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Home-Built Dehumidification Kilns
Here's a long discussion of small, inexpensive
dehumidifier kiln design, including a consideration of the fire risks involved.
September 17, 2012
Question
If anyone has any advice regarding a small dehumidification plan, would you be
able to pass along information? I would like to build one using a store bought
dehumidifier - 8' long, 3' dee,p and 34" high. It will serve as a work bench while
the wood is drying.
Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From contributor G:
My first kiln similar to the one you are proposing was nothing more than a
4'x4'x16' box (make it any size you like) using 2" thick rigid foam insulation taped
together with aluminum tape. I ran wiring for the moisture meter to the outside
so the MC could be checked without opening the access door used for changing
the fan or dehumidifier controls. When the MC of lumber reaches the desired
level, cut the tape and remove the wood. Repeat as needed.
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
With all these homemade units, there is a substantial fire risk, so first make sure
that your homeowners covers you, use proper wiring, and then put in safety
controls including a smoke alarm.
From contributor D:
How well do this small home built units work? Are they able to achieve the
normal specs we expect to see lumber dried to in an industrial kiln?
From contributor X:
I built my first kiln going on seven years ago. I still use that same kiln to this day
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and the other two I have since built because they give me much more flexibility
than using the single 5000 BF chamber I'd built (and since disassembled) using
an Ebac unit. I'm not a high volume single-species operation so the smaller
multi-kiln model works best for me.
Based on my experience running these home DH units, running them inside a
kiln box presents no more fire hazard than running one inside a small bedroom
provided your wiring is adequate. That must be the case in any situation where
there is an electrical load. Don't bypass any safety devices within the DH
circuitry to try to allow it to run above its design limits or that would certainly
increase the risk of fire. Of course you cannot bypass the internal thermal
overload within the hermetically sealed compressor, but still one should not
attempt to force a DH to perform to the point of the compressor reaching its
internal thermal overload limit; that *would* increase the risk so just don't do it. It
isn't necessary anyway to get the performance from the kiln.
Running a fan and a heat lamp inside the box also requires proper wiring and
clearance between the lamp and any combustibles. The environment must be
free of dust and debris as common sense would dictate. Always unplug the
dehumidifier for your bug kill cycle so that in the unlikely event both thermal
overloads in the DH circuit (most modern units have an external thermal, the
internal, and an amperage limit trip) were to fail you wouldn't have a possible
meltdown within the DH circuitry somewhere.
A home DH unit was not designed to operate in a kiln environment, that is to be
sure. It’s better to have a commercially designed DH kiln, that just can't be
argued. But for those who want to dry lumber and simply cannot afford a
commercial unit, it's either spend a few hundred dollars and scarf one together,
or rely solely on air drying.
I'm a strong proponent of these shop DH kilns because when I was first getting
started I couldn't afford a commercial kiln. There was no way I was going to dry
lumber in a DH kiln unless I scarfed one together and the design I got from
Daren made that possible. One of the best things going for this kiln is that it's
difficult to ruin wood with it. You almost have to try.
Even if you do everything "right", does one of these shop DH kilns present more
of a fire hazard than say a window unit in your shop? Maybe. I've never heard of
one of them catching on fire, but that doesn't mean it won't or can;'t happen. I
got a recall notice a few years back for one of the DH units I'd bought. The letter
said the DH unit presented a fire hazard and that I could take my DH unit to the
nearest dealer and have the new switch installed. My particular unit didn't fall
within the serial number ranges listed in the letter, but I elected not to use the
unit in the kiln any longer just to be safe.
If my kiln had caught fire because of that defect, wouldn't it have also failed
running as designed in grandma's bedroom? Most likely. The fire risk involved
with one of these shop DH units is infinitesimally increased using common
sense and precaution, but much more increased if you fail to use common
sense how you build and operate it. Does your table saw have a riving knife?
Your risk of injury from kickback is increased if it doesn't. That's a risk within
your ability to control either way. I think a flippant discarding of a cigarette, or
grilling too close to your shop in the summer poses a much greater risk to your
shop than the kiln.
I support DIY systems whether it be a kiln or a cyclone system. They shouldn't
be summarily dismissed because they don't cost thousands of dollars and have
a UL sticker on them; especially designs so well proven for so long.
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From the original questioner:
Does it have to run 24/7? Could it run 16 hours a day? During the day I would
be around it in my shop, at night is when I might be nervous. If you run it like this
does it just take longer to dry or do you lose everything you gained? If you’re not
around for a couple of days can you shut it off, restart, and get back to where
you were?
From contributor E:
Any kiln is only as safe as it's installed, whether it’s a DIY or commercial. Do you
turn on and off your DH in your basement when you leave? What's the
difference? This is a basic system not for speed where the drying errors start
occurring. I have approximately 4,000 board feet in mine now and have a mixed
load of thicknesses and starting MC’s. It has finally balanced and I could've
separated them all but there are too many differences/small stacks. Electrical
and heat are just as dangerous whether a large scale or small mill. It's the
rigging that causes the problems.
