do i keep the dehumidifier running all the time or just when the RH creeps up a bit??
I had a 3in1 portable AC that I had been using for few weeks which is what I had available at the time but the humidistat in it was very bad and not accurate so I was turning it on and off manually. It died few days ago and was looking like you at my option..
When lights are off RH in the room should not increase much unless you have a big drop in temps but leaves shouldnt evaporate water anymore.. so you want something mostly when lights are on and maybe 1-2h after they are off.
I decided to go with a dehumidifier and iv been using it for few days and im very happy..yes it does cost quite a lot but now I can leave my house with the peace of mind that my humidity is under control and thats priceless to me.. i used to worry a lot (ive read so many thread with people having bud rots - I didnt want that to happen to me)
I did lots of research and there is unfortunatelly no cheap magical solution to remove humidity other than exhausting the humidity and bringing in lower humidity air inside.. if you expect to do more grow after this one go with a dehumidifier you'll thank me later.. i leave it on at a set % and does what it has to do whenver humidity get outside a certain range.. as a tip you dont need a dehumidifier with a big container a small container is totally fine as long as you have a drain and then you hook it up to your own bigger container - the only risk is that it wont stop when its full but if you use 3 or even 5 gal bucket you should be good for a week or maybe more without having to empty it -.. anyway I still empty it everyday anyway but wanted to share if that help