de humidifier and mould

[sia20]

would it be safe to leave new meaco dd8l de humidifier self drain switched on from November 2015 to may 2016 on 35 ft boat in south of france on the marina as I would not be able to get down to check on it until may or can any one suggest alternative method to prevent mould and mildew thanks for any help

 

[rafiki_]

Of course there is always a risk of leaving any electrical kit , but I leave my Maeco, with a plug timer so that it comes on twice a day for an hour or so in deep winter, but I would normally check it out every 2 to 3 weeks. Will you really suffer a moulding issue in the South of France? How long do you get sub 10c temps?

 

[sia20]

yes we do have a mould problem in sof this year we went down in may searay cockpit had bad case of mould also in cabin but we have been in sof 10 years and this is really first time we have had a problem my concern is we have bought new boat cranchi zaffiro and whilst looking at 6 different boats except the one I bought they all have had a serious mould problem at some time badly mould stained seats in cockpit and cabin which I am trying to prevent mine getting any help apprecated

 

[petem]

Moisture magnet (crystals) would surely be sufficient in the cabin? In the cockpit wouldn't the issue be leaks more than moisture in the air?

 

[alt]

yes we do have a mould problem in sof this year we went down in may searay cockpit had bad case of mould also in cabin but we have been in sof 10 years and this is really first time we have had a problem my concern is we have bought new boat cranchi zaffiro and whilst looking at 6 different boats except the one I bought they all have had a serious mould problem at some time badly mould stained seats in cockpit and cabin which I am trying to prevent mine getting any help apprecated

The Zaffiro is very susceptible to mould due to it's suede (?) type material in the saloon for the couch and roof lining. All the Zaffiro's i've had experience with have evidence of this, whereas the Smeraldo has the leather couch and the roof lining that you can wipe.

Just stick in a de-humidifier. In Ireland I have mine to run 3 x 3 hours per day (some may say OTT but the boat is dry!).
I would also advise putting a mini oil-filled rad also and leave it on the floor of the saloon. Just leave it on min setting... just incase it gets coldddd.

 

[Surfacesub]

Just curious as to why a time switch is necessary. If the area to be protected is not completely sealed from the outside elements, the Dehumidifier needs to be on the humidistat 24 hrs a day.

However, if the boat is say 95% sealed as in my case the Dehumidifier seldom cuts in but operates EXACTLY when required. Therefore the chance of mildew is eliminated

Perhaps unfortunate owners may be able to confirm if there is a common cause for the failure, and which component causes a fire within, reported from time to time? If we were to compare Compressor Dehumidifiers with Refrigeration units, which are similar by design, and given their reliability, are we doing something wrong?

The overnight outside atmosphere here is 91% RH and my Peltier dryer has consumed since midnight 0.018KWh! with a humidistat and no time switch. Obviously there is a risk and to hopefully minimise damage the unit sits on a non combustible base and a automatic fire extinguisher just above!

As an exercise I used a compressor type in another boat but unfortunately the sliding doors were not sealed very effectively which ultimately may have resulted in the units over work and failure. So from my experiance sealing the boat thoroughly makes for a satisfactory outcome all round and you certainly don't continue to try and dry the outside atmosphere which in effect probably results in a considerable amount of negative Dehumidifier reporting!

I understand the monitoring of temp. and humidity is possible remotely which may be of interest to those whose boats are not local. One could then contact a key holder for a report if the normal conditions change!

 

[mlines]

Of course there is always a risk of leaving any electrical kit , but I leave my Maeco, with a plug timer so that it comes on twice a day for an hour or so in deep winter, but I would normally check it out every 2 to 3 weeks. Will you really suffer a moulding issue in the South of France? How long do you get sub 10c temps?

According to the instructions this damages the de-humidifier

11. Never unplug the power cord without press the "Power" key to off first, as this could damage the unit.Never unplug the dehumidifier before the fan has stopped blowing.

I understand that this is because switching it off leaves damp desiccant on the wheel and it needs to complete the wheel drying process on power down. I leave ours on the humidistat.

 

[Medskipper]

I've heard that dehumidifiers can pull out all the water from toilets and even damage woodwork by drying out all its moisture! I wouldn't use one for such a long period of time. Also I never leave my boat coupled up to power when I am not there, just too dangerous for the boat if a fault should happen, just turn everything off!

 

[RupertW]

I've heard that dehumidifiers can pull out all the water from toilets and even damage woodwork by drying out all its moisture! I wouldn't use one for such a long period of time. Also I never leave my boat coupled up to power when I am not there, just too dangerous for the boat if a fault should happen, just turn everything off!

A humidstat will usually allow you to set the levels you can live with - Maeco certainly seems to from the website. I'm with you on the power thing though, but am beginning to change my mind. After just 6 weeks we have just found our boat (in Greece) damp and with mould all over the place, so the next 5 months without us on board could be awful. So strongly considering going back for a weekend and putting in a Meaco - risk of fire versus certain mould???

 

[lynall]

We have had a meaco (over 3 yrs now) in our little boat after some mould started, turned out to be a window leak but its switched on 24/7/365 on the humidistat.
I still check it every weekend when checking the boat.
If I leave the toilet door open it does over time evaporate the water, but a simple fix would be a layer of clingfilm over the bowl, just remember to remove it before use!
5 months is a long time without checking a boat.

 

[Medskipper]

A humidstat will usually allow you to set the levels you can live with - Maeco certainly seems to from the website. I'm with you on the power thing though, but am beginning to change my mind. After just 6 weeks we have just found our boat (in Greece) damp and with mould all over the place, so the next 5 months without us on board could be awful. So strongly considering going back for a weekend and putting in a Meaco - risk of fire versus certain mould???

In my experience you need a good circulation of air to keep a boat dry. This means slightly leaving windows open, cupboards and wardrobes. Once you have circulation you have a dry boat and no mould. Also Make sure there is no water in the bilges. With the boat in Greece you should have some very dry periods helping to dry out the boat?

 

[Cashbuyer]

We've had our desiccant Meaco for five years and it still works perfectly. Run on a timer for 2-3hours every 24, draining into sink. 35ft boat lovely and dry and no mildew anywhere. UK based.

 

[EugeneR]

When we were looking at boats up to 10 years old, there was a very significant difference between boats where dehumidifiers have been run, and those where not. Not only does it help to prevent mould, but it helps to prevents corrosion on things like window frames, jubilee clips and the like, helps prevent sagging of headlining due to damp, prevents the green growth on the inside of sliding windows, and maintains a "clean" smell. In some cases, there was evidence of a dehumidifier being run continuously and/or at too high a setting (i.e. low humidity) which seems to cause crazing of the lacquer on the woodwork.

We run ours in the saloon with it's built-in humidistat set at 60% humidity, all seasons. Have been doing this for 10+ years with no issues, although I replace the humidifier every 5 or so years. I am considering adding one in the engine bay as well, into a "pool" where the bilge pump will take care of the resulting water. (At present, bilges are clean and dry).