Dehumidifiers, what sort do i need?

[Quidi Vidi]

its a dehumidifier / fridge

I'm assuming that as its primary function is to cool air and dehumidifying is a by product of that process then it may not be the answer or would it? I mean how long would I need to run it for bearing in mind my carpets etc are extremely damp? The thought of driving around for the next few weeks with the A/C on full chat in this weather just doesn't compute in my simple mind! I would like to know a bit more about how it works though as I have to confess I am now very curious.

 

[sailorman]

well the car a/c defrosts the same as a fridge

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4585922_car-air-conditioning-work.html

I'm assuming that as its primary function is to cool air and dehumidifying is a by product of that process then it may not be the answer or would it? I mean how long would I need to run it for bearing in mind my carpets etc are extremely damp? The thought of driving around for the next few weeks with the A/C on full chat in this weather just doesn't compute in my simple mind! I would like to know a bit more about how it works though as I have to confess I am now very curious.

 

[Quidi Vidi]

well the car a/c defrosts the same as a fridge

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4585922_car-air-conditioning-work.html

Thanks Sailorman, a good link and simple enough that even I now understand the basic principles

 

[LionsDen]

Ours is similar to this http://www.dehumidifiersuk.com/p/11...difier-.html?gclid=CIbo2uj1vbUCFUbMtAodGjEA8w. It may be rather more than you're wanting to pay but, for us, the outlay has been well worth it.

The dessicant wheel dehumidifiers work well at very low termperatures. We got 2 litres (ish) out of ours overnight last night and there was ice on the decks when I got up! It's transformed winter sailing for us as we used to get lots of condensation inside our boat. Now, provided we've got access to power of course! - the boat is bone dry. It also gives off a little heat (I mean a little) which can be a bonus.

So, depending on your sailing habits, you may find you use it rather more than you think.

I have a Meaco 88L which is just as good as the above - if you buy from this co you also get a free humidity and temperature weather station clock which is very good.

You can use the humidifier at home as well for removing condensation and humidity levels which will reduce heating bills as you can lower the thermostat as you will not be heating the damp atmosphere.

The fabric off your house and boat will also be kept intact.

Trust this assists - ps buy new not secondhand

 

[LionsDen]

I'm assuming that as its primary function is to cool air and dehumidifying is a by product of that process then it may not be the answer or would it? I mean how long would I need to run it for bearing in mind my carpets etc are extremely damp? The thought of driving around for the next few weeks with the A/C on full chat in this weather just doesn't compute in my simple mind! I would like to know a bit more about how it works though as I have to confess I am now very curious.

FYI a/c also acts as a dehumidifier in part as it dries the air when working both in a heating ang cooling mode.
a/c should be used at least once a month otherwise big bill will be coming

 

[Sneaky Pete]

If you want one that works superbly including in low temperatures look at something like http://www.meaco.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DD8LJunior - I have two, one on the boat and one at home drying laundry. I am not sure they are as long-term reliable as compressor types such as Ebac, but they certainly dry things out much better than anything else.

Peltier dehumidifiers are toys, don't waste your money. Compressor types are OK in warm weather, but useless in the cold.

+1 for this type I have it in the boat perfect even after power failure it restarts does not have a compressor so does not use as much power.

 

[Momac]

The problem i have is that my car is extremely damp after a problem with the heater blowing the thermostat, a common fault with with Renault Scenics apparently. I've had the heater fixed but the carpets are saturated and the upholstery is very damp Your thoughts and suggestions would be much appreciated.

If the carpets and upholstery really are still soaking wet I would be using a wet and dry type vacuum cleaner to pick up the excess water. Failing that use some absorbant cloths or towels. Then get busy with a good hair dryer - allowing plently of ventilation to let the moist air escape out of the car. Driving along with the heater turned to hot , the fan on high and and the aircon at the same time will provide plenty of warm dry air.

 

[Quidi Vidi]

If the carpets and upholstery really are still soaking wet I would be using a wet and dry type vacuum cleaner to pick up the excess water. Failing that use some absorbant cloths or towels. Then get busy with a good hair dryer - allowing plently of ventilation to let the moist air escape out of the car. Driving along with the heater turned to hot , the fan on high and and the aircon at the same time will provide plenty of warm dry air.

Hi, thanks for your input. We soaked the worse of it up with newspapers which to start with we're dripping wet but now come up quite damp. We ran a fan heater for a day with the windows open but we still have a lot of condensation running down the windows. It takes an age in the mornings to demist and clear the windows and the other morning the inside of the windows froze and had to be scraped off. Hence my thinking that I need to use a dehumidifier to completely dry the car out with the added bonus that I can dry the boat out afterwards. Normally the boat doesn't suffer from damp, I can only assume that this is caused because it is in a yard this winter. Hence any dehumidifier will be virtually redundant after these two quick jobs have been completed. I have never used a dehumidifier before so I want to get the right tool for the job without throwing lots of money at it.

 

[Momac]

Hi, thanks for your input. We soaked the worse of it up with newspapers which to start with we're dripping wet but now come up quite damp. We ran a fan heater for a day with the windows open but we still have a lot of condensation running down the windows. It takes an age in the mornings to demist and clear the windows and the other morning the inside of the windows froze and had to be scraped off. Hence my thinking that I need to use a dehumidifier to completely dry the car out with the added bonus that I can dry the boat out afterwards. Normally the boat doesn't suffer from damp, I can only assume that this is caused because it is in a yard this winter. Hence any dehumidifier will be virtually redundant after these two quick jobs have been completed. I have never used a dehumidifier before so I want to get the right tool for the job without throwing lots of money at it.

Just a thought - does the Scenic have some under floor compartments? Has water gathered in them ?

 

[alex49778]

The desiccant wheel dehumidifiers work well at very low temperatures. But you should be aware of the fact that it should not be harmful to the humans. As the users can have some sort of awkward feeling, so i suggest to please check first and then use the option you like the most.
24 Hour AOK Emergency Room

 

[Quidi Vidi]

Just a thought - does the Scenic have some under floor compartments? Has water gathered in them ?

Yes it does and that is where we mopped most of the water up from, however there is still some in there we can't get to and of course the whole car is damp now. Funnily enought the inside of the windows weren't too bad this morning even though the outside had frozen up!

 

[Koeketiene]

Dehumidifiers, what sort do i need?

Years ago, we got the cheapest we could find: B&Qs own brand at £19.99.
Now in it's fifth year of use, and still going strong.
Value for money.

 

[richardabeattie]

Bower15
Nothing I try seems to allow me to reply to your pm. Hitting the Reply to PM button does nothing and when I send you a new pm it does not show in my sent box. Please pm me your phone number!

 

[Girona]

I bought one from B&Q @ £100 approx. It warns that if you use it through an extension lead, it may trip the supply. That's what it does! What should I do. Re-wire it with a longer lead, to do away with the extension lead? Un-plug the battery charger that shares a double socket or keep resetting it daily. It shifts 10L a day (in my wooden boat) and seems great except for the tripping - any thoughts?? Girona