right dehumidifier

Larry-D wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
I assume that you can run the dehumidifier setting on a counter and draining in the the sink? then periodically you would have to go out and dump your grey tank? but yes I agree get a real standard dehumidifier.
bumpy

I worked a sailboat fire where the owner put a hole in the tank and ran the hose to a sink drain so he constantly didn't have to go to the dock to drain the tank. This particular brand used a "full tank" to shut off the unit and let it cool down. With no water filling the tank the unit overheated and caught fire. Totaled his underinsured boat.

Read the instructions carefully and don't alter the units.

I would think that if this was a widespread problem that the CPSC or somebody would not allow the garden hose connection to be built into them. as I have said, every one I have bought the last 20 years or so have had this provision for alternate draining.
bumpy

Bumpyroad wrote:
I assume that you can run the dehumidifier setting on a counter and draining in the the sink? then periodically you would have to go out and dump your grey tank? but yes I agree get a real standard dehumidifier.
bumpy

I worked a sailboat fire where the owner put a hole in the tank and ran the hose to a sink drain so he constantly didn't have to go to the dock to drain the tank. This particular brand used a "full tank" to shut off the unit and let it cool down. With no water filling the tank the unit overheated and caught fire. Totaled his underinsured boat.

Read the instructions carefully and don't alter the units.

Thanks for the input folks. I have a 42 pint on order that has two fan speeds and an automatic defrost.

An open hearth furnace grade dehumidifier might be perfect for the Pacific Northwet when it's 47 degrees F with 85% R/H.

With tropical humidity it's a whole different animal. Ever shiver when the thermometer reads 82F? The definition is called clammy. A slight airflow blowing over super cold evaporator is the answer. Without icing up.

I loved it when my Panasonic made an 85 degree room 92 degrees and removed 7% relative humidity. The 5,000 BTU window unit was maxxed-out. I do own a stainless steel yacht sink dehumidifier and it reduced R/H by almost nine percent and raised room temperature less than 1 degree.

When I move to Denman island I'll bring my US Steel open hearth furnace.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Portable Home dehumidifiers are garbage. The last three failed in under a year.

my experience has been exactly the opposite. they are chugging away 24/7/365 in my basement.
bumpy

Portable Home dehumidifiers are garbage. The last three failed in under a year.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
You might want to read this...

http://commutercruiser.com/which-dehumidifier-for-a-boat/

I read the first statement and immediately lost interest. EVERY home dehumidifier I have bought/seen has the option to fasten a garden hose on and drain it into a sink, etc. instead of the bucket.
bumpy

Avoid thermoelectric units if you are interested in electrical efficiency. These work on the same principles as thermoelectric coolers for use in cars, and are a lot less energy efficient than the compressor-based units. (They are quieter.)

A standard dehumidifier is basically just an air conditioner or a refrigerator where the air moves over the evaporator (which cools it, condensing the moisture) and then over the condenser (which warms it back up); or, int he case of a thermoelectric unit, over the opposite sides of a peltier junction heat pump. If the ambient temperature is low enough, there's not much dehumidification that can possibly be done because the cooling results in frost buildup. Ambient temperatures in the 50's or 60's are fine (though efficiency goes up with warmer temperatures) and typical of basements; temperatures in the 30's are more of a lost cause, and obviously in subfreezing temperatures the system can't work at all.

I agree with standard dehumidifier. I run one in the kitchen of the motorhome with the drain down the kitchen sink. Since the gray water tank was empty after the last trip, I just leave the valves open so that the water drains through the gray water tank and drips out on the gravel parking area.

One minor consideration if you are in an area with frequent power failures. Some electronic control dehumidifiers lose their settings during a power failure and will not resume operation when the power is restored. Look for a unit that retains settings and will resume operation when the power is restored.

The older, non-electronic control types will resume operation after a power failure also.

Fred