Dehumidifiers: Anyone tried SolarVenti ?
- Thread starter jwrhind
- Start date
sarabande
Well-Known Member
Looking briefly at their site, I am unconvinced that such a small panel can generate the energy required to extract moisture from high-humidity air.
They seem to be saying that the system only works in daytime when the sun is on it, and if the external air is of low Rel.Hum. in comparison with the internal air.
It's just exchanging dryish air for wettish air.
If you have a boat and want to keep the dampness out during winter, you'll need something with more power. The device will have an effect but minimal.
Thermodynamic laws cannot be shortcut by fancy gadgets like this.
They seem to be saying that the system only works in daytime when the sun is on it, and if the external air is of low Rel.Hum. in comparison with the internal air.
It's just exchanging dryish air for wettish air.
If you have a boat and want to keep the dampness out during winter, you'll need something with more power. The device will have an effect but minimal.
Thermodynamic laws cannot be shortcut by fancy gadgets like this.
bobtheboater
New Member
SolarVenti works - i have one. It is on my farmhouse and has transformed a damp utility room (was the dairy) and kitchen into pleasant dry living spaces. Secondly on my recommendation a friend that lives in a houseboat has gone to New Zealand and is relying on SolarVenti to keep his boat dry during the six month period he is away.
First there is no doubt these things just work. Rhyno underestimates the power of meteorological effects and the physics of warmed air. Warmed dry air can hold much greater levels of moisture, sucking it out of the fabric of the boat displacing the moist stale air and replacing it with drier air. Odds on air is much drier when the sun is shining just think of winter mornings or when there has been dew or frost and the water has settled out of the atmosphere. On mornings like these the solarventi has a particularly powerful drying effect vastly superior to any dehumidifier. My partner now uses the utility room as the drying room. The sun shines often enough in winter to maintain the drying effect in a completely unattended fashion. On cold wet damp days it does nothing in effect keeping out the damp air.
No Rhyno your surmising is very wide of the mark.
The only caveat with solarventi is that your boat should be anchored so that the unit can reliably be south facing preferably not in some shady loch where no sun reaches it.
First there is no doubt these things just work. Rhyno underestimates the power of meteorological effects and the physics of warmed air. Warmed dry air can hold much greater levels of moisture, sucking it out of the fabric of the boat displacing the moist stale air and replacing it with drier air. Odds on air is much drier when the sun is shining just think of winter mornings or when there has been dew or frost and the water has settled out of the atmosphere. On mornings like these the solarventi has a particularly powerful drying effect vastly superior to any dehumidifier. My partner now uses the utility room as the drying room. The sun shines often enough in winter to maintain the drying effect in a completely unattended fashion. On cold wet damp days it does nothing in effect keeping out the damp air.
No Rhyno your surmising is very wide of the mark.
The only caveat with solarventi is that your boat should be anchored so that the unit can reliably be south facing preferably not in some shady loch where no sun reaches it.
jwrhind
Well-Known Member
Sadly, living in Scotland, I know all I need to about the moisture content of warmed air and I think that BobtheBoater's comments were probably mis-directed.
I emailed SolarVenti and have a reply from them. I am considering using this to keep the boat dry in the winter rather than use a more conventional dehumdifier.
If I go down this route, I will post my findings.
I emailed SolarVenti and have a reply from them. I am considering using this to keep the boat dry in the winter rather than use a more conventional dehumdifier.
If I go down this route, I will post my findings.
DaveS
Well-Known Member
Not wishing to be overly picky, but how do you suggest optimal orientation of one's boat vis a vis the sun while anchored?
tcm
...
But..
i read down as far as drilling an approx 100mm diametr hole in the wall and wondered how that would fare boatwise?...
Also, it dosn't work like a normal dehum : I want a winter boat with no fresh air at all whilst i'm away - just the air that is in there to get dried. Solarventi claims to push in 20m3/hr of dry air when the sun shines.
i read down as far as drilling an approx 100mm diametr hole in the wall and wondered how that would fare boatwise?...
Also, it dosn't work like a normal dehum : I want a winter boat with no fresh air at all whilst i'm away - just the air that is in there to get dried. Solarventi claims to push in 20m3/hr of dry air when the sun shines.
