Winter Damp and Dessicant

[Mike k]

Hi all

I would rather not have an electric dehumidifier going over winter and wondered if dessicant could help- but can anyone advise of thier experience using it, any suppliers and how to use it please ( is it loose,in boxes,bags) etc?

many thanks for any responses

Mike

 

[DAKA]

used to use it many years ago.
not easy to use.

the crystals turn to slop which is an acid slush.

as you carry it out to empty you run the risk of pouring acid on your carpets.

if you cant get power its best to have plenty of ventilation.

 

[sarabande]

dessicant crystals are a con of the first water. As soon as they absorb their max capacity, they become useless until they are themselves re-dessicated.

Whatever the mass of the crystals in the box or bag, that is the mass of the water they can hold (very roughly). It ain't much, relative to the amount of water in the atmosphere. Really.


As Daka says, you are better off, in the absence of lecky, with lots of ventilation.

 

[Thepipdoc]

dessicant crystals are a con of the first water. As soon as they absorb their max capacity, they become useless until they are themselves re-dessicated.

Whatever the mass of the crystals in the box or bag, that is the mass of the water they can hold (very roughly). It ain't much, relative to the amount of water in the atmosphere. Really.


As Daka says, you are better off, in the absence of lecky, with lots of ventilation.

I never knew that.

 

[sarabande]

it's all about saturation (the point when the crystals cannot absorb any more water from atmosphere) and equilibrium (where the dessicant has removed so much moisture that it cannot extract any more from atmosphere. This is usually what happens when you open a new box of tech equipment or binoculars or medecines; the crystals have in effect removed all the water from inside the packaging)


On a boat, moist air keeps coming in, so the dessicant reaches full saturation and gives up.

 

[paultallett]

Hi all

I would rather not have an electric dehumidifier going over winter and wondered if dessicant could help- but can anyone advise of thier experience using it, any suppliers and how to use it please ( is it loose,in boxes,bags) etc?

many thanks for any responses

Mike

I'm much like you in that I don't like the thought of leccy on the boat over the winter.....(just incase!!)

Had our boat 5 years now and always used crystals and had no problems, boat is as fresh at the end of the winter as she is when we pull her ashore!!

The secret for us is to use lots of them and change them regular.

We also seal up the cabins as best we can (difficult I know and goes against everything people say but every cupboard is open and floor hatch's is lifted) but this way it keeps the air in the cabins as dry as can be.

Never had a problem with damp, mould or smells..... In fact everyone whoever comes onboard always comments that she looks and smells like new!!

 

[Ripster]

I'm much like you in that I don't like the thought of leccy on the boat over the winter.....(just incase!!)

Had our boat 5 years now and always used crystals and had no problems, boat is as fresh at the end of the winter as she is when we pull her ashore!!

The secret for us is to use lots of them and change them regular.

We also seal up the cabins as best we can (difficult I know and goes against everything people say but every cupboard is open and floor hatch's is lifted) but this way it keeps the air in the cabins as dry as can be.

Never had a problem with damp, mould or smells..... In fact everyone whoever comes onboard always comments that she looks and smells like new!!

Likewise - been using them now for two seasons and no damp or mould. On my 33ft FB I use 6 traps spread about and change all the crystals about every six weeks or so. Avoids the need for a dehumidifier and the associated risks and is not aftected if your leccy cuts out! Works for me (and many others too).

 

[Mike k]

Ripster

can you give me a supplier name please?

thanks

Mike

 

[Mike k]

Paul Tallat
= thanks do you buy crstals in bulk or what package size?

Cheers

Mike

 

[GrahamHR]

We used to have a static caravan for 6 years, close to where we keep the boat before we bought a house there. A company I used to deal with was getting rid of some silica gel; the blue/ =dry changing to pink/ = saturated type as the colour indicator is based on a cobalt salt (due to H&ES reasons; toxic, but totally stupid reason to get rid of it, who eats it?). Anyhow, 2 x 20 kg was free, they didn't have to pay to dispose of it so they were happy, I was happy to get something useful for free. 2 x 5kg, every 3 months kept the 40' caravan perfectly dry from early November to late March. Regeneration was free, I just stuck a few kg at a time in the oven at home after it had been used to cook something. I now use it to keep the boat dry.

 

[rafiki_]

I have used dessicant trays in Rafiki for the past 3 winters, and very happy with the results. No mildew, mould or nasty smells. Will continue doing so.

 

[scubaman]

As I mentioned earlier on another post, we used to use ordinary salt (natrium chloride) which can be bought in bulk over here as it's also used for roads.

We put it on open bowls and replaced it with fresh salt when needed. You can see when it's done it's job as it turns into a solidish form when wet (as it does in a salt shaker).

The interior typically contains a lot of moisture in the autumn so it's good to replace the salt quite often at first. A moisture meter helps to keep taps on the situation.

 

[paultallett]

Paul Tallat
= thanks do you buy crstals in bulk or what package size?

Cheers

Mike

Mke,

I've got 14 traps in total. I've bought them from Wilkinsons they are the Kilrock brand.

They cost £4 for a trap and gel pack, then you can also buy 2 refil gel sacks for £4.

So costs a bit to get all your traps together..... then relatively cheap to keep refiling them.

I use these ones as they come in a seal pack, so just pop them in the trap and bin the gel pack when done..... They turn solid when used so theres no liquid to spill as Dakka pointed out on other types.

Paul.