Dehumidifier for beach garage/basement
 

The collective knowledge of the PPOT will be requested.

I have a 2 car garage(400sq/ft) at a basement level near the ocean in RI. Last summer I left a couple of tools and they have surface corrosion already.

The space is air tight with good doors and no vents. I would like to install a permanent dehumidifier plumbed so it runs constantly.

The final purpose is being able to park 2 aircooled 911s without issues and tools and parts.

I'm open to all suggestions. Not trying to save money just trying to protect the cars. I know.... first world problems

Thank you everyone

Have you measured the humidity? It may be the salt air.

Have a property near water in florida, it's amazing how fast some things corrode.

My craftsman tools look like crap after 2 years, yet Harbor freight sockets and wrenches are fine.

In any event, most decent quality dehumidifiers have a 'garden hose' threaded connection, which you can adapt to PVC.

Next step would be a mini-split to condition the air. Some, like my panasonic, have a humidity setting in addition to temperature.

While there are cheap devices to measure humidity, I believe a 'Nest' thermostat measures and report back to your smart phone, even when you aren't there.

In any event, don't put one of those 'bucket of powder dehumidifiers' in the car. I tried that in florida, came back to an over-flowing bucket of wet mess.

I use an older Sears dehumidifier in my below grade basement. I use it to protect the Honda gererator I store down there. I drain it through the garden hose connector to the outside. The amount of water it removes is stunning. But I wonder, in your case if over time salt would accumulate on the exchange element?

https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-DH70W-Dehumidifier-Anti-Spill-Continuous/dp/B00QUWPF6G

We have this in our basement, and it keeps the moisture at bay nicely. It has an option of collecting the water in a large removeable collection tray, or automatically pumping it to a sump pump hole (like we have).

We don't live in a area that has salt water anywhere near though.

I bought one at Costco for my basement. It has a little pump that pumps the condensation out a 1/4 tube. The tubing that came with it wasn’t enough to go from the basement, through the garage and outside so I bought more tubing and a little brass fitting at Home Depot for ~$10. I run the tube under my garage door. I just set it and forget it. It pumps water ~ every 30 minutes through the summer. Just a cup or two at a time. I think it was $150. Worth ever penny.

Is your garage heated? A dehumidifier will not do much at near freezing temps.
Mine is a 4 stall and heated, and using a 50 pint dehumid, I have to empty it about every day in the springtime.
Without using it...the floor is so humid that it's almost standing water. Easy to see the humidity affecting the cars. I would not be without one.

I got sick of those portable units, just didn’t seem to last long. I finally bought a whole house unit and I can’t remember when I bought it, so it has been going strong for years. It was around a grand, but worth it to me.

The brand was Aprilaire. https://www.aprilaire.com/whole-house-products/dehumidifier

I had a house on the ocean - dehumidifier will not help.

I had tools wraped in plastic bags - in a closet in the middle of the house and they rusted. Took a stereo receiver to get repaired - first thing the repair shop said was - you live near the ocean.

I double covered my cars in the garage- no air vents, tightly sealed doors and there was always a dull film on them, No matter what you do- salt is in the air.

For obvious reasons there is salt in the air. I have not measure it. The rest of the house has a/c and it doesn't seem to have this fast corrosion issue. The fins on the aluminum condensor unit seem fine. And they are probably 10 years old

The garage is heated and I leave it at 50 F. During the winter corrosion is not a problem. The longhood is currently there and the chrome seems fine so far.

Summer arrives and ambient humidity comes and doors swell, hair gets puffy, got some mold starting at the very bottom of the brand new sheet rock in the garages, tools corrode. All the high humidity signs.

Probably a summer high humidity salt problem, winter is cold and relatively dry in comparison.

Looking for a heavy duty unit that I can plumb to a pipe. Again the garages are tight no windows and new garage doors. Considering the bubble car thing that I've seen before.
All I'm trying to do is prevent early corrosion that will lead to rust years down the road.

Thank you everyone.

I have a Danby Premiere 50 pint in my basement that does a really nice job. The fan on the unit does run all the time and the compressor cycles as necessary. You can use the bucket or hard pipe it to a drain.

Your best bet is to climate control the garage so temp/humidity stays constant through all seasons. A/C is a dehumidifier. Most efficient and safest way to climate control the garage is to put in a central system. However, there are wall window A/C units with heat that can be installed.