help me control humidity in a tropical climate, please!
November 5, 2011 6:52 AM   Subscribe

A question about dealing with humidity in a structure that's not closed in.

I recently moved to a tropical climate, the Virgin Islands. I'm living in a home that has many walls that are just screen. The structure overlooks hills that are national park land. It's wonderful, but when we have a few days of rain, the place can feel damp. Does anyone have any tips for dealing with humidity in an area that can't be closed in? I'm mostly concerned about electronics. Thanks!
posted by Alpenglow to Home & Garden (4 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: If electronics are the concern, I'd aim for making a small space that you can close in. There are two basic approaches to humidity control:

Adding heat doesn't actually remove any grains of water from the air, but it does change relative humidity by making the airs carrying capacity for moisture higher. The result will 'feel' drier and reduce the likelihood of condensation. Heat in this case means something like a space heater most likely. You don't want to blow combustion heat directly at something as combustion exhaust also contains moisture.

Dehumidifiers use the refrigeration cycle to cool a surface below the dewpoint. This causes condensation on the selected surface which can be collected in a reservoir and drained. This should see regular maintenance, particularly in a climate like this. This system actually removes moisture from the air and is a better bet for you in an already warm climate as you don't want to cook things as an alternative to getting them wet.

A small closet could be created with a dehumidifier and within which you could keep your sensitive items (electronics, silk shirts, leather, etc.)
posted by meinvt at 8:29 AM on November 5, 2011


Unless you are near the dewpoint, electronics won't care. But yes, meinvt's advice to warm the air may make it more comfortable for you.
posted by gjc at 9:19 AM on November 5, 2011


You might want to avoid habitually storing your electronics anyplace cold, since bringing them into the warmer air could cause moisture to condense on them (like on a cold beer glass).
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:43 AM on November 5, 2011


I've just finished six months of fieldwork where I was living in American Samoa, Samoa and Tokelau. Basically you just need to learn to live with the damp feeling - it is part of living in the tropics. Remember that you're entering the wet season - it will be damp and hot at the same time (so heating the air really won't work). That being said, there are a few things that you can do to mitigate things

1) Open all louvre windows, and basically ensure that there is through-flow of air through the house. Evaporative cooling is your friend. Run fans to maintain your comfort. DO NOT HEAT UP THE AIR USING A SPACE HEATER - that may work in dry climates but it will not work in the tropics where the air is dripping with humidity. Having fans (even carrying a hand fan) will make a difference to your personal comfort.

2) I found that the local hardware store stocked a whole range of products aimed at soaking up atmospheric moisture in wardrobes etc. Make use of them to try and hold back the development of mold. When mold did form on shoes etc, I wiped them down with ethanol wipes (the ones you use to disinfect cuts etc) and that did the trick.

3) I used a drying rack to air out towels and bedding when they needed it, but even better was just to go to the laundromat and run them through the dryer.

But the main thing is that you're going to have to adapt. Learn to love the humidity - it'll do great things for your skin and hair. Just sit back in front of a fan with a cold beer and it'll seem a lot easier!
posted by Alice Russel-Wallace at 2:37 PM on November 5, 2011


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