Ventilation in the cellar; suck or blow?

[Tim Watts]

It'll be fine if the controls are "dumb". Or buy a smart one with a built in timer :)

It's the ones with push buttons that can reset "off" when you remove and reapply power externally.

[Tim Watts]

Oh - I assumed I spelt something wrong - often do :)

[meow2222]

No - but it would if you switched it several times an hour.

NT

[Dave Liquorice]

Nice warm relatively damp air that cools and drops it's moisture load...

Cool relatively dry air, could be good in summer, for the house.

Proabably summer air can have a very low RH. The air flow direction could proably be controlled with some humidistats and temperature stats but thats getting complicated.

Dehumidifier, tank and sump pump seem the best solution. I'm not overly convinced about only running the dehumidifier for, at most, 7 hrs/day. I can't help feeling that is going to lead to the damp levels rising and falling rather than reaching a steady state after a few months. Things tend to be happy a bit damp or dry but constantly changing is not good.

[meow2222]

Musty air is not good to bring into the main house. Re damp air going into the cellar from house, its only a little bit of leakage.

In theory yes, but you'd still need to shift far more air than 3 airbricks, and the control systems arent available.

the only practical solution really

Wood hates damp, and will cease to exist if kept damp. Damp cellar masonry prefers damp to dry, but dry is required to make it livable. But you will b e in a permanent struggle of brickwork permeability versus dehumidifier. Bi tumen coating the underground walls won't seal them fully, but will reduce the damp load massively, and salt formation due to drying.

NT

[Adam Funk]

I was planning to switch it on once a day (& obviously off once a day).

[Adam Funk]

Thanks.

[Adam Funk]

Well, I assumed "spel" up there was a joke!

[Adam Funk]

The timber in the ceiling of this cellar (floor of the living room) looks & feels fine. The dampness issue is just about "mustiness" in general & affecting some of the plastic brewing equipment I'd like to store down there, & a little bit of rust on hand tools, especially close to the floor (of the cellar). So I don't think I need a lot of dehumidification.

[Adam Funk]

Thanks for the advice.