I’m considering a small dehumidifier for my paincave. Even though my house has a/c and I have a blower fan my room can get warm for hard workouts if I have the door closed. It just depends on the workout, if the door is closed, and if it’s a really hot day where the a/c is working hard to get down to the temp I want.
Any body using a dehumidifier? Does it make a big difference? I’m figuring the dryer it is in the room along with the blower on me would me the sweat is evaporating off me and I’ll stay cooler.
Yes, and yes. I’ve got a plug in dehumidifier and it does make a significant difference to comfort levels in my training room. I’ve got a temperature and humidity monitor in the room and it shoots up to 99% fairly quickly with the door shut and the dehumidifier off and much less so without it.
thanks. that good to know. I have two fans blowing on me even for easy workouts and crank down the a/c so I want it as cool as possible. plenty of small dehumidifiers on amazon for < $50 so I figure it’s worth a try. I don’ have a humidity monitor but I know on some longer hard works the room’s windows fog out and I can feel how humid it’s got
A dehumidifier will take the humidity down but keep in mind they put out some heat in the process. I have one in my basement which works great but not sure how it would play out in a small closed room.
FWIW - if I’m running the A/C long term, the dehumidifier doesn’t come on. Full house A/C is really just a giant dehumidifier. If your A/C is not getting the humidity down to an acceptable level, consider having your system checked out.
I might just start getting a humidity monitor to see what the level is while I’m working out. The a/c will get things down to an acceptable level but of course once I start working out the level in the room quickly rises along with the temperature. The thermometer of course is in a separate room so the temp is fine there but my paincave has heated up considerably.
I have a thermometer in my 10x12 training room and if I leave the door closed, the temp can go up 3-4 degrees over a hard workout. Me, the trainer, the lights and the TV put out a decent amount of heat in such a confined space.
Spend a little more and you can get a low temp model with a humidity gauge and set point. I think my wife got mine for closer to $100-150 on amazon but it makes a huge difference. The reservoir is a gallon and it fills up FAST. No more foggy windows and the room is more tolerable in the heat of the day (200 yo house so no AC…).
Thanks. For now, I just got a humidity and temp monitor so I want to see how humid it gets when I do a long workout. We have a/c (it’s older and will probably get replaced in a couple years) but my paincave is in the warmest room in the house and I’ve definitely fogged up the windows with long workouts.
Echo most of what said above. Unfortunately do not have a a/c unit in my basement. This is the time of year that the humidity ramps up. Doing a workout yesterday and temp in the room was 74 (ramped up 4 degree’s over workout) and humidity was 64%~. I ran my dehumidifier after and it dropped humidity to 41%.
One thing of note is that having continuous high humidity levels may result in mold growth in your pain cave/basement. Some mold are not harmful but some mold are not so helpful. Used to workout with a fan and all windows closed in the basement, but now workout next to a window with one fan in front of bike and another behind on window sill, with the window open. Use two hygrometers to keep humidity levels around 40% using two de-humidifiers. One is connected to a sink so don’t need to empty, but one is not connected to a sink so I just empty that before every workout. Also started to use an unused air purifier in the basement. For all those who live in not so dry areas, mold growth is something to think about.
That’s another good point. My training room is a single skin brick built room in our garden and while it’s not too bad in the summer, during the winter the humidity builds and then never dissipates well in the cold and especially damp weather. Leaving the dehumidifier on for a period of time after training I’m sure prolongs the life of the equipment I’ve got in there.
Im riding a room with open window and 2 fans on. After my ride, i leave the window open for approx 30min for heat to dissappate. How likely is it that mould will form?? (Ps, outside temp is approx 0 degrees). Should i just pull the trigger and get a dehumidifier ir is this a cost i dont have to incur as open window etc will be enough?
Its complicated, and depends on the twmperature and RH difference between your room, and the outside. However, the easiest way to see is just to watch what happens. Does your room feel damp and clammy? Do your walls get wet, and do they dry when you open the window? Also, it’s probably a good idea to keep the room warmish when not training, and ventilated, so it can dry properly.
Sorry. Nope. Didn’t end up doing that. We actually needed to replace our HVAC so when they did that I had them added an extra air vent in my workout room to cool it even more so definitely not humid in there anymore
I got a window ac unit for my training room and it’s an absolute game changer. Being able to close the door and blast that bad boy is magical. As a consequence of how they work they suck a ton of moisture out of the air as well. Highly recommend.
i have an A/C in there also i get it down to 70 but i think the humidity is still affecting me…i just set the gauge up down there to check…i dont know what it is but i get killed with the heat inside or out …not so much the heat but the humidity destroys me!
Ah! Finally, someone else with an issue in the winter I live where it’s hot and dry in the summer and cool and wet in the winter.
If you happen to see this 3+ years later, what model do you use?
I live where it’s hot and dry in the summer and cool and wet in the winter.