I have an Eco-Dry 2000 in the galley, draining into the sink and an Eco-dry 1000 in the forward cabin that will fill up after a couple of weeks.
...Do you just detach the container and let it drip down into the sink drain on its own or does it have a hose attachment?
We drilled and threaded in a brass nipple into the reservoir then added some 1/4“ Tygon that drains into the sink.
We put the 120 vac to 13 vdc adapter on a cookie sheet. It can get hot and I’ve read of 1 or 2 meltdowns although after four summers we’ve never had any issues.
Genius.
Working well in FL humidity if the boat is closed up for a few weeks at a time?
Genius.
Working well in FL humidity if the boat is closed up for a few weeks at a time?
Hey Dave,
Do you mean the EVA-DRY like this?
https://www.amazon.com/Eva-Dry-Edv-2200-Powerful-Electric-Dehumidifier/dp/B001QTW6KQ
Do you just detach the container and let it drip down into the sink drain on its own or does it have a hose attachment?
If you happen to have a typical Taiwan Trawler with all wood window casings and doors. If you run a large dehumidifier 24/7 it is possible to remove enough moisture that the wood will shrink. The issues is with wood window casings this can cause leaks... To avoid this prblem we put the dehumidifier on a timer and only ran it about 8 hr's a day.
BTW, the 30 and 70 pint units are the same footprint and internals except the height to accommodate the bigger reservoir. That means the power draw is the same too.
Here are some thoughts and recommendations:
Don't get a Peltier effect dehumidifier. They can only remove limited water and are very inefficient. Get one that can remove about 30 pints per day. That will cover a good sized boat. If possible get one with a built in drain hose and run it to your galley sink drain.
Here is one that meets those criteria. There are lots of others.
https://www.amazon.com/Inofia-Dehum...r&qid=1570367488&sprefix=dehum,aps,200&sr=8-8
I don’t understand why they are not permanently installed on boats in our region. It is one of the most utilized (and inexpensive) items contributing to comfort on the boat.
I installed a "whole house" dehumidifier permanently in place of one of the AC units. It blows through the duct work already installed for AC - staterooms, head as well as saloon. It is rated 70 pints, draws about 400W when running, and runs at less than a 30% duty cycle (and as low as 10% or so) once it has pulled down the humidity. Easily run on the inverter when driving, and a few hours at anchor won't kill a well designed DC system either. I will run it at anchor on batteries after showers, or cooking pasta, etc., with noticeable effect.
Yes, it is one of the best things you can do for comfort. On warmer sunnier days up here (PNW), the inside humidity will run at 50 or 55% and we will have the windows open anyway, so it is shut off. Colder, rainier days and the inside humidity gets up in the high 60s or low 70s, windows fog, towels don't dry, hatch frames sweat. All gone by running the dehumidifier.
A/C units will also dehumidify, and dump the waste heat outside the boat. This is less efficient, since a true dehumidifier recovers much of the energy gained by the evaporator. In the SE, often you run the AC enough to keep dehumidified. In the PNW, it is rare to run the AC, common to need extra heat anyway so you want the heat from the dehumidifier in the boat (usually).
DDW,
Can you comment more on your dehumidifier? Kind and model no? And how hot does it get?
Sounds like a good idea.
...But nothing's free, and ultimately there is power coming from somewhere and ending in the cabin. Specs on some of those listed above say 200W, but it might be less when averaged over time. As much heat as a couple of lightbulbs.
I used an Eva Dry Peltier effect dehumidifier on Possum. It solved a big mildew problem. I also put a hygrometer in the cabin so I could monitor it. The Eva Dry kept the RH below 65%.
I drilled a hole in the tank and stuck a piece of aquarium air hose in it. No fitting needed. Let it drain in the sink.