is there a cheap solar Dehumidifying option?

[h0ughy (David)]

Is there a solar dehumidifying option or some other cheap way of dehumidifying a dome?

[sheeny (Al)]

What's the problem, Dave? Mildew and fungus, or condensation?

Condensation you may be able to fix relatively cheaply with insulation and a vapour barrier and/or possibly even a radiation shield (i.e. second skin).

Al.

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by sheeny

What's the problem, Dave? Mildew and fungus, or condensation?

Condensation you may be able to fix relatively cheaply with insulation and a vapour barrier and/or possibly even a radiation shield (i.e. second skin).

Al.

condensation

[sheeny (Al)]

Apart from cornering the market on Silica Gel, I don't know of any cost effective dehumidifier's that you could afford to run all the time/every night, but condensation can be handled by passive means.

We'll have a yarn at Lostock.

Al.

[allan gould]

Take the dome off?

[5ash (Philip)]

What about coating the inside of the dome with a low heat capacity insulating material , that way water vapor will not be able to give up its latent heat to the surface to become liquid water.maybe a thin layer of polyurethane foam sheet or similar would do. The inside of my observatory roof is lined with aerocell insulation to help insulate from the summers heat , it never attracts condensation. Good ventilation is also important if the source of moisture is internal , perhaps one of those rotating vents you see on the sides of trailers/caravans attached to the side of the observatory would help.
Philip

[h0ughy (David)]

i have a marine solar vent at the top of the observatory now - but in a high humidity (rain - we have had bucket loads - and fog) environment it is condensing on the mount and scope - and they are under a flock lined BBQ cover. most of the time the observatory is great

[Ausrock (Chris)]

Not the cheapest option but it may be worth buying a dehumidifier.

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by Ausrock

Not the cheapest option but it may be worth buying a dehumidifier.

yeah you may be right, but i really was hoping that there was a solar option out there.

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by h0ughy

yeah you may be right, but i really was hoping that there was a solar option out there.

Solar/battery backed exhaust fan?

[sheeny (Al)]

Originally Posted by h0ughy

i have a marine solar vent at the top of the observatory now - but in a high humidity (rain - we have had bucket loads - and fog) environment it is condensing on the mount and scope - and they are under a flock lined BBQ cover. most of the time the observatory is great

Ah! I assumed the problem was condensation on the inside of the dome dripping on the business.

Did you put your dome on a concrete floor or wooden deck, Dave? I can't remember... I would expect the thermal mass of a concrete slab to work with you help the inside of the obs cool slower (as well as there is no cooling air underneath).

If its on the wooden deck, you could excavate underneath, and make it a kennel for lots of dogs. Just make sure the floor is well sealed... That should keep it warm.

Al.

[Andy Walters (Andy)]

Hi there,
see ebay# 200852213469they run off 12 volts, you could connect a solar panel to a battery and run one off that.
I use one for drying timber, very effective.
Cheers Andy.

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by Andy Walters

Hi there,
see ebay# 200852213469they run off 12 volts, you could connect a solar panel to a battery and run one off that.
I use one for drying timber, very effective.
Cheers Andy.

thanks - might just get that one

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by sheeny

Apart from cornering the market on Silica Gel, I don't know of any cost effective dehumidifier's that you could afford to run all the time/every night, but condensation can be handled by passive means.

We'll have a yarn at Lostock.

Al.

I lived for several years in Hong Kong where condensation was a major issue for half the year. You could watch rivulets of it running down inside walls.
The solution was to use dehumidifiers - basically sucking the moisture out of the air inside a room and either running it outside or collecting it for later disposal. These could produce 4 or 5 liters of water overnight in a standard-sized bedroom. But they kept the mould off your shoes and made it possible to put on a suit that didn't smell like a donkey auction.

You could consider the power requirements of such a device and run it off a solar array with inverter and batteries. That way, at least, you would not have too much running cost.

Peter