garage dehumidifiers

The more industrial the better. Easily cleanable air filter good drain system.
Mine is a "Dessert Air"

 

I have to get one for my garage in CT. If you dont live nearby where its used then get a build in unit. The small units like the ones sold at SEARS have to be emptied all the time.

Also VERY IMPORTANT, if its a plug in unit, make sure it & any other electrical equipment is well clear of the floor because if gas vapors escape a fuel tank they will settle near the floor & if an electric unit should spark near the floor.... you may have a bad hair day

 

Not sure where you live Greg, but consider that "standard" ones dont work below 60ish degrees. Im looking for a new one myself that will work in low temps. Also most can empty through a hose so you dont need to empty the cannister. Others yet can pump up where gravity is not your friend.

 

Desiccant

(I can understand drying in tropical humid climates to a comfortable level of around 50%, but for climates that average less than 50%, are we looking forward to dried, cracking Ferrari leather?)

 

Interesting. I have tons of those little desiccant packets lying around.

What if one were to stick a few packets of desiccant in, say, the doors to keep their insides dry? Maybe a few packets around the fuse block? Is there a nasty chemical reaction that may result?

 

I live in Florida. I used to buy a Sears or other brand every year as that was as long as they lasted. They also ran all the time and did only a fair job of dehumidifying a 3 car garage.

Now I have a 2,000 sq. ft. garage and have used an Ebac Neptune for the last 2 years or more. It costs 3 times as much but actually uses about a third of the wattage that the others used. It moves out 5 times more water! It works in lower temperatures without freezing and it only runs about 50 percent of the time to give me about 50 percent humidity in my Florida garage.

I drilled a hole through my side wall in the back to run the water tube directly into the yard. It can pump several gallons of water a day in the summer. You will need to buy a humidistat. I use a Honeywell 46C or 46E (I think). It is located about 25 feet away from the dehumidifier. It is easy as the unit has that long a cord.

It is good up north as well. 50 percent RH is a good number any time of the year. I have been doing this experiment for years. I have tools I do not want to rust. This was my best purchase to date. When it goes bad I will buy another Ebac Neptune for sure.

see:

http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/industrial-dehumidifiers-overview.html
http://www.sylvane.com/ebac-neptune.html?source=goog&keyword=neptune%20dehumidifier

as some example retailers.

aehaas

 

I would go to my neighborhood marina and see what they have at the chandlery. I have a dehumidifier in my boat (38ft. so not as much space as a garage) and it works very well but it is too small for a garage, I am sure they have bigger ones.