Evaporation Question

[Fishflyer]

I run dehumidifiers all the time as I live in Northwest Washington and we often have high humidity. During rainy season and with my multiple tanks, dehumidifiers prevent mold.
I did not notice any change in water levels due to evaporation when I installed the dehumidifiers, but I noticed that the dehumidifiers were collecting a lot of water quickly.
When I did notice significant water loss in my tanks was when I activated my aquarium heaters when cold weather began here.

 

[skjl47]

When I did notice significant water loss in my tanks was when I activated my aquarium heaters when cold weather began here.

Hello; Yes this is what I have noted over the years.

 

[Fishflyer]

Hello; Yes this is what I have noted over the years.

It could be that the dehumidifiers are at max capacity and that at this level the dehumidifiers and tank evaporation were on a level so there was little noticeable evaporation until I brought the aquarium heaters factor into play.

 

[skjl47]

It could be that the dehumidifiers are at max capacity and that at this level the dehumidifiers and tank evaporation were on a level so there was little noticeable evaporation until I brought the aquarium heaters factor into play.

Hello; back over a few decades I studied various aspects of natural things such as evaporation. There are at least two factors I can recall. One is the energy level of the water and another is the relative humidity of the air.
I use to set up a demonstration for my physical science classes.
The gist was that low humidity air is sort of like a dry sponge and will take up water vapor and have the capacity to hold that vapor. High humidity air is more like a wet sponge and cannot take up much if any extra vapor.

The other factor being the heat energy of the water. Water molecules in cold water have little energy so at the surface only a few have enough energy to leave as a vapor. As the energy (heat) increased then more molecules can escape the surface as vapor.

Let me add. One of the ways to be cool in the summer is to have low humidity air. As water evaporates from our skin it takes energy for this evaporation. That energy is heat removed from our skin.
In the winter a trick is to have higher humidity air. That way less evaporation from our skin so we lose less body heat and feel warmer. ( The problem in a closed house in winter is we can have too much moisture if we have warm tank water plus showers, cooking as such. I run my dehumidifier at about half capacity and also have a humidity gauge so I can try to keep it about 50 to 60%.)

 

[Fishflyer]

Hello; back over a few decades I studied various aspects of natural things such as evaporation. There are at least two factors I can recall. One is the energy level of the water and another is the relative humidity of the air.
I use to set up a demonstration for my physical science classes.
The gist was that low humidity air is sort of like a dry sponge and will take up water vapor and have the capacity to hold that vapor. High humidity air is more like a wet sponge and cannot take up much if any extra vapor.

The other factor being the heat energy of the water. Water molecules in cold water have little energy so at the surface only a few have enough energy to leave as a vapor. As the energy (heat) increased then more molecules can escape the surface as vapor.

Let me add. One of the ways to be cool in the summer is to have low humidity air. As water evaporates from our skin it takes energy for this evaporation. That energy is heat removed from our skin.
In the winter a trick is to have higher humidity air. That way less evaporation from our skin so we lose less body heat and feel warmer. ( The problem in a closed house in winter is we can have too much moisture if we have warm tank water plus showers, cooking as such. I run my dehumidifier at about half capacity and also have a humidity gauge so I can try to keep it about 50 to 60%.)

That makes a lot of sense to me. I did garden volunteering for a non profit, and here comes your sponge and heat evaporation into dry air thesis, plus a dry ground factor and baking hot concrete.

I would water lawns and islands of plants in high summer. Surrounding nonplanted, nonwatered areas of ground would soak up the moisture from the adjacent watered ground, drying the watered ground more quickly. Lawn and plant beds bordering baking hot concrete sidewalks and asphalt parking areas would dry out much more quickly, as would raised island plant beds more exposed surrounded additionally by hot air.
The most moisture retaining areas were low areas insulated/surrounded by moist watered ground.

Inside one's home, dehumidifiers drawing moisture out of the air supplied by aquarium heaters and or heated room air adding evaporated water from the aquariums into the dry (dried) air, acting as a sponge would cause a continued cycle of evaporation.
Resolvement of this would be making a closed system of your aquarium, as others have said, by sealing openings, causing evaporated moisture to form as droplets inside your tank lid and falling back into aquarium, this would slow evaporation, or continuing to add water to your aquariums as needed.

 

[Fishflyer]

That makes a lot of sense to me. I did garden volunteering for a non profit, and here comes your sponge and heat evaporation into dry air thesis, plus a dry ground factor and baking hot concrete.

I would water lawns and islands of plants in high summer. Surrounding nonplanted, nonwatered areas of ground would soak up the moisture from the adjacent watered ground, drying the watered ground more quickly. Lawn and plant beds bordering baking hot concrete sidewalks and asphalt parking areas would dry out much more quickly, as would raised island plant beds more exposed surrounded additionally by hot air.
The most moisture retaining areas were low areas insulated/surrounded by moist watered ground.

