Venting a seldom used cabin

[nonhog]

Same idea can be applied to a shop/garage.
My parents cabin only gets used a handful of times a year. Gets pretty musty.
They turn off the electricity when leaving.
I'm thinking the place needs some airflow throughout the year.
Solar powered, even though its near the coast in Washington state(think gray ), would be needed.

Thinking of a safe way to add a venting system.

Thoughts?

 

[nehog]

How about a wind turbine vent system? No power needed, simple, and easy to find and install. A bit of duct from the roof to a ceiling vent and a vent down low (if the cabin is really air tight, I doubt it is however.)

 

[LutzTD]

I would think you want a dehumidifier more than a method to bring more moisture in. Maybe a solar set up with a timed on off dehumidifier and a hose to a good drain?

 

[kbs2244]

I agree on the need for air movement.
But will you be pulling in damp air if you exhaust to the outside?

It may be better to turn on the heat just enough to bring down the humidity.
Window box fans to move the air also.
That would mean leaving on the electric though.

If you really don’t want to leave the power on then a solar charged battery running one of those 12VDC radiator fans might be a DIY project.

 

[djjsr]

I've been looking at solar powered roof fans. They are available in different sizes and some of them run whenever there's enough sunlight, regardless of temperature. Sounds like a small one is all you'll need just to keep the air from getting musty. Do a little googling, they're easy to find.

One more thing to think about ....... you can't blow air out of a building if there's no fresh air coming in somewhere.

 

[nonhog]

Maybe a couple of box fans just moving the inside air?
And looks like dehumidifier shopping in my future.
Thanks for the input!

 

[Detroit cc]

Why not use bathroom vent fans, have one directing air into the building, the other venting air out?
Use the solar panel to power them.

 

[MScott]

How about a wind turbine vent system? No power needed, simple, and easy to find and install. A bit of duct from the roof to a ceiling vent and a vent down low (if the cabin is really air tight, I doubt it is however.)

+1 on this. If you are on the coast in the NW you probably have more wind than sun and these things move a lot of air even when the breeze is light. They are maintenance free, very inexpensive and will keep the cabin from getting musty. KISS

 

[theoldwizard1]

I would think you want a dehumidifier more than a method to bring more moisture in. Maybe a solar set up with a timed on off dehumidifier and a hose to a good drain?

I agree !

Me Dad's place in FL had an A/C thermostat and humidistat. When he was not there (9 months of the year) A/C was set for about 85 but if the humidity got to high the humidistat would turn on the A/C.

 

[nti06]

You can board up a window on each side of the cabin. Leave the boarded windows open. Install a soffit vent on one boarded window and a solar powered attic fan in the other boarded window. Now you have a nice cross draft moving air through the cabin as long as the sun is up.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Box fans do a nice job of slowly moving air without upsetting thermal layers.

 

[spongerich]

I'd be reluctant to leave a box fan running unattended for long periods.

Of course, I'm a little leery of them in general since I turned mine on last week and it smoked and sparked and caught on fire a little...

You probably don't really to move much air... how about some 120mm 12V computer fans?

You could easily run them from a small car battery and recharge with solar. Check eBay for "VW Solar Charger" They run about $15-$20.

 

[hockey88fan]

I'd be reluctant to leave a box fan running unattended for long periods.

Of course, I'm a little leery of them in general since I turned mine on last week and it smoked and sparked and caught on fire a little...

You probably don't really to move much air... how about some 120mm 12V computer fans?

You could easily run them from a small car battery and recharge with solar. Check eBay for "VW Solar Charger" They run about $15-$20.

Yeah not sure I'd leave a box fan running months on end.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have two out in the garage that run constantly.

 

[dude67]

How about vent a ridge? You cut 3/4 on both sides of the ridge of your house and place as many feet as you need. Or the previous suggested wind turbine vents.

 

[Falcon67]

I have two out in the garage that run constantly.

I have a couple too - no way I'm risking $14,000 worth of building on the construction of a $20 fan. I turn them off and pull the plug when I leave.

 

[Lippyp]

I have a holiday home in France that is often left empty and closed up for up to six months over winter. It used to be great when we first bought it as there was so many draughts through the stone walls it never really got damp. As we've renovated it, had the outside walls repointed and plastered inside the draughts have gone and we started to have damp problems. I cut some vents down through the floor into the ground floor level which is currently only used for storage and has an old ill fitting barn door and installed some vents up in the eaves upstairs and most of the damp has gone, one or two quiet corners sometimes we get the odd bit of mildew but my next step is to add some foirced air removal. Like you we turn the electricity off for safety reasons (we get a lot of electrical storms and power surges) so I'm planning on a 12V solar powered system probably using PC fans on the existing vents to **** the air out when the sun is out. Should help to keep it from getting so damn hot in the summer when w're not there too.

I have also been toying with the idea of a solar hot air heater for the winter to add some warmned air on sunny days, these can be made from stacks of beer cans, just google "homemade solar collector"

 

[kbs2244]

Re: Box fans.

I have one in my basement that has been running on low speed for 13 years.
24/7/365.
Nothing special.
$20.00 drug store item.
In those 13 years I have oiled it twice.
They squeak pretty good when they need it.
I am a big fan(?) of them.

But they want the power off.
That means wind or solar power.
And if you exhaust any air that means sucking in damp replacement outside air.
That would lead you to a dehumidifier, but they need power.

I would seal the house up as you do now.
Put a solar battery charger in the window and run a 12 VDC fan off the battery.

Maybe one of those oscillating ones the truckers use for their windshields.
One per room should keep the air moving enough.