Humidity Control - What works for you?

[DopeDaniel]

What I have works but I am finding the reliability of the IdealAir 50 pint dehumidifier a bit lacking. I just ordered a control board for one I had less than 2 years and a humidity sensor for another one that went out, it's why I bought the 2nd in the first place.

My method is also dependant on manual morning and night adjustments. My humidifier can't be controlled by an outside controller so I haven't gone that route yet but am considering it. It's an aeroswiss I have had more than 10 years but it still reads accurate and works.

I saw a couple combo units but they looked like total garbage.

Wondering if there are better options for this kinda scale?

 

[rightweedofthefreeworld]

I'm pretty lacking in adjustability, in the bedroom I keep my 3 tents in, I usually keep a dehumidifier set for around 50% humidity that'll automatically kick on when needed while keeping the door open to the living room. This allows for some fluctuation depending on season and if the heater or ac is turned on. I find that my tent's inline exhaust fan can draw out alot of the moisture and the dehumidifier keeps up. As long as I keep my tents full, the amount of wet dirt acts as my humidifier and there isn't any worry about something kicking on to adjust humidity.

The dehumidifier is for a 2000sq/ft space, the room is probably 12'x12' while my house is smaller than 2000sq/ft so that should give an idea of scale. Then during humid parts of the year I usually drain it once or twice a day, though if I had a drain this wouldn't be needed. Only had to use a humidifier once but that was because I didn't have many plants going at one time.

I think adjustability on the fly is great but if there is a way of sustaining without buying extras, its fine but I have to live with 50% through all growth stages. The downside is that seedlings dry out fast and vegging plants need more water. I'm finding 3 gallon pots are great for this while 1 gallon pot SOGs take a lot of watering so with breeding the challenge is strategy of doing a whole bunch of solos, flowering them, transplanting into 1 gallon pots, and toss a bunch out while keeping average ones for bud with the those that look exceptional go to breeding.

 

[Trichitect]

I'm not sure if it will work for your situation, but the best thing I ever did for humidity control was to cover the tops of my pots with a piece of foil-faced bubblewrap. I use 2, 7, and 15 gal fabric pots. I cut a circle the same size as the pot and cut a radial slit to the center, that let's me put in on and pull it off when I water. I also wrap my fabric pots with shrink wrap. Those two thing really have given my dehuey a break and help keep RH in range.

 

[dstroy0]

70 Pint Capacity with Drain Pump, Electronic Control - 115 volt Dehumidifier|^|HEN70ETFP

www.haierappliances.com

I've got the older version without the drain pump, before it was the grow room dehumidifier it was the basement dehumidifier. It's been going for like 10 years now.

edit: Wife said 13 years.

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

My flower room is a "blow through" setup.
Climate controlled air from our house is all I use, it's pulled from the house proper into the sealed flower room (it's in the middle of the house kinda) and exited out the ceiling.
But I do use a dehumidifier when I harvest.
Right now I'm in the middle of drying and our outside humidity has been like 85% the last few days. Without the dehum it would be a mess, set it to 60%. Usually only fills up over 2 days but the last few days I've been emptying it 2 twice a day.

 

[Psychobilly]

I myself use one of those "not in the window AC units with a dry setting". the out back garage has one with a tube hooked up so it can drain moisture from the air and straight outside.

With that in mind it's difficult to not want to play with the environment at least a little.... A Computer controller for the LEDs so that only one part of the lights starts at a time making it more like the Sun is rising, and of course, some nice lovely beans from Afghanistan where I can set the humidity level to REALLY low and pretty cold, and see what happens.

 

[dstroy0]

I myself use one of those "not in the window AC units with a dry setting". the out back garage has one with a tube hooked up so it can drain moisture from the air and straight outside.

With that in mind it's difficult to not want to play with the environment at least a little.... A Computer controller for the LEDs so that only one part of the lights starts at a time making it more like the Sun is rising, and of course, some nice lovely beans from Afghanistan where I can set the humidity level to REALLY low and pretty cold, and see what happens.

