Room Setup & Issues - Looking for Guidance and Insight on Environment Issues

Muzzle2

Well-Known Member
I've got an interesting issue and I wanted to reach out to see if anyone could help with info. I've surely ran out of ideas!

Current Setup: Ideal Air 180 pint. 4 ton AC Unit (Air Handler).

I've got 3 rows, and I've got 3 ducts for each row. The ducts are setup to point into the back of the room. My cold air gets dumped into the back, then gets pulled to the front via the air handler. The thermostat for the unit is in the front of the room. My Dehu is setup in the front of the room. see the attached image.

My issue is that the thermostat has a 3 minute response rate to the air handler which turns the AC on or off. For example, if I set the temperature to 81, the AC will turn on at 86 and turn off at 77. This is causing my room to get warm, and cold frequently. It's not creating a stable environment. At the same time the AC fan doesn't have an option to turn off, it is continuously running on either auto or low. This is causing my humidity to rise which in return is causing my dehu to work more.

My theory as of now is that when the AC is done cooling, the fan continues to run. This is causing the humidity to rise in the room, which turns the Dehu on. When the dehu is on, it's creating heat in the room and then forcing the AC to to turn on. When the AC turns on the humidity goes down, the dehu turns off, but once again the AC fan continues to run causing rise in humidity and the cycle continues.

-Can't turn the fan off, only ON or Auto



sample.PNG

AC Thermostat is set to 81 and dehu is set to 55

While the lights are off here is the activity of the middle of the room.

2:07 PM - 74 degrees 74% humidity
2:23 PM - 80 degrees 64% humidity
2:30 PM - 81 degrees 65% humidity
2:35 PM - 81.6 degrees 63% humidity
2:36 PM - 81 degrees 63% humidity
2:43 PM - 75 degrees 67% humidity
2:45 PM - 73.8 degrees 67% humidity
2:46 PM - 73.6 degrees 72% humidity
2:50 PM - 74.4 degrees 74% humidity
3:05 PM - 80 degrees 65% humidity
3:12 PM - 81 degrees 65% humidity
3:15 PM - 81 degrees 65% humidity
3:20 PM - 78.8 degrees 65% humidity
3:23 PM - 76 degrees 66% humidity
3:30 PM - 74 degrees 73% humidity
 
Last edited:

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
I've got an interesting issue and I wanted to reach out to see if anyone could help with info. I've surely ran out of ideas!

Current Setup: Ideal Air 180 pint. 4 ton AC Unit (Air Handler).

I've got 3 rows, and I've got 3 ducts for each row. The ducts are setup to point into the back of the room. My cold air gets dumped into the back, then gets pulled to the front via the air handler. The thermostat for the unit is in the front of the room. My Dehu is setup in the front of the room. see the attached image.

My issue is that the thermostat has a 3 minute response rate to the air handler which turns the AC on or off. For example, if I set the temperature to 81, the AC will turn on at 86 and turn off at 77. This is causing my room to get warm, and cold frequently. It's not creating a stable environment. At the same time the AC fan doesn't have an option to turn off, it is continuously running on either auto or low. This is causing my humidity to rise which in return is causing my dehu to work more.

My theory as of now is that when the AC is done cooling, the fan continues to run. This is causing the humidity to rise in the room, which turns the Dehu on. When the dehu is on, it's creating heat in the room and then forcing the AC to to turn on. When the AC turns on the humidity goes down, the dehu turns off, but once again the AC fan continues to run causing rise in humidity and the cycle continues.

-Can't turn the fan off, only ON or Auto



View attachment 4840048

AC Thermostat is set to 81 and dehu is set to 55

While the lights are off here is the activity of the middle of the room.

2:07 PM - 74 degrees 74% humidity
2:23 PM - 80 degrees 64% humidity
2:30 PM - 81 degrees 65% humidity
2:35 PM - 81.6 degrees 63% humidity
2:36 PM - 81 degrees 63% humidity
2:43 PM - 75 degrees 67% humidity
2:45 PM - 73.8 degrees 67% humidity
2:46 PM - 73.6 degrees 72% humidity
2:50 PM - 74.4 degrees 74% humidity
3:05 PM - 80 degrees 65% humidity
3:12 PM - 81 degrees 65% humidity
3:15 PM - 81 degrees 65% humidity
3:20 PM - 78.8 degrees 65% humidity
3:23 PM - 76 degrees 66% humidity
3:30 PM - 74 degrees 73% humidity
Those readings are during lights out? What are they with lights on? Those readings above are okay during lights on vegging.
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
This is during lights out. Lights on it's a bit more consistent.
What are your highest readings? Hopefully someone with HVAC experience can offer some guidance. Maybe there’s some way to use a Bluetooth device to cut the lag time.
 

