Garage Humidity - Rust Prevention

[Jmjuhl]

Have had issues with surface rusting on tools, reloading equipment, etc in my garage for a bit and have been trying to combat it recently. Got all the pool chemicals out of the garage and stuck a digital thermometer/humidity gauge on the garage freezer to get a baseline which ranged in the 75-80% humidity mark. Here in Houston we fortunately are far enough away from the coast to not deal with salt but humidity is just a fact of life. Most days it feels like you jumped straight out of a hot shower without drying off and just put your clothes on. My garage is in a reverse L shape (considered a 3 car garage, but really room to park 2 cars with more depth on one side for more storage/tools/hot water heaters). The laundry room also backs up to the extra storage area inside the house so I am sure the washer/dryer running non stop up against that wall doesn't help matters.

For a short term solution, I bought a portable dehumidifier rated for about 4500sq ft and stuck it in the garage to see what it does. Running continuously over two days I was able to pull the humidity level down to 35% in the garage which is nice. The downside is the bucket fills up with enough water after 12-24hours and the unit auto shuts off until its dumped...not a huge issue but I am sure it will get old over time. This should solve humidity issues for a while during teardown and construction of the Bronco, and keep things at bay but longer term I know I am going to need a better solution.

What do you guys do for a longer term solution? In wall dehumidifiers? Etc etc?

 

[kempco]

I used a dehumidifier before that had a hose attachment so you didn't have to empty the bucket all the time.

 

[Jmjuhl]

I used a dehumidifier before that had a hose attachment so you didn't have to empty the bucket all the time.

My unit has a hose attachment/drain but haven't made it that far yet...looks like I need to read the manual a bit further.

 

[bigmuddy]

My unit has a hose attachment/drain but haven't made it that far yet...looks like I need to read the manual a bit further.

I would think it wouldn't be hard to add a drain to the bucket. Maybe drill, epoxy a hose bib and then run it out a side wall? If I can ever get to the point of getting the ceiling in and sidewalls completely insulated, I am considering putting in a mini split of traditional heat and ac for the shop. I have a buddy that runs his year around and it really isn't too bad cost wise for power consumption.

 

[77Bronco636]

Using the hose adaptor would be key and routing it to a larger storage container to reuse all that nice water you collected for the garden or flowers (if you have a need for it around your home). I would also make sure that the vapor barrier is really good for the area you are trying to dehumidify or you are just wasting money. Heating the air will also drop the dew point of it but I’m sure that is the last thing you want to be doing in Texas! You can always try and window air condition also (condensation will be going outside with that set up) it will help control the temperature and humidity in the space (75% of air conditioning is dehumidification). Hope this helps a bit!

 

[Pops68]

Yup, use the hose drain through a wall or into a floor drain (if you have one)....got a cabin in Pa. with moisture issues. Just finished replacing all the original floors last year (couldn't afford to do a complete tear down/rebuild like 2 neighbors did). Had been using a portable AC/dehumidifier unit on a timer when away during the spring-fall the past few years. Helped but too much stress on the units, I think. So, bought a dedicated dehumidifier (no AC) and trying it this year. Started it up in March at 3-4 hours/day and will be there tomorrow to see how it is working. Can bypass the timer when I am there and run it 24/7 if needed. Drilled a hole through the wall originally and ran 3/4" PVC outside and attached a garden hose to get the water away from camp. Works as designed.

de-humidifier on left and AC/dehumidifier on right - now used as AC only,

 

[capt2130]

I put a mini split up. It works great for winter and summer.