Dehumidifier Recommendation

[ezmaarc]

So I’m getting into flowering pretty good now and I really need better control of my humidity. I’ve got a 2x4x6 and currently have a little cheesy humidifier in the tent but it just ain’t cutting it.
Need a recommendation!
Damn things are kinda pricey but it’d be worth it.
Another question would be: Do I get a little larger one and control my lung room (11x11x8 bedroom - though I’m growing in a closet)?
Ultimately, without spending an arm and a leg I’d like to have something with a sensor so can set the rh I want to generally target…but if there is some other way to get control I’d take that.
Just came across a $55 Vivosun but that might just be like something I already have that seems a bit weak.
Anyway, thanks in advance to any replies.
Cheers!

[Ckbrew]

This is what I use in the lung room. The large bucket on the bottom that separates makes it easy to empty. Humidistat is built in.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Midea-50-Pint-CUBE-Smart-Dehumidifier-with-Pump-3X-More-Water-Capacity-ENERGY-STAR-MOST-EFFICIENT-for-up-to-4-500-sf-MAD50PS1QGR/315869075

[Bluey]

Get one with a compressor that is rated at least at what your giving your plants daily plus about 50% if in a totally sealed room. If your also fighting ambient humidity double to triple what your giving your plants. Ratings are measured at non standard temps and humidity so check those and guess. Go bigger.

I control mine via the power supply automated by the sensors in the room. The inbuilt sensors are not particularly accurate so use external. Mine has a 1.6gal reservoir that fills in a couple of hours if I cannot drain to waste so thats what I do.

Mine cost about US$400 on sale. It handles easily a fertigation of 20ltrs/day and can get RH down below 40% at 24⁰C. My room is reasonably well sealed but I do changeover the air via the AC that also dehumidifies the fresh air and the room air. If I wasn't running an AC I'd probably be around mid to high 40's on the RH.

My dehumidifier will increase temps of the air it treating by 2⁰C.

[Mollisol]

I Miss read your post. My mistake.

[12HourPower]

Everything Bluey said. You're looking at $250-$300 minimum. As bluey said, better to be overpowered than under. I think my GE was $270 for 50 pints/day, and it has sucked out any amount of moisture I have thrown at it (except during defrost, see below). I would use my UIS control plug to turn it on if it didn't have such a long warm up cycle. You might try that and see how it works for you. For my setup and machine the delay in compressor activation after restoration of power is too long. I have to keep it on, set at 35% in my lung room with AC set at 70 (during daytime/lights on) to trigger vent the tent using the ACI controller humidistat. It still slacks off about once an hour, which is annoying, but I think it's just the auto-defrost. Probably no way around this, especially at higher humidity levels. I have experienced more warming than bluey's 2°C (probably 3-4 °C) but that's probably due to differences in grow space size, surrounding materials, etc. My space is mostly sealed with a little bit of cross draft through the AC. Be prepared for an increase.

I tried it inside the tent and the temp/humidity swings were too wild. I got much better control after moving it out into the lung room, and trigger venting.

Get one with a drain hose or pump, you'll be annoyed if you have to empty it every day, and it will shut off if it gets full. I think the Midea bucket style holds more than most but you still have to haul it around.

[Bluey]

Mine has a 3 minute delay on motor start up so the trigger points are adjusted on both the AC and humidifier to best manage that.

I don't seem to get any defrost action above 23⁰C. It does 330m³/hour, it's marketed and tested as a 100pint/day @32⁰C & 80% RH. It's motor is rated @ 740w from memory running on high but I'm drawing 500 odd watt continuous from the plug

[12HourPower]

Bluey 3 minutes sounds right. I might give that a test run after this grow is done drying.

I've never seen any frost form on my coils. It seems to be disengaging the compressor while letting the fan blow over the wet coils to melt ice that is not there, preventatively.

How are you measuring your current draw/wattages?

[Bluey]

The wall plug has both temp and RH sensors and measures power draw. It can be automated using very similar instruction sets to IFTTT, both google assistant/home, Alexander and Apple hub things....I'm only familiar with google and have used it successfully but don't any more.

[golfnrl]

I use an older model of this one. Yes. Controlling the rh in the lung room is the way to go.

[Rootsruler]

ezmaarc I have a similarly sized lung room. I use a 30 pint model with drain hose. A 50 pint would be better in terms of dropping humidity faster but the 30 pint does the job.

For reference, the 30 pint I have will drop humidity 15% in about 3 hours but it will also add around 5° to the lung room temp.

My dehu also has a sensor so I just set it to the level I want it to maintain and it does the rest. I had a little mishap just the other day with the bucket I use to catch the condensate overflowing due to my laziness so I bought this to keep that from happening.

Amazon.com: Roamoris Small Pump With Level Sensor 110V Automatic Submersible Water Pump Mini HVAC Condensate Pump For Dehumidifier,Air Conditioner, Ice Maker, Furnace,Air Cooler,Auto Shut Off,PM01 : Home & Kitchen

The dehu has an overflow switch but because I was using the drain hose the switch never activated. I could've just used a refrigerator condensate pump and directed the hose to it but I figured if the little pump I bought ever failed the overflow switch on the dehu will act as a backup and shut off the dehu so that there are no overflows versus the fridge pump failing and me having to mop up the mess.

This is the dehu I bought but it was branded under the VacPlus name. I think I paid $120. I've had it for almost 3 years now. Only maintenance I need to do is keep the intake screen clean.

https://www.amazon.com/Yaufey-Dehumidifier-Intelligent-Controlled-Dehumidifiers/dp/B0CNCZ71WC/ref=sr_1_41?crid=218UY9MGNJYIX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DM ZEmqWVVQ4l4UD3uUdJp8TB6ZAgtwipMoqoHfAboN_eqNkusZY6 r20QjZV-wAVbHQks22fIyOjnqf3SlLNyRVaSlpVnwkzXqxPw2PPB44TcaI Rg8WooGNMPpebFqh4PHuTlg5PJNpozIeD8c9Q8bjHqXr9CXLqh kL6tmhxvg7gRowpGvhCT9Q7CsOjzqZiJurXhAQdhrvTXfIm48K Phjz3eRpd3Kic1K5ihlfoXdCu30gPDYZDScQAhPlbusb2h3Lv0 1QShoSgM9SOgNCT-hzv77RDb5unJPYxzJ0IK_PI.QoKKK4ElJhJ1CCkpb40QWiF6CR aHl_6m0KguzpsPhJg&dib_tag=se&keywords=dehumidifier &qid=1708730151&refinements=p_n_feature_nineteen_b rowse-bin%3A17685854011&rnid=17685851011&s=home-garden&sprefix=dehumidifier%2Caps%2C330&sr=1-41

[Allenpro]

Thats a tough one in high humidity area's, in my opinion your better off taking the hit now and getting what you need for the room verses going cheap and eventually spending 3x that amount and eventually working up to buying the right one, been there done that alot and I have a closet full of lights to prove it. Another option could be to buy a humidifier big enough for the grow space/tent x3 and growing less plants. Dehumidifier manufacturers tend to exaggerate the capability of their dehumidifiers.

[ezmaarc]

Thank you all so kindly! This is great info to fill my brain.