Inside one's home, dehumidifiers drawing moisture out of the air supplied by aquarium heaters and or heated room air adding evaporated water from the aquariums into the dry (dried) air, acting as a sponge would cause a continued cycle of evaporation.
Resolvement of this would be making a closed system of your aquarium, as others have said, by sealing openings, causing evaporated moisture to form as droplets inside your tank lid and falling back into aquarium, this would slow evaporation, or continuing to add water to your aquariums as needed.

With stopping or halving the dehumidifier time should slow evaporation by adding more humidity, but aquarium heaters would be adding to a super moist atmosphere as evidenced by moisture on our windows. This would promote mold growth. At least that happens in my north rain laden state in winter. I might assume different geographical areas might vary somewhat or slightly depending on conditions.

 

[Fishflyer]

Hello; back over a few decades I studied various aspects of natural things such as evaporation. There are at least two factors I can recall. One is the energy level of the water and another is the relative humidity of the air.
I use to set up a demonstration for my physical science classes.
The gist was that low humidity air is sort of like a dry sponge and will take up water vapor and have the capacity to hold that vapor. High humidity air is more like a wet sponge and cannot take up much if any extra vapor.

The other factor being the heat energy of the water. Water molecules in cold water have little energy so at the surface only a few have enough energy to leave as a vapor. As the energy (heat) increased then more molecules can escape the surface as vapor.

Let me add. One of the ways to be cool in the summer is to have low humidity air. As water evaporates from our skin it takes energy for this evaporation. That energy is heat removed from our skin.
In the winter a trick is to have higher humidity air. That way less evaporation from our skin so we lose less body heat and feel warmer. ( The problem in a closed house in winter is we can have too much moisture if we have warm tank water plus showers, cooking as such. I run my dehumidifier at about half capacity and also have a humidity gauge so I can try to keep it about 50 to 60%.)

An added note when I have birds laying on eggs, they require more humidity in the air. I turn back dehumidifier use a bit. The canary or parakeet hen also has a bare spot and sweats when contacting the eggs. The aquarium water evaporation helps keeps the bird eggs moist. At times I must an incubebate eggs, the incubator humidity and temperature must closely monitored.

 

[skjl47]

With stopping or halving the dehumidifier time should slow evaporation by adding more humidity, but aquarium heaters would be adding to a super moist atmosphere as evidenced by moisture on our windows. This would promote mold growth. At least that happens in my north rain laden state in winter. I might assume different geographical areas might vary somewhat or slightly depending on conditions.

Hello; You nailed it about mold growth. That is the trade off point for high humidity in the winter. High humidity and you can get mold in the house. The first winter in my current house the inside glass of my double pane would sweat so much that it dripped onto the floor in puddles. I have a heat pump which is cool heat compared to the oil fired furnace I had used for decades before in another house.
I checked again last night as we have been having rain again and outside was 91% while inside it was 50%. My guess is greater than 50% would feel warmer to me but might promote mold.

 

[skjl47]

The aquarium water evaporation helps keeps the bird eggs moist. At times I must an incubebate eggs, the incubator humidity and temperature must closely monitored.

Hello; I have raised chickens with my family as a child and also used an incubator in my science classes.
Back in the day it was fairly easy to find eggs that would hatch. I would get a number of eggs of about the same age. My students would crack open an egg each day to chart the development of an embryo. Yes the incubator had a bit of water and a light bulb heat source. We also had to hand turn the eggs as I recall.

 

[Fishflyer]

Hello; back over a few decades I studied various aspects of natural things such as evaporation. There are at least two factors I can recall. One is the energy level of the water and another is the relative humidity of the air.
I use to set up a demonstration for my physical science classes.
The gist was that low humidity air is sort of like a dry sponge and will take up water vapor and have the capacity to hold that vapor. High humidity air is more like a wet sponge and cannot take up much if any extra vapor.

The other factor being the heat energy of the water. Water molecules in cold water have little energy so at the surface only a few have enough energy to leave as a vapor. As the energy (heat) increased then more molecules can escape the surface as vapor.

Let me add. One of the ways to be cool in the summer is to have low humidity air. As water evaporates from our skin it takes energy for this evaporation. That energy is heat removed from our skin.
In the winter a trick is to have higher humidity air. That way less evapora notion from our skin so we lose less body heat and feel warmer. ( The problem in a closed house in winter is we can have too much moisture if we have warm tank water plus showers, cooking as such. I run my dehumidifier at about half capacity and also have a humidity gauge so I can try to keep it about 50 to 60%.)

Hello SkjI47 When you said high humidity in the winter, it tends to feel colder, as getting soaked on cold rainy night as opposed to a dry cold night. (Both feel cold, but which feels colder?) Also my grandparents would hurt more and feel their arthritis more on damp nights which is an acknowledged medical fact now. Often arthritis suffers are sent to southern dryer climbs.