DIY condenser

[J_]

@riggerjack and I advised @reepicheep how to make a condensor to avoid moisture in house. I had a same issue in the stairs to the attic. I used these end of year days to build a simple condenser. I removed a little window and replaced it with an insulated panel and a 2 yards long metal pipe of one inch diameter on the outside of the panel. In the cool evening air in winter here it is about freezing temperature. Inside I reused a pc ventilator and a funnel to blow air through the outside "cooling" pipe. The dried air and the condensed water (gravity) come out at the underside of the panel. The ventilator is powered by a reuseable little power pack of 5 Ah 5 DC (LiPo). It last more than five nights before I have to upload the battery again. After the same five nights I have to empty the bottle which catches the condensed water. See:


Clic on the photo to see the full picture

[Sclass]

This is really brilliant. The best part is you use the cold outside air which is free.

[Riggerjack]

@ j

I can't help but try to optimize. You are using a fan, to push air through the pipe.

What if you had multiple pipes, and used convection? What if you slowed the fan, to increase temperature drop/condensation?

I don't know that either would be an improvement, but I would have to try.

I don't have humidity issues in my heated space, so I can't play with this, but I thought I would suggest some possible tweaks.

[J_]

@Rigger: thanks for your comment.

I have slowed the fan: it is a 12 V motor but I use a 5 V powerpack to lower the speed of the fan and thus the speed of the airflow through the pipe.

And yes, it works also without the fan, so it works on convection, though at a slower rate of dehumidification.

Like you I think that I can use mulpiple pipes or take a pipe with a wider diameter eg 2 inch, to optimize the proces. This condenser is a try-out one. I have used spare materials I had somewhere and which I am able to work with, ( I do not have a tool to bend a 2 inch pipe).