# Work shop humidity



## Mckie1807 (12 Jan 2022)

Hello there was wondering if anyone could help i have a 8ft x 5ft shed and the humidity is always high in it like 60-70 % there is one brick vent and it has been insulated above with ceiling joists and has a pvc door, i also have two tube heaters both equal 120 watts once of them is placed on the window frame and the other is at opposite end, am i doing something wrong should i stop using the heaters ? Im not fussed about the workshop
Being cold i just wanna stop my tools from rusting ?


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## mikej460 (12 Jan 2022)

60-70%?? You're lucky

My garage is so damp I have arm bands on

Seriously if your tools are rusting I recommend wiping them with a thin layer of acf50. It's brilliant stuff and you only need a very small amount. I also recommend Paul Sellers rag in a can idea for wiping tools after each use

How to make a Rag-in-a-can Oiler | Paul Sellers - YouTube


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## Jameshow (12 Jan 2022)

Do you have any ventilation a roof height if you have heaters it might help having somewhere for the damp air to go? 

Is the shed weather proof? No point having heating on if rain us being driven into the shed?


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## Phil Pascoe (12 Jan 2022)

Humidity here in the morning is 97%.


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## Mckie1807 (12 Jan 2022)

Jameshow said:


> Do you have any ventilation a roof height if you have heaters it might help having somewhere for the damp air to go?
> 
> Is the shed weather proof? No point having heating on if rain us being driven into the shed?



yeah there is ventilation just below the roof and its a council brick shed so yeah its water tight


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## Mckie1807 (12 Jan 2022)

Phil Pascoe said:


> Humidity here in the morning is 97%.


Ohhh do your tools rust ?


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## Mckie1807 (12 Jan 2022)

mikej460 said:


> 60-70%?? You're lucky
> 
> My garage is so damp I have arm bands on
> 
> ...


 Well i also wanted to store like soldering equipment in there but wanted it to be dry in there


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## Phil Pascoe (12 Jan 2022)

Intermittent heating is causing the rust. Either keep the chill off it all the time or don't heat it. I have one of these for when I need a little heat - it doesn't heat the place much, but makes working a bit more comfortable.








1.8kW IPX4 Wall Mounted Quartz Bulb Electric Tube Heater with 3 Power Settings by Heatlab®


Cheap to operate - less than 9p an hour running costWall mountable screws included for easy installationFor use outdoorsHeight: 17cm (6.7in)




www.primrose.co.uk




I didn't have a rust problem in my old workshop until I fitted a pot belly stove, and don't have a rust problem now. I do use the oil tin on stuff I put away knowing it's rarely used.


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## Mckie1807 (12 Jan 2022)

The tube heaters are kept on at all
Times because they are cheap to run but the humidity is still
High and i has ventilation in there


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## Mckie1807 (12 Jan 2022)

Phil Pascoe said:


> Intermittent heating is causing the rust. Either keep the chill off it all the time or don't heat it. I have one of these for when I need a little heat - it doesn't heat the place much, but makes working a bit more comfortable.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The tube heaters are kept on at all
Times because they are cheap to run but the humidity is still
High and i has ventilation in there


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## Alasdair (13 Jan 2022)

Try an extractor fan with a humidistat that are used in bathrooms for showers etc. I have some in my greenhouses to keep the humidity at a constant level. They switch off and on depending on the humidity level. Not sure if they are adjustable. My workshop is really bad in the winter especially after cold frosty weather. Its due to cold concrete surfaces and humid air. I give my tools that are not used much a spray of wd40 which seems to help.
Alasdair


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## Mckie1807 (13 Jan 2022)

Alasdair said:


> Try an extractor fan with a humidistat that are used in bathrooms for showers etc. I have some in my greenhouses to keep the humidity at a constant level. They switch off and on depending on the humidity level. Not sure if they are adjustable. My workshop is really bad in the winter especially after cold frosty weather. Its due to cold concrete surfaces and humid air. I give my tools that are not used much a spray of wd40 which seems to help.
> Alasdair



thank you i will try this thanks for your reply


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## Mckie1807 (13 Jan 2022)

Mckie1807 said:


> thank you i will try this thanks for your reply


 When would you recommend these tube heaters being on they are
Only 80
Watts each dont heat the place much but i dont know if im doing more harm than good keeping them on


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## artie (13 Jan 2022)

Mckie1807 said:


> When would you recommend these tube heaters being on


I think the only purpose for those is,
if there is anything in the shed that might suffer from frost. Those heaters just might keep frost at bay, can't see any use for them at other times.


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## sploo (13 Jan 2022)

Get a dessicant dehumidifier, with a small hole to drain outside. It'll put out a little bit of heat (which is likely a good thing for a shed in the UK), and will keep the humidity levels down. With such a small volume (small shed) you'd only have to run it for a short time (e.g. 1 hour per day).


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## Tenacity (14 Jan 2022)

Phil Pascoe said:


> Humidity here in the morning is 97%.


Well get out got the shower


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## Tenacity (14 Jan 2022)

Humidistat fan could be an idea, the ones I fit in bathrooms really work well, but, they are pulling moist air and warm dry air from the properties to reduce humidity. If a humidistat fan in a work shop is drawing off humidity and cold air from outside I would assume that it would only reduce the humidity to the outdoors on that day, just a thought.


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## baldkev (14 Jan 2022)

Mckie1807 said:


> yeah there is ventilation just below the roof and its a council brick shed so yeah its water tight



Thats where your heat escapes..... and the cold brick walls. 



sploo said:


> Get a dessicant dehumidifier, with a small hole to drain outside. It'll put out a little bit of heat (which is likely a good thing for a shed in the UK), and will keep the humidity levels down. With such a small volume (small shed) you'd only have to run it for a short time (e.g. 1 hour per day).



Sploo is ( in my opinion ) right. Dessicant dehumidifier will work down ti about 5°c with a reasonable efficiency and should add a small bit of heat, however the heaters seems pointless if it can escape and the (probably) single skin brick walls are cold and damp.....


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## sploo (14 Jan 2022)

baldkev said:


> Sploo is ( in my opinion ) right. Dessicant dehumidifier will work down ti about 5°c with a reasonable efficiency and should add a small bit of heat, however the heaters seems pointless if it can escape and the (probably) single skin brick walls are cold and damp.....


I've got one running in my "underground bunker" garage (breezeblock walls, but with some set into the side of a sloping garden). It took a few weeks to get the place dry, but now I only need to run it for a few hours a week (at most) to keep the RH below 60%.


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