How much concern to you give to the position of your electronics to windows, heaters, etc.
I have a very small bed room, and I am getting new electronics (plasma, etc.) The rough picture gives a top down perspective. The electronic cabinet is only 23cm from a steam-based heat radiator. I've put paper and card board next to it to test the level of moisture... it is very small. The paper doesn't seem to "wilt" or show signs of buckling with moisture.
Now what the picture does not show is that the radiator vent (the box represents the counter, the word "vent" notes the width of the actual vent) is the height. The top of the vent is 61cm from the ground, the surface of the cabinet is 75cm from the ground.
Would you feel safe with this sort of set-up? What are the real risks of moisture?
I am no expert, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. I have seen electronics in worse conditions. You could always buy a cheap "hygrometer" from a hardware store. It's basically a little device that has two dials on it that measure the temperature and the relative humidity. These are usually in the thermometer sectoin of the hardware store and are about $10.
If you relative humidity is contant and less than 70 percent, I wouldn't really call your room that "moist" then.
I think the greater danger is a wide and sudden variation in temperature that allows condensation (i.e. actual water droplets) to form inside the room (a thin film of droplets is obviously not good for the inside of your TV).
If you are really worried you could always get a de-humidifier. But I would check first to see if you really need it.
I dont think that moisure is a problem, but I wouldnt keep heater too close. These days devices run quite hot anyway.
If you worry of moisure you can but temperature meter that shows moisure %. Moisure % changes inside quite lot when temperature changes outside.. Atleast if you have winter snow and ice.
My meter looks like this:
If moisure really is a problem, you can use device like this at storage, I keep one inside car when its garage at winter.. But I wouldnt use it bedroom, livingroom etc.. Only at storege.
We had those dryer balls (called "Torrbollen"(*) in Swedish) in our summer cottage, in both bedrooms and living rooms. But it was because during the weeks the house was not heated and got moist. When heated up, the moist is sucked up into the container.
(*) "Torrboll" in Swedish both can mean a dry ball and is used to describe someone who is dull, not outgoing or wants to hang out.
Unless your radiator has a leak (ie. is dripping on the floor) it wont add to the humidity in the room. Hot air can hold more moisture than cold air, so the air near the rad may have a higher moisture content. A window near a rad crates a pocket of colder air which isnt able to hold as much moisture as the warm air, so it's released in the form of condensation on the window. This isn't excessive humidity in your room caused by the rad, it's a reaction of the humidity already present in your room (cause by cooking, showers, laundry, breathing, etc). If you're really worried just keep your TV out of the cold air pocket created by the window and you'll be fine.
edit:
Re-reading your post, 9in from a rad could be a bit hot, I'd be concerned about excessive heat, but thats all.
the dude of dudes wrote:Re-reading your post, 9in from a rad could be a bit hot, I'd be concerned about excessive heat, but thats all.
The rad is nine inches away and a few inches (maybe 2 or 3) above. I'll put a themometer there for a day and measure the heat. Considering that the room can get as hot as 98F in the summer and 59F in the winter, what would a safe range be for TVs and DVD players.
My VIC-20, which is very nicely setup up, unfortunately has to be kept on an uptairs enclosed porch. This is lovely in the summer. Beautiful sunlight through the 180 degree glass windows. However, in the winter, there is very little insulation in this room, and it can drop almost as low as the outside (in Canada this can easily go below freezing).
I put a space heater in there, and have double sealed the windows with plastic, but for about 2 to 3 of the coldest months, there is just no point in trying to keep the room ward. I just keep everything shut off and don't even try to use it. (sudden changes of temperature are the worst - gradual ones are less harmful).
It's unfortunate, but I have absolutely no other place to put the VIC-20....and it hasn't really caused me any trouble over the years (knock on wood).