Detroitwill

Well-Known Member
Ok, no I’m not ac guy, but I do know how a dehumidifier works. And that your ac works in the same way. See when your ac is running and producing cold air it is also taking moisture out the air. By turning it to ice on the ac condenser. When the fan continues to run it is pushing that moisture back into your room. Try getting a ac that doesn’t keep the fan running. Or figure out a way to exhaust moisture from your ac. It’s definitely your ac throwing your humidity off, and that will (as you can see) throw everything off.
 

Muzzle2

Well-Known Member
Ok, no I’m not ac guy, but I do know how a dehumidifier works. And that your ac works in the same way. See when your ac is running and producing cold air it is also taking moisture out the air. By turning it to ice on the ac condenser. When the fan continues to run it is pushing that moisture back into your room. Try getting a ac that doesn’t keep the fan running. Or figure out a way to exhaust moisture from your ac. It’s definitely your ac throwing your humidity off, and that will (as you can see) throw everything off.
Okay, that's exactly what I was thinking. I wanted to see if it may be something else, but everything is pointing to this. I'm using an air handler system and the thermostat has no option to turn it off. I have no idea how to get rid of that moisture.
 

Detroitwill

Well-Known Member
Is it in the room? If so I have a buddy who has handlers running without the issues. He has them outside the room and has duct taped the vent opening to a wall made of plastic. Prolly not what you are doing. But the method worked for him. Maybe you can duct it in n keep the handler out the room.
 

Herb & Suds

Well-Known Member
OK if it is a mechanical thermostat it has a potentiometer to adjust the delay
But it sounds like more of an air handler/ac issue because I run my room with an air handler inside with zero issues
If your a/c isn't dialed in right it will just blow cold air without removing moisture
 

Muzzle2

Well-Known Member
OK if it is a mechanical thermostat it has a potentiometer to adjust the delay
But it sounds like more of an air handler/ac issue because I run my room with an air handler inside with zero issues
If your a/c isn't dialed in right it will just blow cold air without removing moisture
For the most part when the AC is running it's lowering the humidity. When the AC stops running, the fan continues to run and it increases humidity. I watered yesterday morning and I was able to keep the day time temps at 77 - 81 at 60 - 68 humidity. Now, it's night time and I'm getting....
70 - 76 at 68 - 80 humidity. I'm going to log it for the next 2 hours and update my night time numbers. I've also had to make my dehu set to 40.
 

Muzzle2

Well-Known Member
Here's an update...

180 Pint Dehu, Thermostat has 3 minute response rate to unit. Fan on low setting continuously circulating air. 30 gallon feeding was completed yesterday 9 PM, lights on.

Dehu Set to: 35 - 40
AC Set to: 78

12:10 PM - 73 degrees 80% humidity
12:20 PM - 76.5 degrees 77% humidity
12:30 PM - 77.8 degrees 73% humidity
12:40 PM - 73 degrees 70% humidity
12:50 PM - 73 degrees 77% humidity
1:00 PM - 76 degrees 74% humidity
1:10 PM - 78 degrees 72% humidity
1:20 PM - 74 degrees 70% humidity
1:25 PM - 72 degrees 73% humidity
1:30 PM - 73 degrees 76% humidity
1:35 PM - 74 degrees 76% humidity
1:40 PM - 76 degrees 74% humidity
 

Detroitwill

Well-Known Member
Ok. It’s definitely not that then. I am just at a loss from the readings you posted. I can’t get my head around having 70+ rh when your at 70-75 degrees. I would be freaking out. Do you have some standing water source in the room or something? I have to water n then mist my girls to get humidity up that high. On average my room is 75 degrees and 40% humidity. And it stays there without help. What’s the outside humidity? Could you be pulling it in from outside? Sorry if it’s not helpful man. Just kinda spit balling here.
 

Muzzle2

Well-Known Member
Yeah everything is appreciated... I’m going crazy as well! My conclusion is that the AC is pumping moisture in the air. Once the AC turns off, the humidity rises.
 

Detroitwill

Well-Known Member
Do u have a good de humidifier? What kind do you have? Is it the wheel type or the condenser type? How often do you empty it? Does it have a collection tray? Could you pipe it to the out side? I would do everything I can to be sure theirs never any standing water in the room ever. Does it run constantly?
 

Muzzle2

Well-Known Member
Honestly, I just bumped the gavitas to 100% and my dehu is set to 55 temp is set to 79.. it’s lights on in there right now and the room is very stable.. 78 - 80 and 64 - 67 humidity. As soon as those lights turn off everything goes to shambles.

180 pint ideal air dehumidifier. Auto drains.
 
Top