Dehumidifier in wet/rain PNW? - Page 2

Faster · #11 10-24-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamLein

For those of you who run a dehumidifier on your boat, do you keep your boat as air-tight as possible? If not, don't you worry about trying to dehumidify the outside atmosphere?

We close the boat but she has always-open dorade vents. Beyond those we do not leave hatches open in the off season.

When I first got the dehumidifier I thought 'drier is better' and left it on continuous cycle.. after a week of that one of my wooden sliding doors to the head had shrunk enough to fall out of its track... so there is a 'too dry' scenario.

Now we leave it at 50% and things feel dry below all the time. We leave everything below (doors, cupboard doors, seat backs etc) open too so that nothing's really 'isolated'. I'm sure that spot measurements at the extreme bow and aft cabin might show higher RH than in the main salon, but overall the boat feels great all winter long, and we have NO mildew on anything left on board for the winter.

AdamLein · #12 10-24-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster

When I first got the dehumidifier I thought 'drier is better' and left it on continuous cycle.. after a week of that one of my wooden sliding doors to the head had shrunk enough to fall out of its track... so there is a 'too dry' scenario.

Wow.

SV Glossa · #13 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster

When I first got the dehumidifier I thought 'drier is better' and left it on continuous cycle.. after a week of that one of my wooden sliding doors to the head had shrunk enough to fall out of its track... so there is a 'too dry' scenario.

Yikes, we currently have the opposite problem, can't get hatches/doors to shut because the wood is too swollen.

We have decided to try out the 4 pt dehumidifier and have it on order, couldn't find it anywhere in town so it is being shipped. And hopefully that will solve the issue. We are considering trying to rent/borrow a large one to try and get back to 'dry' so that the little one would then need to do maintain it.

tmiller1116 · #14 10-25-2012

I think you may find yourself disappointed if you rely on the 4pt to "maintain" the dryness once you get it down with a larger unit... remember, every time you open the companionway you basically let in all the outside and will be needing to get that water out of the air... again.... like I said before, just overnight we pull more than that out....

I could be wrong.. but I would suggest you go into your experiment with caution and low expectations just in case

SV Glossa · #15 10-25-2012

Where are you located that you pull out more then that overnight? Are you living on it?

I try to have low expectations all the time - makes one happier in general I think :-)

miatapaul · #16 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by SV Glossa

I try to have low expectations all the time - makes one happier in general I think :-)

That is a way to a happy life, make goals achievable. (achievable sounds better than low expectations!)

tmiller1116 · #17 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by SV Glossa

Where are you located that you pull out more then that overnight? Are you living on it?

I try to have low expectations all the time - makes one happier in general I think :-)

Portland, OR... we start the dehumidifier about 9pm and turn it off about 6 am. This morning was about a quart... less than previous days

Yes, we live aboard...

jrd22 · #18 10-26-2012

I wonder if one of those solar powered vents might help with the moisture problem. With the heat going at night if you had a small ventilating fan going to exhaust the warm, moist air it might help (you could shut if off during the day or when it's really cold out). We don't live aboard but our boat stays dry without a dehumidifier (I turn the fan off in the vent for winter but we have three open dorade vents always open).

Freedom007 · #19 10-26-2012

I have lived aboard in Alaska and the sound for many years. I learned a few things. First you need good air circulation. Don't batten the boat down tight. If you cook with propane increase the circulation while doing so as propane produces h2o. I tried just about every thing and settled on the dryer units. Very low electric use. They circulate the air via convection produce dry warmth,an amazing amount. They are inexpensive and last a long time. Also no elements. i ha e to leave for periods and feel very comfortable with leaving them on. again if your circulation in the boat is good you will be surprised at how dry things will stay. Also bunk mate,placed under the cushions will help with air circulation and keep cushions dry,thus no melded. Hope this helps

SV Glossa · #20 11-01-2012

Just thought I would give an update - we went and purchased the EvaDry 2200 4 pint. The humidity conditions had steadily worsened the few days we at the boat before it arrived. So when I plugged it in at 4 pm today our reader said about 96% humidity in the boat, it was about 52 degrees outside, and raining lightly. We turned it on and left, we came back at 10pm and it had collected about 1/2 cup of water and was at about 90% humidity when we came back. Hoping for lots of water with no increase and preferably a decrease in the morning humidity numbers.