Re: Florida & Dehumidifier

[Santeh]

Hello all,

Approximately one month ago I invested in my first pool table; a Brunswick Valley Cougar ZD5 (8’x4’) table. And, even though it is an older barroom used table, I love it!

However, now that central Florida is beginning to move towards late Spring, the summertime heat is beginning to come to the forefront of my thoughts regarding my table. Overall, the table is in my garage which is a decent area in regards to size (27’X20’) as well as that it has a main and side door and a top fan.

When playing, and whether permitting, my wife and I open the garage and side door, as well as run the top fan. Yet I am still a bit concerned with the summertime heat (90+ degrees and very humid), and was wondering if a dehumidifier might be a good idea so that the slate does not sweat and/or warp. If a dehumidifier is a good idea, does anyone have a suggestion for a proper size (such as pints removed/24 hours), brand, etc.?

Thank you all. I appreciate everyone’s time and help.

[ras314]

I had little luck finding a recommended humidity range for tables. For sure if the slate sweats it sounds too high! Some manufacturers reps indicated a RH of 50% was ok, best I recall. I assumed, for lack of better info, it should be a good idea avoid large changes in humidity as well as temperature. I do know wood will shrink and expand with temperature at different amounts with and against the grain, can't be good for the table. I found nothing on slate changing with humidity but I doubt it has much tendency to warp. It probably does sag a bit with time but with slow damp cloth it may not be enought to affect the balls roll enough to tell.

High humidity can make for a very slow table speed. Tables in old pool halls along the Fla and Miss Gulf coast seemed to last a long time, but they could be miserably slow to play on in summer. Low humidity in heated rooms has been blamed for causing the slate seams to "pop", probably because the wood frame shrinks more than the slate.

The climate here in New Mexico is much more dry so I run a humidifier most of the time (much cheaper) and try to keep the RH in the 30% to 40% range with a dehumidifier for use in the occasional wet periods.

[Chopstick]

Why don't you just get a portable air conditioner and leave the garage door closed? It will cost about the same as a de-humidifier big enough to do any good and it will serve the same purpose.

[Santeh]

Hello all,

Thank you for the replies! I appreciate them. I am not sure what I might choose to do, yet everyone's thoughts on the subject are very welcomed!

Always...

[Deeman3]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Chopstick:</font><hr> Why don't you just get a portable air conditioner and leave the garage door closed? It will cost about the same as a de-humidifier big enough to do any good and it will serve the same purpose. <hr /></blockquote>

<font color="blue"> As well as Charlie's excellent points, the air conditioner will dry out the air for you where the evaporative cooler or humidifier will increase this, I think. One thing, do yourself a favor and get a large enough unit to do the job right. It would further help if you would insulate the garage door and make sure the edges are chinked (no racial implications intended)if you don't have to use the garage door very much. Life is too short to sweat while playing pool, unless your game makes you sweat. </font color>