Dehumidifiers

[Hold Fast]

To all:

Good afternoon. I am looking for a dehumidifier that I can fit under the vee berth of a 36'C. I currently have a "Home Depot Special" dehumidifier on the boat but is is rather large and not well suited for a permanant installation. I located a Dry Pal Dehumidifier on the internet that looks like it would work well. It is compact and appears to have enough capacity to keep the boat dry. It is a little pricey though $500.00 (I really need the unit to fit under the vee berth so that I can run the drain to my shower sump). The boat stays in Savannah, GA so we are talking about a hight heat, high humidity enviroment.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Billy
HOLD FAST

 

[bobk]

If you need the dehumidifier while the boat is in the water, why not make use of the AC system?
Bob

 

[krush]

If you need the dehumidifier while the boat is in the water, why not make use of the AC system?
Bob

+1....an AC is a dehumidifier. You can rig up a humidistat instead of a thermostat if you want.

 

[Brian Degulis]

I run dehumidifers because it takes a lot less power than running the AC and because I'm not putting hours on the boats systems ACs pumps etc. Makes quite a diffrence in humid FL.

Brian

 

[krush]

A dehumidifier will use less power, but it will also remove a LOT less moisture from the air. The comparison between the two isn't even close.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Mine from HD, 33 pints per day actually removes more than the main saloon a/c system, it reacts faster and I can see the results in on ehour, quite surprising.
D

 

[Brian Degulis]

A dehumidifier will use less power, but it will also remove a LOT less moisture from the air. The comparison between the two isn't even close.

Well let me put it this way in order to get as dry as I want it it cost's a whole hell of a lot more to do it with the AC than it does a dehumidifier.

Brian

 

[krush]

Mine from HD, 33 pints per day actually removes more than the main saloon a/c system, it reacts faster and I can see the results in on ehour, quite surprising.
D

A dehumidifier doesn't cool the space--in fact it heats the space. Your A/C has the potentional to remove a lot more moisture just because it is much bigger.

The problem is that the A/C may not run enough because it cools the room and shuts off because the thermostat tells it to.

If you aboard in the boat in the summer, running a dehumidifier is counter productive...it adds heat to the space you must remove with the A/C. If you need to reduce the moisture, turn the temp down on the A/C or put the circulating fan on low.

Another option is just to turn one A/C unit on (preferbly the smallest) and then put a couple fans to circulate the air around. This way the space won't get too cold and will allow the unit to run continuously to remove moisture.

 

[Brian Degulis]

Come on Krush we are using the dehumidifiers when the boat is empty. We are just trying to keep the boat dry and fresh when it's not being used.

Brian

 

[captddis]

I have a dehumidifier on both boats. It keeps the inside dry and fresh, never had any mold or mustiness. I have had the dehumidifier used on the Hatt for 15 years. Can't say enough good about it.
I do not want the A/C ruinning when I am not around. Barnacles will grow very well in the strainer and lines requiring an acid flush to clean. Then there is the wear and tear on the equipment as well as regular voltage spikes. In the event of water loss the units will keep trying to restart everytime the head pressure equalizes only to go off on high head pressure. This will fry the compressor or worse. I also do not like the high amperage current running all the time.
Finally, the boats are behind my house where I pay the electric bill. The dehumidifier costs very little to run.

 

[DCMY #92]

I have worn out several "Sears" type dehumidifiers over the years on our Hat. The only down side I ever saw was the size and weight of the things. Last year I replaced the original A/C units with new ones. Now I use the dehumidification feature. So far I have had no pump/strainer problems and the boat stays adequately dry.

To answer the original question as to where to buy a small case dehumidifier - in the classified section of Southern Boating Magazine there was always an add for a small case dehumidifier for use on boats. I don't take the mag now so I can't give you the contact info - but its a start for your search. I recall that the price of these units was a bit higher than the home type, but the size looked about right in the photo.

Good luck

 

[Hold Fast]

DCMY

Good morning and thanks for the info. I will google them and see what I can find on the unit.

Thanks again

Billy
HOLD FAST

 

[Pete]

Take a look at this unit. May be a solution for you. http://www.mmair.com/marine_division/dehumidifiers/dry_pal_dehumidifier

Pete

 

[bobk]

Take a look at this unit. May be a solution for you. http://www.mmair.com/marine_division/dehumidifiers/dry_pal_dehumidifier

Pete

It's sized for up to 350 cubic feet. Pretty small.

Bob

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

Don't most AC systems have a dehumidifier mode? I use mine all the time while away (Cruise Air). Does a great job, comes on for 20 minutes every 4 hours. Even on my "Mulligan" boat ('88 Carver) the built-in dehumidifier system worked great.

Hold Fast, you need to go on line and check your system's owner's manual for the dehumidification feature. If it's a Hatt, surely it will have one.