From the original questioner:
To contributor E: Does the DH unit sit outside the kiln box or inside?
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
Inexpensive DH units can seize up and because they do not have adequate
controls or they are on a high amp circuit, they do not shut off, but continue to
run or try to run creating heat and potentially a fire risk. Commercial DH dryers
will have adequate safety features.
I believe that the NYLE L200 has 2 HP compressor, 4 kW aux heat, and two 1/4
HP circulating fans plus controls for $4000, and this includes plans for a
standalone unit or a unit in a used refrigerated van. Check with NYLE for details.
In any case, the investment in a DH unit and building is considered an
investment in equipment and that can be a business depreciated item on tax
returns. Comparing the homemade to commercial, the drying speed is controlled
by horse power per BF. More power means faster drying, up to a point.
Unfortunately, I have been involved in fires where the homeowner was using his
home to run a wood drying business, but homeowners insurance would not
cover the loss, as the policy is not for businesses, especially a kiln. I have been
involved with businesses that also did not have fire insurance. Such insurance is
quite inexpensive. The wetter the lumber and the more oak there is, the shorter
the life of the DH unit.
From contributor E:
To the original questioner: It sits on the inside. The only difference sitting in your
basement and the kiln cabinet is cubic feet. Both are in enclosed spaces. Both
units can seize up, cause fires, be wired incorrectly, have over amped circuitry,
or the cabinets can be built wrong. Most equipment produced now has
overheating safety protection.
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
The homemade units are fine, if the DH unit is not cheaply made. Safety is
indeed a concern. I hope that my comments help someone understand the
difference between homemade and commercial, so that they can make a wise
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decision for their situation.
From the original questioner:
I understand where you are coming from Gene. Can you shut unit off and start
next day again similar to that of solar kiln?
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
Yes, but it would not be too beneficial except for hard-to-dry woods at very high
MC’s. The relaxing can help relieve stresses, but only at very high MC’s.
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
It might surprise folks to know that I worked with American Woodworker in
developing and testing their homemade kiln. Also, I am not against homemade
kilns, if they are safe. I recommend DH home-type units in dry lumber storage
facilities. I have designed home-made drying units with a DH in several Third
World countries (prior to 2000, so my interest has been long term). I have seen
one China-made DH unit fail, overheat, and just by chance discovered before a
fire started. If you Google "dehumidifier fire hazard" you will see unbelievable
info, including recalls by GE, Whirlpool, as well as companies already
mentioned, for fire.
From contributor D:
With all the information provided, I'm assuming you can reach the same desired
MC and stability in the lumber as you would with a commercial unit?
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
You can reach the same final MC as in a commercial unit (if the unit is run
properly, obviously). A commercial unit may be faster, as many operate at higher
temperatures. Once at that condition, it does not matter how the wow was dried
to achieve that MC. As we have stated many times in this site, the disadvantage
of a low temperature drying system (of any type), is that we cannot kill any
insects, such as the powder post beetle, and cannot set the pitch in a sappy
softwood. Both require hotter temperatures. To achieve hotter temperatures, the
DH unit can be removed from the kiln environment and then a secondary heater
used.
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
Drying of wood has been around for centuries, but using a kiln became
commercially popular at the turn of the 20th century with the increase in central
heating (drier interior environments). There are some early texts on air drying,
often with the word "seasoning in them, but one of the landmark texts was
written by Harry Tiemann, 1917, KILN DRYING OF LUMBER. A second, with
many procedures still used today, was by Arthur Koehler and Rolf Thielen
(University of Wisconsin Extension) THE KILN DRYING OF LUMBER, 1926,
McGraw-Hill Book Co, New York.
From contributor S:
Gene – can you elaborate a little more on killing the bugs. When in the cycle
should the DH unit be removed and a heater put in, and how hot and for how
long? Also, how long do these DH kilns take? I just found out that my 1.5 year
old air-drying stack from two sizeable Chinese elm logs was infested! It must
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have been a couple of gallons of dust when we moved the stack.
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
Generally, 135 F inside the wood is required for an hour or two. To get this
temperature, the air temperature is 160 F or hotter. It may take quite a few hours
to get the heat to the inside of the wood. This is usually done at the end of the
cycle. Drying time depends on species, thickness, temperature, and
horsepower.
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
Because the insects have been so active, the wood's strength will be quite low.
Be careful in this respect when using the wood.
From contributor S:
Thanks Gene. Fortunately the bugs seem mostly in the white sapwood and
bark. When we discovered the bugs last week we stripped all the bark off and
sprayed with bug killer, but it probably won't have much effect on interior bugs. It
gets down to -25 degrees here in the winter (our factory is located in a village in
Central Asia), any chance that freezing will kill the bugs? There were worms of
various sizes - tiny, smaller than a grain of rice up to 1/8" plus fat and 3/4" long
with a hard head on one end.
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
Freezing has no effect. Spraying the outside has very little effect. Almost all
insects prefer sapwood as that is where most of the sugars are. Heartwood
often has chemicals that the insect does not like or that are poisonous.
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