Here’s some really good information:



Sunrise/sunset simulations have no effect and decrease your DLI. It’s a combination of environmental factors that are applying the right amount of pressure in the right place at the right time. That’s where we see the results, and since humans are bad at lumping processes together that have parallel timelines, we attribute the increase in quality to that but it’s a side effect of environmental pressure that you can reproduce without sunrise/sunset sims; so it can’t be that reason as far as I understand it.

 

[Psychobilly]

Here’s some really good information:



Sunrise/sunset simulations have no effect and decrease your DLI. It’s a combination of environmental factors that are applying the right amount of pressure in the right place at the right time. That’s where we see the results, and since humans are bad at lumping processes together that have parallel timelines, we attribute the increase in quality to that but it’s a side effect of environmental pressure that you can reproduce without sunrise/sunset sims; so it can’t be that reason as far as I understand it.

Thanks bro! I heard of someone doing that once with the "slow start" lighting and I was curious how it would affect things.

 

[DopeDaniel]

Love it. Different issues, different objectives.

More plants definitely helps my situation, I am in a dry environment and use outside air for temperature management. The humidifier is kinda like a swamp cooler and I have thought about using one of those instead. I don't always need it but it is a must when I am drawing in dry mid to high 70's+ air for cooling.

In the summer dehumidifier has to work at night for the most part, unless it is raining. I have it set up to direct drain otherwise it would fill up in one night.

 

[DopeDaniel]

70 Pint Capacity with Drain Pump, Electronic Control - 115 volt Dehumidifier|^|HEN70ETFP

www.haierappliances.com

I've got the older version without the drain pump, before it was the grow room dehumidifier it was the basement dehumidifier. It's been going for like 10 years now.

edit: Wife said 13 years.

I'm dissapointed?? LOL the space dumpster doesn't have a quantum dehydrator?

 

[jaguarlax]

i use this in a 10x12 room and ive had zero issues this year since purchase. RH is accurate according to my AC infinity sensors. Sometimes it can run a bit hot, but its kept the bud rot and mold out, so its all good.

Frigidaire High Humidity 50-Pint Capacity Dehumidifier FFAD5033W1

The Frigidaire 50 Pint Dehumidifier captures dust from the air for a cleaner, more comfortable home environment with a Washable Filter and Custom Humidity Control for maximized comfort. Front loading bucket with carrying handle and splash guard makes cleaning hassle-free. Easily carry from room...

www.homedepot.com

 

[VAHomegrown]

If any of you all have a Rural King store near you, they have excellent deals on refurbished GE dehumidifiers. They come with basic warranty or a no questions asked replacement warranty for $15. The unit I have now listed new on Amazon for $349 but Rural King had them for $99 refurbished.

 

[BH]

30-50 gal tout, waterproof fan, waterproof humicontroler/stat and ultrasonic mister = awesome grow version and also good soluction for people who cant add water everyday.

Great price and also same thing prebuilt are lkke 750-1k+ (Prolly not as durable too)

 

[DopeDaniel]

30-50 gal tout, waterproof fan, waterproof humicontroler/stat and ultrasonic mister = awesome grow version and also good soluction for people who cant add water everyday.

Great price and also same thing prebuilt are lkke 750-1k+ (Prolly not as durable too)

I used a dog watering bowl with a reservoir to make one of those. Functional, not elegant.

 

[spyralout]

spyralout's DIY Fogger Tote Humidifier

My quest for a humidifier for VPD purposes started with trying to find a unit which would hold more water than the little half gallon cool mist I have. After trying a unit with a bigger reservoir and not seeing any difference in humidity (along with it being cumbersome to remove from the base to...

phenohunter.org

 

[Kanzeon]

My humidity control, in its entirety, is a 2 gallon humidifier. The humidity stays right around 70% in flower (85F-ish when lights are on) and 75% in late veg (also around 85-88 degrees F).

Haven't used a dehumidifier in years. Don't believe in 'em for growing, different story for curing.