Dehumidifiers

[VetChugger]

I "discovered" these today!

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/streetwize-dehumidifier-p262981

I was going to buy the usual chrystals but took a chance on a pair of these!

Had a long conversation with staff trying to figure out how they worked! The burning question being "Where does the water go"???

They were no wiser than me. Blurb talks about absorbable glass balls ...... Suggests they may last for months between charges.

I can only imagine that, somehow, the recharging period dries out the glass balls for the next use! The charging period is 24 hours.

If they actually work I will be highly delighted!

[Guest]

A non-electric portable dehumidifier that works well is the holy grail for boat and caravan owners !

I'm still searching, so your experience of that one after this Winter will be very useful.

Whenever I see anything like that, I always give Amazon a try, for the prices but mainly for the feedback, if any.

There are 72 customer reviews on it there, at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rechargeable-Mini-Dehumidifier-Pack-Caravan/dp/B000XQ8V0M

Such reviews always have to be taken with a pinch of salt, some are honest, some are biased, some are from ignorant users, and some are false, loaded in favour of the seller.

Having said that though, the consensus seems to be that they are only effective for very small spaces, like cupboards.

I do like the idea of rechargeable, thus saving the planet, but I think I'll stick to the cheapo £1 single use ones, from Tesco and Lathams etc. for now.

When I worked in the GPO back when their vans were a simple dark green, they had a dampness problem with their roadside "cabinets", those green cupboards that contained the phone interconnections. That was handled very simply by very neat little "desiccant" packs, slim boxes made out of perforated zinc containing large silica gel crystals. These were simply changed when the crystals changed colour, and were then dried out in an oven back at the stores.

How I wish something similar, but bigger, was commercially available now......

[BuffaloBill]

Dehumidifier

I bought one of these last year for the boat and it has worked

really well in keeping the boat dry. I leave all the doors and

cupboards open when leaving but all the windows closed.

I also have it on a timer for 1.5hrs every morning and evening

and the exit pipe straight into the sink.

(We have a Sheerline 950 Aft Cockpit)

 

Just to add that the forum seems to have settled down now

and is usable even by me 

[Hylander]

We bought one for our boat,  it is in the loft now.    We only got one season's use out of it.     They are really good.

 

 

[BroadScot]

4 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

Just to add that the forum seems to have settled down now

and is usable even by me 

Well done BB Its amazing what you can achieve on a PC

[BuffaloBill]

13 minutes ago, BroadScot said:

Well done BB Its amazing what you can achieve on a PC

 Oh dear........ Don't tell Jenny...........

[ranworthbreeze]

14 minutes ago, BroadScot said:

Well done BB Its amazing what you can achieve on a PC

Hi Iain,

It's just a question of balance

Regards

alan

[ranworthbreeze]

22 minutes ago, Hylander said:

We bought one for our boat,  it is in the loft now.    We only got one season's use out of it.     They are really good.

 

 

Hi Monica,

Rather than it gathering dust, why not put an advert on the for sale and wanted section on the forum. Someone else might as well get the benefit of one of these.

Regards

Alan 

[VetChugger]

When you say "one of these", do you mean the rechargeable one or the one that Bill bought???

[Hylander]

I will have a word with other half, good idea.

 

 

[LondonRascal]

Strow mentioned dehumidifiers which contained crystals and change colour when they are ready to be reused, then pop in the oven and reuse over and over...

Well, they are still out there indeed came across a video about them the other week so was fresh in my mind.

I am none too certain if they ship to the UK though.

Web store link: http://www.h2out.com/#!space-dryers/cs42

Video about them:

[Hylander]

Goodness Robin that would be a full time job ,   dont like the idea of burning the saucepan on the cooker.though.     You would have to take them home to pop in the oven at home.    I just hope people dont assume that his toaster oven looks like a microwave - that could be interesting when turned on.

