Testing for SALT in the air

[ZoWhat]

My wife is convinced that our downstairs (where the aquarium equipment is) .... has dangerous, rusting, damaging tiny salt particles in the air destroying everything down there.

From furniture, to clothes, to our furnace, everything.

Unhappy wife = unhappy life

QUESTION... what can I use to TEST the amount of salinity/salt that is in the air?

I need FACTs

 

[JTP424]

Hmmmm id test the reverse! I.e. does your tank lose salinity!

 

[Miami Reef]

damaging tiny salt particles in the air destroying everything down there. From furniture to clothes to our furnace m, everything.

Are your clothes getting damaged by salt? Are your other items and furniture getting damaged/rusted?

I can’t tell if there is physical damage or if she’s trying to prevent damage — I’ve never really heard of salt damaging clothes from the air.

 

[rogueshrimp88]

I don't believe salt can do that. The only reason there's "salty air" near the ocean is due to ocean spray and wind carrying said spray. So unless there huge gusts of wind in your house while your power heads/pumps spray water haphazardly into the air, you don't have salty air. Water damage from excess humidity on the other hand is likely, but it's only damaging in high amounts which you can just open a window or get a dehumidifier.

 

[Fish Fan]

It may not be salty, but your tank(s) could be adding to the humidity in the room, which can cause problems.... Don't tell her I said that lol!

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

If you have good air exchange via your HVAC, there is 0 concern about anything in the air. The only thing going into the air is the evaporation of H2O (Water). As that evaporates, the salt stays behind, hence the need to replenish the tank with RODI instead of saltwater.

I'm not going to argue on your behalf because I'm married to an attorney myself, but I do have a MS in Mechanical Engineering and know this to be true. HTH!

 

[timmyrules]

Salt doesn’t evaporate. There can definitely be humidity, from the water evaporating, but the water that evaporates is freshwater.
Like @rogueshrimp88 said, unless a huge gust of wind is in your house when your power heads are spraying straight up….there ain’t gonna be salt in the air.

 

[ZoWhat]

OP here....

here is my wife's text to me after sharing what's been said:

 

[timmyrules]

OP here....

here is my wife's text to me after sharing what's been said:

Do you have a picture of the gritty salt?

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

OP here....

here is my wife's text to me after sharing what's been said:

Do you have a picture of the gritty salt?

And how far are these totes are from the tank?
My first thought is if there's high enough humidity to justify a dehumidifier, it could in theory cause items(like totes) to collect moisture(sweat) and then any dust would stick to that moisture and when the moisture dries, poof, all the dust stays but because it was damp it condensed and sticks instead of just dusting off, creating a film. Just my two cents

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Bubble popping launches tiny droplets into the air that can settle and leave salt deposits.

 

[ZoWhat]

Bubble popping launches tiny droplets into the air that can settle and leave salt deposits.

what does that mean?

settle where?
inches from the pop?
multiple feet from the pop?
in the other room?
clear across the house?

 

[Dan_P]

My wife is convinced that our downstairs (where the aquarium equipment is) .... has dangerous, rusting, damaging tiny salt particles in the air destroying everything down there.

From furniture, to clothes, to our furnace, everything.

Unhappy wife = unhappy life

QUESTION... what can I use to TEST the amount of salinity/salt that is in the air?

I need FACTs

Measuring salt in the air is not something you are likely to do. Measuring humidity, the likely cause for mold formation and maybe corrosion, is easy.

I read through the post and gather that except for dusty tote lids, there is nothing in your basement/lower level that has sustained damage. Have you considered that your wife doesn’t want the aquarium in the lower level?

 

[gbroadbridge]

My wife is convinced that our downstairs (where the aquarium equipment is) .... has dangerous, rusting, damaging tiny salt particles in the air destroying everything down there.

From furniture, to clothes, to our furnace, everything.

Unhappy wife = unhappy life

QUESTION... what can I use to TEST the amount of salinity/salt that is in the air?

I need FACTs

Tell her to get a test report confirming salt is damaging stuff in the house and if she manages to do that, tell her you'll find a way to fix it.

And send us a copy of the report too as I'm interested.

:cool:

 

[Seansea]

You got an airstone in the tank? That will send salt all over. If your wife's crAp is next to tank might get some on it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

what does that mean?

settle where?
inches from the pop?
multiple feet from the pop?
in the other room?
clear across the house?

All over the room. I know someone whose research involved taking high speed microscope videos of bubble popping. Plenty of fluid gets launched into the air, and tiny droplets (mist) will spread through the room and perhaps elsewhere.

Of course, whether this problem is significant depends on whether you have a lot of bubbles popping in the open air (like the tank top).

 

[Dburr1014]

My wife is convinced that our downstairs (where the aquarium equipment is) .... has dangerous, rusting, damaging tiny salt particles in the air destroying everything down there.

From furniture, to clothes, to our furnace, everything.

Unhappy wife = unhappy life

QUESTION... what can I use to TEST the amount of salinity/salt that is in the air?

I need FACTs

Unless you have a constant spraying of something down there it's not salt. Like think of your skimmer Tiny Bubbles everything spraying everywhere.

Salt doesn't evaporate but water does. You're downstairs you're probably seeing a lot of moisture because of the evaporation. That's exactly what I have in my basement. I have a 50 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank that's pretty much open other than the enclosure I put around it, but I'm not a carpenter, and it's not very enclosed. But my point I'm making is my oil tank is getting very rusted on the outside along with my tools and anything else that's metal.

 

[Dburr1014]

what does that mean?

settle where?
inches from the pop?
multiple feet from the pop?
in the other room?
clear across the house?

Humble fish talks about tanks and quarantine needed to be 10 ft away. This is because this is how far ich can travel.
Possibly more than 10 ft if there is a breeze or something in your basement I like from a fan or dehumidifier.

 

[LPS Bum]

Are your clothes getting damaged by salt? Are your other items and furniture getting damaged/rusted?

I can’t tell if there is physical damage or if she’s trying to prevent damage — I’ve never really heard of salt damaging clothes from the air.

Exactly. If that was the case, no one who lived by the ocean would have clothes!

 

[Miami Reef]

Exactly. If that was the case, no one who lived by the ocean would have clothes!

I’m laughing so much. That’s a little over-the-top, no? Haha

Maybe that’s why there are clothing-optional beaches. :grinning-face-with-sweat: