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Old 10-09-2019, 06:57 AM   #19
Seevee
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City: st pete
Vessel Model: 430 Mainship
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 3,499
Quote:
Originally Posted by DDW View Post
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.
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