Too much humidity - headed into winter

[pnut]

Michigan where we get hot summers, cold winters with alot of snow. Plus I live near Lake Michigan, which carries alot of moisture to my barn.

My barn has too much humidity. I have not measured, but I can tell on my old truck where there is exposed metal and some tools. I can feel it.

I just moved here and the barn was built already. It is fully insulated, 50x40x14, concrete floor. The walls are plywood which I am about to paint.

Here is my question:
Will my forced air heater reduce the humidity to a decent level until the spring when I install AC? I intend to install a mini-split in the spring and hoping the forced air heater WILL (edit) reduce the humidity enough. I plan to keep it heated to 65F all winter. I don't want to spend the $ if I don't have to now. Wallet is bleeding from other barn work right now.

The heater is circled.

 

[NakeDiesel]

I think your first thing you should do is to find out what the humidity actually is. I've been fighting humidity in my crawl space, house and out in my shop. I have a bunch of these sensor push sensors scattered around, some with temp alerts like in my well house, under house, in my deep freezes. I have them connected to 3 different gateways that are then connected to my internet wifi here at the house, in the wellhouse and out in my shop.

I've just completed getting under my house under control, which in turn fixed the issue in the house. It was hitting close to 100% under there and is now 45 to 50 percent. I accomplished that with 3 different things. 1, I put 12 mil plastic vapor barrier down and taped the seams. 2, I installed a big dehumidifier with pump and set the humity level at 50% on it, and 3 I spray foamed the rock walls along the inside of the crawl space.

My shop, it's spray foamed and it was hitting 80+% this spring when it was real wet out. I sealed my honey room floor in the small enclosed portion of my shop and ran a little 110 ac unit in there and fixed the issue there. The main shop, I have too much **** in pieces to get the floor coated, but I did install a 5 ton heat pump in it to help control the humidity better in there. Have the thermostat set at 77 in the main shop now.

This is my sensor push data from my crawl space since last Jan:

 

[larry4406]

OP - any reason to not be running a dehumidifier now with a pumped drain? I agree measure the humidity.

I would think that heating would dry out the place just like it does in a home, but I am no expert. Looks like your heater exhausts outside so that is good.

@NakeDiesel I like those graphs. Link to product(s)?

 

[NakeDiesel]

I'm using these sensors: https://www.sensorpush.com/

This is the dehumidifier I'm using under my house: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DLST5HP/?tag=atomicindus08-20



They have an api where I can retrieve all my data for my sensors and crunch them internally here at the house and also have an online charting system as well:

This is comparing Outside, inside the house and my crawlspace since Jan:



This one is comparing Outside and inside my shop:

 

[TractorJeff]

I run a dehumidifier in the shop to **** up snow moisture that comes in with the vehicles with a similar heater.
It will get drier in the winter, especially when the Lake freezes over.

 

[pnut]

OP - any reason to not be running a dehumidifier now with a pumped drain? I agree measure the humidity.

I would think that heating would dry out the place just like it does in a home, but I am no expert. Looks like your heater exhausts outside so that is good.

@NakeDiesel I like those graphs. Link to product(s)?

The only reason not to get a dehumidifier now is that the cost would be close the to the cost of the mini split (for a decent humidifier). The previous owner ran one and it was so nice when he had it in there. So basically if I were to spring for a good dehumidifier, I may as well in stall the mini split now, and run it on dehumidifier mode.

I think you are right about the heater since it vents outside but hoping someone here has more history.

 

[Innovate1]

I intend to install a mini-split in the spring and hoping the forced air heater wouldn't reduce the humidity enough.

That statement is confusing to me. Did you mistype something?

Absolute humidity is much lower in the winter so a small heater that is vented outside (to keep the water vapor in the exhaust out of the building) should do a good job. The issue will be can you keep it warm enough for you rather than humidity in the winter. Typically in cold climates homes have humidifiers to add moisture because it gets so low. I like to think in terms of dew point rather than relative humidity as it removes the temperature variation of the measurement. Cold air can hold a lot less moisture than warm air.

 

[pnut]

That statement is confusing to me. Did you mistype something?

Absolute humidity is much lower in the winter so a small heater that is vented outside (to keep the water vapor in the exhaust out of the building) should do a good job. The issue will be can you keep it warm enough for you rather than humidity in the winter. Typically in cold climates homes have humidifiers to add moisture because it gets so low. I like to think in terms of dew point rather than relative humidity as it removes the temperature variation of the measurement. Cold air can hold a lot less moisture than warm air.

I just notice the typo, thank you. I am hoping the heater does reduce humidity enough is what I edited to say.

 

[gmcgeo]

First thing i would do is sell me your GMC

 

[Crowbarman55]

Check and see if there is a rebate from your electric company to purchase a mini split.
I am in Michigan too but Saginaw Bay area.
Todd

 

[pnut]

First thing i would do is sell me your GMC

haha. You and everyone else. It's a one ton (king pin), no rust, last year 1991, crossover steering, and a 5.9 Cummins