Which Dehumidifier

[SimbaDog]

Can anyone recommend a sensibly priced dehumidifier to install for the winter ?
Seem to be lot's available but not sure what to go for /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Thanks

 

[Boomshanka]

Depends if you can drain it directly (down the sink plug hole)... If so, the DeLonghi ones from Argos are pretty good in my experience.

 

[Georgio]

I bought one from B & Q a couple of years ago, I think it is an own-brand one and was not expensive. It has an internal bucket or an external drain. I put my one in the heads and it drains through the hole where the log normally goes.

 

[mikemonty]

Sensibly priced?... Pay nuthin'! - ventilate the boat properly, lift the cushions and thus avoid pis*ing energy into the wind.

 

[enterprise]

Although expensive in comparison to the normal dehumidifiers I can Highly recommend one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruby-Dry-Dehumidifier-DH600/dp/B0002XOYDE

Used one for 6 seasons now & only problem encountered is they shut down on power failure.
I think if you look for simmilar units you would probably find an alternative which has addressed this problem.

Like this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prem-I-Air-XDry-Dehumidifier/dp/B0017HP8D4/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_i


Very easy to live with & although bulky not heavy, very quiet in low mode & the extraction rate is excellent, even provides some heat as byproduct so has the additional benefits of warming the boat as it dry's.

 

[npf1]

It's worth noting that some dehums can't be used with a timer switch as you need to be there to physically press the on/of button.

 

[mikemonty]

[ QUOTE ]
, even provides some heat as byproduct so has the additional benefits of warming the boat as it dry's.

[/ QUOTE ]

I detest dehumidifiers! I ain't the most Eco-friendly of people but even I think they are wasteful. They merely temporarily depress the humidity in an enclosed space.
Switch it off and the humidity returns to atmospheric - and heres one that is even less efficient that normal, it rejects even more heat!
Use 'em to dry out a soaked interior, but using one on a permanent basis is like trying to dig a hole in the sea (and paying the energy costs to do it)

Right - that's me done my bit for the environment - I'm off to burn some fossil fuels!

 

[Cantata]

I'm with you on this. Never used one. Boat spends winter with a hatch at each end cracked open, cushions lifted slightly, never had a problem with damp.

 

[enterprise]

I think you missed the point, the dessicant one only extracts when it needs too, switching between settings depending on how much humidity you have preselected, therefore not wastefull at all, it saves running a seperate heating appliance thus reducing the energy consumption.

Better than throwing a mildew riddled interior down the Landfill site anyday.

 

[BAtoo]

Just checked my (rather large) dehumidifier from B&Q and its 230w; so on 4hrs a day its about 1kw/day, dries the boat and some heat. Suspect I will continue to use it; always has worked well.

 

[mikemonty]

I'm not familiar with dessicant dryers for domestic use, but if it's anything like the industrial ones used for air and gas drying then drying out the dessicant for re-use involves heating air so that its relative humidity is low and passing that over the dessicant which gives up the water it has absorbed.

That uses heat (energy) and frankly, since the inefficiencies in an electric heating element are probably worse than a motor driven compressor, then I don't see any advantage.

So you dial up the humidity you want, the atmospheric humidity goes up and the dehum. kicks in and starts to depress the humidity in your boat. But where did that water vapour come from? The outside world - which is where the - now higher - partial pressure of water vapour pushes more water vapour into the boat.

Like I said - it's like trying to dig a hole in the sea!

As for being a heater:
If you heat the air in your boat it increases its water-holding ability and so you may be able to dry your soft furnishings a bit more, as the warm air will "suck" some water out the furnishings. But it reduces the amount of water the dessicant can extract and when the boat cools down again the water in the air raises its relative humidity again.
You have gained nothing except wasting more heat energy as it leaks out of the boat.

If you want to avoid mildew do not allow the fabrics to get wet. That happens when condensate gets a chance to pool and soak stuff. Hence the advice to raise your cushions off the condensing surfaces. Airborne humidity is not the problem, airborne humidity is "dry".

 

[Frontier]

Check out Hot gas bypass on the web.

The thing is they don't work well in the cold and can freeze up. so apparently you need one with a hot gas bypass. These are specifically designed for the colder environment, to avoid this freeze problem.

I have one like this

web page

 

[Boathook]

Totally agree with ventilation. Works ashore and afloat !!