Dehumidifier draining

[Elessar]

Thats an interesting take on it. One other reason for the tube heater/dehumid combination is to keep ambient temperature sufficient to protect engine and avoid fully draining water pump each time.

The sea does that! The bottom of the boat is a nice big radiator comfortably above freezing where I keep my boat (Uk south coast)

 

[johnalison]

There seems to be two reasons for a dehumidifier.

One is to stop mould. Ventilation works for some on this and we’ve had forced ventilation described. Sounds good.

The other is to keep the boat feeling nice so it can be used in winter. That’s why I leave my desiccant dehumidifier on 24/7. Beds made up and clothes in the wardrobe. Ready to go. It isn’t cheap but it is worth it for me.

That’s what we did for a year or two before I gave up winter sailing. The other point is that the lack of damp allows the boat to heat up much quicker, or at least appear to, when you want to occupy it.

 

[Bran]

Another desiccant humidifier user, Maeco DD8, not on a timer, run it full time on a medium setting, draining into the galley sink.
We use the boat through the winter and I find using the dehumidifier makes a huge difference when we go on the boat, it has none of that damp feeling. I have tube heaters around the engine and small oil filled radiators in the heads.

 

[EugeneR]

Another desiccant humidifier user, Maeco DD8, not on a timer, run it full time on a medium setting, draining into the galley sink.
We use the boat through the winter and I find using the dehumidifier makes a huge difference when we go on the boat, it has none of that damp feeling. I have tube heaters around the engine and small oil filled radiators in the heads.

I believe the DD8 switches off when the desired humidity level is reached, so no need for a timer also.

For a desiccant model, I think a timer may harm the dehumidifier because it needs the fan to cool the disk? after operation, and if you interrupt the power, it cannot do that.

 

[Bran]

I believe the DD8 switches off when the desired humidity level is reached, so no need for a timer also.

For a desiccant model, I think a timer may harm the dehumidifier because it needs the fan to cool the disk? after operation, and if you interrupt the power, it cannot do that.

That’s correct, when you switch off the dehumidifier it takes a few minutes to shut down whilst it cools the disk down. It has several different levels of humidity you can select and is fully autonomous, worked well during the last lockdown for several months. I remotely monitor cabin temperature and humidity and could see that that the humidity was around 50% all of last winter when we could not get to the boat.

 

[Restoration man]

These dehumidifiers and heater tubes are all well and good , until the power on the pontoon gets tripped or someone unplugs you to plug there own boat in

 

[Daydream believer]

A survey on the HR owners’ page a year or two ago showed that socks were by far the most popular items for blocking vents.

Apparently it works better if one takes ones foot out first.
I must be the only person who does not suffer from damp in my boat. I do visit the boat every week, living close by. I also empty everything out at the end of the season. I do this because it is surprising how much extra gear accumulates & if one does not strip it all out one ends up with a boat full of useless carp adding to the weight of the boat.
What I do, however, is buy those tubs of handy wipes. Part fill the tub with a concentrated mix of water & Flash liquid to make the paper sheets nice & wet. I then go round the boat at layup & wipe all the surfaces to clean them. I do not dry the resulting damp surface & I expect that the presence of the Flash prevents mould build up.
That being said the boat dries out really quick & there is never any sign of condensation. Perhaps it is the location by the River Blackwater on the east coast UK which is one of the UK's driest areas

 

[Falcoron]

Used a
EcoAir DD1 Classic on my last boat all winter long on eco mode, which is automatic. Boat was a really old damp ocean 30 but this dried it out superbly and never any mould once cleaned off and buying this unit..

 

[Jim@sea]

I bought a boat where the previous owner had a dehumidifier and a battery charger connected to the electrical point on the pontoon.
The bilge pump was switched onto automatic as the cockpit did not gave a cover and in heavy rain water would flood into the bilges.
It appears that someone unplugged the electrical plus to use their plug and when finished plugged this boats plug back in.
Unfortunately it tripped. So the boat neither had the dehumidifier, battery charger or Bilge Pump working.
When I went to buy the boat it was obvious that at sometime water in the bilges had got high enough to reach the height of the dipstick hole and fill the sump. As well as filling the starter motor wit oil.
So if you are connecting something to a marina point you can expect people to unplug it.

 

[Momac]

So if you are connecting something to a marina point you can expect people to unplug it.

Not where I keep my boat since there is a shore power connection for every boat.
But we have had power cuts.

 

[Momac]

Regarding the dehumidifier .
I am pleased to note from the report posted that the desiccant type is less prone to fire than the compressor type.

I am able to get to my boat easily . So I just let the dehumidifier fill its own tank at which point the dehumidifier stops . It does so in about 36hrs with the dehumidifier on a medium setting . I know the 36hrs (approx) as I can monitor the energy use remotely from my phone.

With the boat unoccupied the interior feels okay with the dehumidifier put on once a week.
I thought I would mention this in case any folks reading this are concerned about using the pipe drain facility but can get to their boat once week.

 

[girlofwight]

Pipe into the galley sink, but actually put the pipe a few inches into waste pipe so water is being fed out rather than sitting in sink.

I have a remote temperature and humidity monitor and the downward humidity graph in the first 12 hours of setting is impressive.

 

[Graham_Wright]

We use our dehumidifier as a water maker.

 

[Momac]

We use our dehumidifier as a water maker.

Water from a tap is a lot cheaper.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Water from a tap is a lot cheaper.

The primary purpose of the dehumidifier is dehumidifying. The water is a by-product.
We also have a tap from an unlimited source but it tastes salty.

 

[Momac]

The primary purpose of the dehumidifier is dehumidifying. The water is a by-product.
We also have a tap from an unlimited source but is tastes salty.

I perhaps wrongly assumed that if a dehumidifier was in use there would be shore power and also a potable water supply available neary.

 

[Minerva]

We use our dehumidifier as a water maker.

Surely the inner workings of a dehumidifier will be comparatively warm, damp and unclean able - that'll be a breading ground for all sorts of nasties and not make potable water?

 

[Graham_Wright]

Surely the inner workings of a dehumidifier will be comparatively warm, damp and unclean able - that'll be a breading ground for all sorts of nasties and not make potable water?

We use it for washing.

 

[Momac]

I have alway used the 'two drop' medium setting on the DD8L . As of the weekend I am trying the DD8L dehumidifier on the ''one drop'' setting (higher target humidity). It is cutting out sooner and using less power per day as expected. It should go longer before its tank is full and it cuts out.
It remains to be seen whether the boat feels acceptably dry when next visited which may well be next weekend.

 

[KeelsonGraham]

Unless the boat is air tight you will using a lot of power to make a puddle of water in the galley sink.

Not true. A dehumidifier makes a huge difference in our non airtight AWB.