If we still had the boat I personally , if you could purchase them over here, would be willing to give them a try, anything to cut down the moisture.   The trouble is when you cook on board or even just breathe you are putting more moisture into the boat.    A bit of a lost cause in the season but ideal for the winter months.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, LondonRascal said:

Strow mentioned dehumidifiers which contained crystals and change colour when they are ready to be reused, then pop in the oven and reuse over and over...

Well, they are still out there indeed came across a video about them the other week so was fresh in my mind.

I am none too certain if they ship to the UK though.

That's a good find Robin, I've never been successful when searching for a modern equivalent of the ones we used in the GPO.

You set me on the trail again, and they are available in the UK, via Ebay at least, at:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=rv+H2OUT&_sop=15

There's also a few reviews on the UK Amazon website, though they no longer stock them:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/H2Out-SD306-Renewable-Moisture-Remover/dp/B0073Y3JCM

I think the reason why some buyers gave them five stars and others only one star is maybe a lack of reading the instructions properly, or having too high an expectation of the volume protected.

Even the largest unit, the SD309 (about the size of a 2 litre bottle), will only protect 800 cu ft (about the volume of a 25ft boat's cabin) for a month, and the smallest, the SD103, will only protect 5 cu ft (a small wardrobe) for a month.

Unlike many other "gadgets" I would have confidence  in them working well within those constraints, because the simple science is proven, providing the correct amount is used for the correct air volume and periods between recharging. There is nothing to go wrong, wear out, or gradually deteriorate.

I would much rather trust a few of those in my boat over the Winter months rather than an electric dehumidifer of the size required to be effective in a boat, (to say nothing of the electric usage).

I'm very tempted to buy a pair of the SD309 largest size, so that I can alternate them each month on the boat, recharging at home in the oven between visits. If then stored in an airtight polythene bag they should remain fully dried out, ready to go.

 

[Siddy]

Like the idea of these in a sealed area but you've have to seal vents and windows on older boats. In our climate I'd have thought they wouldn't take long to fill. Like the idea now I've to store tools in a garage I need to maybe seal a cupboard and look at this option instead of a mini Dehum unit.

I've just sold a 3 floor house which was empty and had a DeHum in the main room and 1st floor bedroom to keep them around 60%rh with the heating running a hr in the morning and in the evening as they don't work as well in the cold and they took out 5 lt a week.

 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Siddy said:

.........I've just sold a 3 floor house which was empty and had a DeHum in the main room and 1st floor bedroom to keep them around 60%rh with the heating running a hr in the morning and in the evening as they don't work as well in the cold and they took out 5 lt a week....

That is indeed the really big drawback of electric dehumidifiers in unattended boats Siddy.

Maybe that was a pretty big and expensive unit too, being able to run on mains electricity and designed for a house.

I considered buying an electric dehumidifier when I first had shorepower at my mooring, but the problem of them hardly working at all below 10° C was a real dealbreaker.

I take your point about ventilation making the desiccant units less effective, it is indeed a catch 22 situation, I'd rather vent the cabin and take precautions with the soft furnishings than seal the cabin and rely solely on the desiccant units.

[ExSurveyor]

I run electric dehumidifiers in my boats combined with small heaters on thermostats.  This year I have been delayed installing it on the Norfolk one.  The relative humidity was measured at 76 degrees @ 13 degrees.  The dehumidifier will still work at lower temps but is more effective above 10 degrees.  

I leave certain curtains slightly open to harvest any heat from sunlight. 

I find this method works well and costs around fifty pounds over winter..  

[ranworthbreeze]

Last year we removed all the curtains, cushions, shower curtains and all the bedding.

We left all cupboards and doors open. We covered the seating with dust sheets (old bed sheets etc) all items such as the TV loose items were removed so nothing was on show. 

We refilled all the moisture traps at the shutdown of the boat, this varies because we allow our fellow owners to rent the boat during our closed season.

Regards

Alan

[RayandCarole]

Agree with Jonzo, found the Waeco worked very well last year and as a bonus it generates a useful amount of heat.

Ray & Carole