Simulator Room Humidity Levels...

[blueskydriver]

Hey Everyone,

In the past there have been discussions about static electricity in and around your simulator/hangar, as well as how to deal with it. However, I don't recall discussing how much humidity is in the area or how much there should be.

Thus, in short (no pun intended...lol), this year I noticed how much more static electricity was occurring in my hangar (aka shed), plus how dry it can really get in here. And, with interior metal panels on the walls and ceiling I had to think about condensation build up if I run a humidifier.

For me, the best way to rectify the issue was to use a console type humidifier, along with using a couple of humidity gauges in the room to monitor the percentage of humidity. In doing so, what I found was anything below 30% was too dry and caused more static buildup. Whereas, between 30-40% was comfortable, and 40-45% was great but felt a tad colder in the room set at 68 F. Anything above 45% would just feel wet so to speak and I never went any higher as I expected condensation to occur.

In the winter it seems you have to deal with fluctuations much more (which is normal for winter) then you do during the spring/summer months. In fact, during the summer, it's just the opposite, I am trying keep it dry. Fortunately, one of the benefits of using a mini-split AC unit (Mr Cool 24K BTU), is the humidity is automatically controlled. Just set the percentage and the unit does the rest; although, I still keep an eye on the humidity gauges too be sure.

Likewise, if your sim area is in your home, like in a bedroom, family room or basement, I would advise you to not rely on your home's HVAC humidity control; especially, if you have a water/humidity unit added onto it, like mine does. When I was in the family room years ago and later in the garage, it was the same problem...dryness vs wetness, hence static buildup or not, but with less control ability with the HVAC alone. Instead, I always used a separate portable humidify or dehumidifier (and a portable AC unit when needed) because the simulator would produce a lot of heat locally and the home HVAC was not built to handle that functionality.

Finally, as trivial as this may seem, you'd be surprised by how much of a difference controlling the humidity in your sim room/hangar can make. By monitoring and setting it accordingly, you'll find that static electricity will be reduced and you will also feel much more comfortable when flying....

John     

[bernard S]

but if you  used an enclosed system then its a non starter ?

[FredK]

My Sim is located in my basement (actually a basement walkout).  The room is 100% finished designed specifically for the sim and is generally controlled by the house HVAV system.  However I have separate units for both temperature (cooling) and humidity control (reduction) for the room that augment the house system that are isolated to the room.  Cooling is definitely necessary when the system is running (6 computers plus three projectors). I was also concerned about the long-term effects of high humidity in the warm months (over 60% or so) on the equipment and electronics.  I have no issues regarding static electricity.

It is interesting that heat generation for me was a much bigger issue in the days of Pentium computers.  Modern computers throw off much less heat.

Fred K