Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

jslay

Sep 30, 2008, 10:12 AM

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Dehumidifier

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Does anyone know where I can purchase a DEHUMIDIFIER. My home is loaded with humidity and its ruining our clothes and other things. I am located in Chapala.

johanson

Sep 30, 2008, 10:37 AM

Post #2 of 9 (16141 views)

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Re: [jslay] Dehumidifier

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I say something is radically wrong. I measure my relative humidity all of the time in Ajijic. It is usually too low especially during the dry season. I have a swamp cooler or humidifier. And often have to turn that on. And it's never too high during the rainy season

If you have too much humidity, do you have some type of roof leak? An A/C by the way is a dehumidifier. It would cost you maybe 60 cents per hour to run because the electricity is so expensive in Mexico.

I would investigate why the humidity is so high before getting a dehumidifier. I'm from Seattle where it rains all of the time and the humidity is always high during the rainy season. But not so high that one needs a dehumidifier in Seattle.

RickS

Sep 30, 2008, 10:58 AM

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Re: [johanson] Dehumidifier

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Pete, your house is up on a hill and would probably not be subject to 'water tables' that jslay might be experiencing. I know that in lower La Floresta on the roads closest to the lake (Paseo de Las Brisas?) some of those homes are very susceptible to being very damp. A friend a number of years ago rented a nice home there but chose to leave it after a year for another location because it was always very 'wet' and cold.

johanson

Sep 30, 2008, 11:08 AM

Post #4 of 9 (16132 views)

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Re: [RickS] Dehumidifier

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I never thought of that Rick. If that's the case, I guess a dehumidifier would be a way to lower the humidity. I would hope that the problem is simpler and that the humidity source could be found and eliminated.

Don

Sep 30, 2008, 1:02 PM

Post #5 of 9 (16118 views)

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Re: [jslay] Dehumidifier

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You can buy plastic bottles that are filled with crystals to absorb the moisture when the humidity is high. You put them in your closets and when the crystals disolve and the bottles fill with water you replace with a new bottle. Many stores sell them and they all seem to have different brands. One brand is called "Ëasy Dry". It came with 2 plastic jars to put in the closets and a a bottle of crystals to refill the closet jars, after their crystals disolved. We bought some of ours in the Walmart Bodega. They work for us.

sandykayak

Oct 2, 2008, 1:05 PM

Post #6 of 9 (16061 views)

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Re: [Don] Dehumidifier

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I have the same problem in el parque but not all the houses do. Should I get someone (any references?) to check out the roof for leaks? THere is humidity under all the sinks.

I do use the crystals - Superlake has them. But the hanging bags of Damp Rid are good also. I just bought a box of 4 in Wal-Mart Miami for $8.00. I believe I paid 800 pesos for one bag in ...the hardware store next to the ceramic place in Ajijic. Begins with a "J"

Home Depot in Guad has them cheaper. 400-500 pesos - not sure if that is per bag. You hang them between your clothes and it's amazing to see how they fill up with water.

But I'd like to find a permanent solution I've been googling humidifiers myself...but think it would be like shoveling doo-doo against the tide if you limit its use because of high electricity costs.
Sandy Kramer
Miami, Fla & El Parque

jerezano

Oct 2, 2008, 3:19 PM

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Re: [sandykayak] Dehumidifier

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Hello,

Those dehumidifying crystals work well. They can usually be used again and again by putting them in the microwave and drying them out. Most but not all turn pink when saturated. Microwave until the pink disappears.

A more permanent solution for closets and other confined spaces is the dehumidifier-rod. Make a google search but here is the URL for the most popular brand.

http://www.naturestapestry.com/damppchaser.html

Their electrical consumption in comparison with an air conditioner or a space dehumidifier is much lower, on the order of a standard light bulb of the same wattage. They work well in closets of beach houses and unlike that light bulb do not offer hazards of high temperatures. They do not burn on touching. They can also be programmed for short periods as well as 24 hours-requires a timing device which is not incorporated.

But then if you need a space dehumidifier, you
are stuck with a high cost of operation apparatus.

Good luck.

jerezano

(This post was edited by jerezano on Oct 2, 2008, 3:24 PM)

barmarr

Nov 30, 2008, 9:56 PM

Post #8 of 9 (15960 views)

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Re: [jslay] Dehumidifier

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We purchased a large dehumidifier at Costco in Puerto Vallarta. It works great and came with a long hose attachment which we run into the shower floor, that way it can run and never needs to have the holding tank emptied by hand. In the rainy season the humidity is often at 85%-95% and everything would get ruined without a dehumidifier. Another option is to keep several fans running so the air is constantly circulating. We actually use both during the rainly season.

johanson

Dec 1, 2008, 6:04 AM

Post #9 of 9 (15947 views)

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Re: [barmarr] Dehumidifier

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I can't resist commenting. Because the weather is so different here in the highlands. I live on the uphill outskirts of Ajijic. I have never needed a dehumidifier. On the contrary, the humidity is so low here that I have to humidify the very dry air, during the dry hot dry season. Luckily doing so cools the dry air and during the warm months when it is in the 80s and 90s, the humidity is very very low, you know 18 to 25 % and by running a humidifier/evaporative cooler I bring the humidity up to a more normal level of 40% as it cools the air to about 75 degrees F.