dehumidifier for winter storage

[rpackard]

I want to store my Willard 40 in SE Alaska next winter. The boat will be left on the hard unattended with 110ac power available. When I did this a few years ago, there was a bad mold problem when I returned 9 months later in the summer.

I will need a dehumidifier. Compressor types do not work at temperatures below 42F. Rotating desiccant units will work at lower temps.

Have any forum members used these devices on their boats? What brand and unit? What problems? Did they solve whatever problems that you were concerned about.

Richard P

 

[GoneFarrell]

I have one of these, worked OK:

Ivation 13-Pint Small-Area Desiccant Dehumidifier Compact and Quiet - With Continuous Drain Hose for Smaller Spaces, Bathroom, Attic, Crawlspace and Closets - For Spaces Up To 270 Sq Ft, White

The good: kept the interior to 50% RH when inside temps were warm enough (55/60F)

The bad: cold temps shut it down during bad cold weather, even with about 2000 watts of dry electric heat. This was for about a month. Lows I saw at the dock were 10 to 12 F with 10" of snow.

The drizzle from the drain hose into the sink resulted in an ice jamb in the sink thru hull, didn't expect that!

Other: you'll need to keep the interior walls above waterline well ventilated, all doors, lockers and so on open, i had a small fan under the sink too.

But boat came out of the winter significantly drier inside than without all the equipment.

I think your challenge will be to keep interior features above condensing dewpoint to avoid mold. I have gone thru most of my lockers with anti-mold paint, that has helped too.

 

[SeaDogAK]

I would use a space heater in addition to the dehumidifier, with the thermostat set to 45 degrees. Might cost you a few hundred more for electricity for the winter but well worth it in my opinion.

 

[DDW]

For the last 7 years I have left a boat in Canada over the winter with a compressor dehumidifier running. A decent one will shut the compressor off when the air temp is below 40 degrees or so. Mold is not a concern when the air temp is below 40 degrees. I have had no moisture or mold issues in those boats at all.