dtm407

the orlando humidity destroyed many of my tools in the past. i've had a dehumidifer in my garage for 3-4 years mainly for rust prevention of my woodworking tools. i have been told that you can control condensation in one of two ways: raise the temp in your garage(ie the temp of the objects you are concerned condensation forming on) above the dewpoint or decrease the humidity level. a dehumidifer in your garage will do both. an old woodworker's trick is to hang a extension cord light inside a table saw and thus keep the saw warmer than the air.
my dehumidifer on a timer so that it kicks on after midnight (when garage doors are closed and the temp starts to drop/condensation forms) it is easy to set up for the night time when the garage doors are closed, but daytime use of the garage leads to the dehumidifer running nonstop without any benefit if you don't have it on a timer. i have teenagers who leave the doors open nonstop and thus have given up trying dehumidify during the day. one of the benefits of running the dehumidifer is to open your windows and dry the inside. it is amazing how it deodorizes the interior. it has not eliminated the rust problem, but has cut down on the problem immensely. a tool left out will still rust, but not seemly overnight. IOW, a dehumdifer is not a cure-all

if you are concerned about running the dehumidifer, 24/7-you can purchase a Green Air Products humidistat(a greenhouse quailty control). i had one that worked well until i plugged the sensor up with sawdust. the humidistat on the dehumidifer is worthless.

like others have suggested, hook the dehumidifer up to a garden hose and run it out under the garage door.

BTW. i have been meaning to ask you where you get your tires from in orlando and who does a good/competent job mounting them.

hope this helps

doug

george_k

The A/C unit is the right way to go for moisture removal in hot weather, ur burning just as much juice with the dehumidifier running as you would be with a small window A/C unit but not getting any cooling comfort benefit from it. The only + with a portable dehumidfier is that its easier to install.

loliver

I have a two car garage at my office in SW FL. I used to keep a 1993 Viper there full time. One day I took the car cover off to drive it after it sat for a month in Aug. and the leather seats were covered in mildew/mold. I put in a big dehumidifier and a couple fans and they run 24/7. I have not had any problems since. That being said, I think that todays hi-efficiency AC units, keeping one on at 78 degrees would not cost too much.
You have me thinking its time to air condition my Club Coupe

Edgy01

If you're in Florida I would consider conditioned air a necessity for a garage. I would also never consider buying, used, a Porsche from Florida...

GSIRM3

There is no doubt that a dehumidifier will reduce the moisture content in the air. However, if you are just looking at the relative humidity value in % without taking into account changes in temperature, you will not get a true representation of the actual moisture content of the air which is measured by the dew point temperature.

For example:

Air Temp 70, Dew Point 70, Relative Humidity=100%
Air Temp 90, Dew Point 70, Relative Humidity=44.3%

Air Temp 70, Dew Point 55, Relative Humidity=50.48%
Air Temp 90, Dew Point 55, Relative Humidity=22.36%

As you can see, the relative humidity varies widely as temperature changes, even if the actual level of moisture in the air, as measured by dew point, stays constant.

Adwardjohn

The wife is always right. jokes apart dehumidifier is the most effective way to deal with humidity in a garage and prevent condensation and mold. it will keep the moisture level in balance and preventing tools from rusting and structural wood rot. when it comes to the size of the dehumidifier, its always 70-pint dehumidifier usually good enough for most garages and workshops. if you can't afford one a mini dehumidifier will remove fair enough moisture from the air to make a difference. check dehumidifier reviews for more relevant information

Iceter

Wow. This thread is 13 years old. Thats got to be a new resurrection record.

PV997

You beat me to it Iceter. Rennlist needs a policy that doesn't let new commenters post links until they have 20 posts or so. That should cut down on the shills.