I need to get a dehumidifier for my basement but was wondering if it will have any negative effects on stuff like guitars and such? The humidity is really bad and I think it has already messed up the neck on my bass, but is there a possibility it could be too dry from a dehumidifier? If so should I only get a smaller dehumidifier??
Basement studio and dehumidifier
- Thread starter tbuck92
- Start date
Rod Gervais
New member
Nope - get the largest best dehumidifier that you can afford - and then set it at 43% RH. Make sure it's large enough for the entire basement (Grainger Industrial is a good source for these systems)
Here's a link:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/dehumidifiers/air-treatment/hvacr/ecatalog/N-8sl?op=search
It will not continue to run and dehumidify below it's setting - however you may well find with a small one that it will run constantly and still never dehumidify your space......
Rod
Arjosy
New member
Also, if you can, get one that you don't have to empty. I have one I picked up from Home Depot with a hose attachment that goes into my sump pit. Has made my basement the driest place in the house. I actually prefer to keep me gear and instruments there because it doesn't fluctuate like the rest of the house with cooking, showers, doors opening and closing, etc. Also does a fairly good job as an air cleaner too.
How do you tell you need a dehumidifier? My studio is a former garage, and most of it is below ground level and adjacent to the basement. I haven't noticed anything unusual as far as wetness or anything. Is it supposed to be obvious or is there a chance that I might have a humidity problem that I am not aware of?
Arjosy
New member
You can find a digital meter that shows the temp and relative humidity from Wal-Mart for around 6 bucks. Mold starts to grow around 50% humidity, so you want to stay below that at least. I would agree with going for about 43% as that's what I shoot for in my basement studio. In the summer, it's the coolest and driest place in the house.
Thanks!
So this "digital meter", does it have a specific name? Just so that i can cut down on the time I spend walking up and down the aisles...
Arjosy
New member
Here's the link to it from Wal-Mart's site. I picked mine up in-store.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Springfield-Digital-Indoor-Thermometer-with-Hygrometer/10671021
Arjosy
New member
Most of the portable units vent dry air into the room you are dehumidifying. I haven't seen units that need to vent outside like air conditioners do. Mine sits on a crate with a short hose the drains into a sump pit next to it. I turn it off during sessions unless I'm recording direct.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Right...but the byproduct of the unit operating...is heat.
I mean, if it works for you and it's not bad...then that's great!
Maybe the real small units don't put out as much heat (or not as noticeable), but I have a larger floor unit that puts out a good deal of heat, because they all have a compressor running in order to "pull" the moisture out of the air...so they do emit heat. Not a big deal with cooler outside temps...but I tried running my unit in a spare room one summer...and while it did remove a lot of moisture...the amount of heat it left behind was not a good trade-off.
For my studio...I have a wall vent that is part of the central AC for the building.
An air conditioner will do the same thing a dehumidifier does...and it usually vents the hot air outside or pulls it out of the room via its return system.
I mean, if it works for you and it's not bad...then that's great!
Maybe the real small units don't put out as much heat (or not as noticeable), but I have a larger floor unit that puts out a good deal of heat, because they all have a compressor running in order to "pull" the moisture out of the air...so they do emit heat. Not a big deal with cooler outside temps...but I tried running my unit in a spare room one summer...and while it did remove a lot of moisture...the amount of heat it left behind was not a good trade-off.
For my studio...I have a wall vent that is part of the central AC for the building.
An air conditioner will do the same thing a dehumidifier does...and it usually vents the hot air outside or pulls it out of the room via its return system.
Arjosy
New member
Right...but the byproduct of the unit operating...is heat.
I mean, if it works for you and it's not bad...then that's great!
Maybe the real small units don't put out as much heat (or not as noticeable), but I have a larger floor unit that puts out a good deal of heat, because they all have a compressor running in order to "pull" the moisture out of the air...so they do emit heat. Not a big deal with cooler outside temps...but I tried running my unit in a spare room one summer...and while it did remove a lot of moisture...the amount of heat it left behind was not a good trade-off.
For my studio...I have a wall vent that is part of the central AC for the building.
An air conditioner will do the same thing a dehumidifier does...and it usually vents the hot air outside or pulls it out of the room via its return system.[/QUOTE
Guess it depends where your using it. My house has central air and my basement is typically the coolest place in the house. But the AC doesn't do enough to keep it quiet dry enough. So the dehumidifer does the trick and it is still waaay cooler than the rest of the house. I've seen people running window AC units in their basement windows. If you have the window to accomodate it where it won't be partially submerged in heavy rain, that might do the trick.
Arjosy
New member
My biggest concern with too dry would be ESD (electro-static discharge). Probably not much of an issue in the summer even with AC, but in the winter, static discharges can damage your gear. And even if you don't experience immediate, hard failure, it can reduce the life of your electronics. I run a whole house humidifier attached to my heating system in the winter.
ljacobs1987
New member
A good basement dehumidifier is all that's needed in some basement dampness situations. High humidity problems are an inherent problem for basements and crawlspaces because cooler temperatures below ground tend to attract outside humidity. That is why your instruments are being affected. I know first hand how the literal effect of the instrument can be destroyed by humidity. Check in to purchasing a good basement dehumidifier to avoid the loss of any more instruments.
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dehumidifierexperts.com
garethjones
New member
A 70 pint dehumidifier will help you in this situation...
Help WITH A/C and humidity prob.s...freakin out? YES!
have just found my storage area of old guitars/amps have some white growth!...especially on the peavy/carvin "fabric covered" amps. I thought I defeated this with a constantly running mini=split a/c system....but it runs constantly at 72 degrees for a small room (was sized correctly etc.) but is in shade all day in NC and am having above problems..
this is also my recording room..yikes.
sorry, I digress, just wanted to know which/what dehumidifiers were worth their salt. Under $300?
Or should I install UV lights to burn when I am not in the room?
Looking for best performance. I can/'haved used the bleach/h2o but the "mold" comes back after a month or two.
Not underground and a/c runs constantly.
weird?
help?...YES!
THANKS FOR ANY AND ALL!
have just found my storage area of old guitars/amps have some white growth!...especially on the peavy/carvin "fabric covered" amps. I thought I defeated this with a constantly running mini=split a/c system....but it runs constantly at 72 degrees for a small room (was sized correctly etc.) but is in shade all day in NC and am having above problems..
this is also my recording room..yikes.
sorry, I digress, just wanted to know which/what dehumidifiers were worth their salt. Under $300?
Or should I install UV lights to burn when I am not in the room?
Looking for best performance. I can/'haved used the bleach/h2o but the "mold" comes back after a month or two.
Not underground and a/c runs constantly.
weird?
help?...YES!
THANKS FOR ANY AND ALL!