom.
But testing the temperature of MB and CPU I got the temperature down more after I turn the side case fan around to blowing out. 
Plus now after getting a new PS it has a fan on the buttom to help suck heat out also along with the fan in the back of the PS.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

hewee said:


> My case had two fans. One blowing out in the back that sets below the PS and beside the CPU. The other was on the side that blowing out.
> I then added one to the front that is at the bottom.
> But testing the temperature of MB and CPU I got the temperature down more after I turn the side case fan around to blowing out.
> Plus now after getting a new PS it has a fan on the buttom to help suck heat out also along with the fan in the back of the PS.


ooh, thats a gooden, the PSU with a suction fan lol! ....But if it sucking in more warm air, isn't there an increased fire risk?
Are they substantially much more to buy?

ahh, I will remeber that, usefull to know!

My Identical 2 pcs have big heat problems, always getting fairly hot, prehaps if I get a PSU with a suction, and turn the front fan around the right way, it might solve the problem!!

Thanks again.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Well the last PS you could touch the side and feel the heat so it was a whole lot warmer then the one I got now that feel just a very little bit warm. So it has to also help the heat that rises up from the CPU sucking out any of that added heat that the other PS could not do. 
No I don't think it cost more to buy then other. If it was more it sure was not that much. I got a fan by brand name and the amount and was not looking for a cheap one. 
So if you got a side fan turn it around and see if it helps.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Since a computer P/S runs at the most about a 75% efficiency, if your machine is actually drawing 200 watts for it's operation, there is over 60 watts being dissipated inside the P/S. That's why P/S cooling is so important, there's a lot of heat in a small space to get rid of.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

hewee, Thanks, usefull info again there.
I don't have a side fun (but then again, I don't know how to install a side fan!)

I do have front fans though, so it'll proberbly help turning these around I guess lol! 


John, thnaks, I had never looked at it like that, I think Im going to go and downgrade all my PSUs now to save on power consumption!


Thanks.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Downgrading the power supplies won't save any power. The P/S only supplies the power demanded of it, so a larger supply won't use any more power than a lower capacity one. If you really want to save energy, shop for the highest efficiency supply that is large enough to supply the system demaind.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I would not turn the front fans around because they need to suck air into the case. 
Like John said your only use the power needed from the PS. 
PS that come on many pre-build computer are under power. Well the power is OK for the computer and a printer but say you add other things like scanner, another drive, DVD etc then your need more power. Plus if you have all the things running at once you want to have the power for that.

Here is some info and a Power Supply Calculator.
http://journeysystems.com/?powercalc


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

Oh right!, I didn't quite think about that, but it does make sense!, thanks!  - and yeah, I will remeber that.

yeah, sorry If I have not explined properly, that is one of my problems, I have installed my front fans the wrong way around!, they are blowing rather than sucking :S

Ok, yeah, thanks for that info again, and also the calculator site, really useful, thanks.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

You bet it is a problem because you want the cooler air outside the case to come in the front and then the hot air going out the back.


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## Speakersrock (Dec 16, 2006)

ahh right lol!. I'll change it around tnoight/ tomorrow and post back with what differnce it makes!!


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