Florida- Dehumidifier or Moisture Absorber

[HopCar]

I suggest that what ever you do to reduce the humidity that you also get a hygrometer as well. This will tell you the percentage of relative humidity. You can get them for about ten bucks.

My little peltier effect dehumidifier dropped the humidity in my cabin from around 80% down to the low 60’s. That was good enough to prevent mildew growth.

[cgebluewater]

We've decided to sail in the area for about a month to get used to her, then try to get around to the east coast and N of 31 before July. (Insurance)[/QUOTE]

Don't intend to hijack the thread but I have not had any replys to a post I did last week looking for suggestions to store a boat on the yard. I am looking for an economical ($350-$500 month) yard to store a 41 foot monohull with a 57' mast height along the east coast of Florida or southern Georgia.

Can anyone recommend any boat yards ?

[Sailmon]

We’ve had good luck with the Eva-Dry peltier dehumidifiers. We summer store on the hard in Port Charlotte FL and used two 2200 units last summer. We will use 3 this summer.

[Tom1340]

In my central Florida boat yard and most other yards I've visited, there is not a reliable power supply for stored boats. I've relied on damp rid for 5 years. Honestly, I don't see how these can make a big impact on humidity, but I've never had a serious mold problem. Sometimes there are areas of light mildew on the woodwork, but these are easily wiped away with rag dampened with vinegar or bleach solution. The problem I'm most worried about is condensation internal to my diesel engine. I make an effort to seal the intake and exhaust for each summer

[Hardhead]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hardhead
I bought one of these last month - but haven't tried it yet. Anyone have any experience with these type of units? I believe it is supposed to work by keeping the moisture in suspension, so it can vent out, and not condense on any surfaces.


Davis Instruments Air-Dryr 1000 Dryer


https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That will do nothing for you. You have to remove literally gallons of water per week from the air inside your boat to a point outside your boat to prevent mold and odor in a humid climate. This does not do that.





I'd completely agree with you - but it has a ton of good reviews from boat owners. Maybe they are all idiots. I don't know yet. I'll post the results.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hardhead
I bought one of these last month - but haven't tried it yet. Anyone have any experience with these type of units? I believe it is supposed to work by keeping the moisture in suspension, so it can vent out, and not condense on any surfaces.


Davis Instruments Air-Dryr 1000 Dryer


https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That will do nothing for you. You have to remove literally gallons of water per week from the air inside your boat to a point outside your boat to prevent mold and odor in a humid climate. This does not do that.





I'd completely agree with you - but it has a ton of good reviews from boat owners. Maybe they are all idiots. I don't know yet. I'll post the results.

If you read the reviews it is simply a heater. Perhaps if you're in the PNW or other cold damp environment it would work. A heater is the last thing any boat in a warm humid environment needs!
And check out the reviews for any number of obviously quack remedies sold on Amazon, you'll see hundreds of glowing reviews. To answer your idiots question.

[hellosailor]

A heater IS an air drier, aka a dehumidifier. It just isn't going to do the same job as an "air conditioning" i.e. condensing type dehumidifier.

But relying on any shore power for any length of time is a gamble. In yards, folks often just pull out the nearest plug to plug in their drill or whatever, and then forget to plug yours back in. Or, especially in Florida, a lightning strike can throw a breaker and leave your power shut off.

If you are relying on yard power, you need someone to check up on the boat perhaps twice weekly (how long could it go without power before getting damp again?) or some type of remote monitoring on the boat (Wifi or cellular based) so that you can check up from time to time. If you add a webcam that is pointed at a plain pilot light and the dehumidifier, at least you can take a glance now and then to see the light is on and nothing's on fire.

And given how crazy storm season has been, if the yard puts you on regular jackstands, or even on a cradle, you might want to add ground screws and have the boat secured so it can't blow over. (Which won't protect it from other boats, but it is a good start.)

Also consider mothballing the boat. Literally, right before you leave the boat, put a couple of open bags/boxes of mothballs in the boat, then get out. Mothballs are classed as a toxin and pesticide by the EPA, they'll make sure no critters move into your boat. But when you return--you want to hold your breath, open the hatches, and get any remaining mothballs out of the boat, because the air inside will not be good for breathing. Won't harm the boat--just keeps all the critters out.

[sailingbare]

Originally Posted by rbrentp

Having been a Gulf Coast sailor for a LONG time. Humidity can't really be fought only lived with. I keep ventilation moving through the boat with a couple of Walmart fans. About ten bucks a month for electricity. Keep the air moving.


Stopped mold and smells.

Amen! I run one intake and one exhaust fan on my luger 16 seabreeze. Only 70 ma drain at 12 volts for these, so the total 140 ma is well within the capacity of the battery and solar charger.
Before using the fans, mildew was as issue. Lots of lysol, and now with the fans, haven't had any recurrance

[Hopefull]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

We tried the absorbers and they can’t pull enough water out of the air to do any good. They have a place in closets and cabinets, but you need a dehumidifier to dry the air in the whole boat.

We have two 30 pint Frigidaire units for our 63’ Hatteras and are very happy with their performance. The internals are the same as the much more expensive 70 pint units, just the tank is smaller, in our case we need to empty the tank once a 24 hour day once we dried out the boat. If you hook up the hose with the included adapter and drain into a shower they will run indefinitely. BTW, Amazon has refurbished units for sale for $149 now and I just got one for the master stateroom saving over $30.

The atmosphere in the boat feels and smells better, no musty aroma anymore, and we find that we don’t need to run the ac as cool either. In fact since we can dry the air without chilling it, we don’t run the ac at all for much of the day and night. A dry stateroom does not need to be as cool when sleeping as a humid one.

Can you not run the drain pipe directly into your water tank, if it’s filtered it should be ok...

[Fiftybucks]

We ended up rejecting the boat post survey, but found another we like just as well and still negotiating. We saw a unit aboard a boat in St Pete... INVISI pure .. We liked the size, and the owner said it was great performance.
https://www.amazon.com/InvisiPure-Hy...gateway&sr=8-1

I really like one of the suggestions for a hard manual switch so that if the power goes off and then back on the unit will restart.
And that Fridgidaire model that has an included drain hose.

[hellosailor]

Hopefull-
The water quality from a dehumidifier is questionable. Legionaire's Disease being one of the things that the critters in condensor fins can cause. Without actually testing the condensate on a routine basis, or being able to clean out the fins, it is best to dump that water unless you've got no other source.

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Hopefull-
The water quality from a dehumidifier is questionable. Legionaire's Disease being one of the things that the critters in condensor fins can cause. Without actually testing the condensate on a routine basis, or being able to clean out the fins, it is best to dump that water unless you've got no other source.

I completely agree. It's still a bit ahead of drinking urine though. If you find yourself in a position where you need to pick - you have some troubles.

[Scatterling]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Hopefull-
The water quality from a dehumidifier is questionable. Legionaire's Disease being one of the things that the critters in condensor fins can cause. Without actually testing the condensate on a routine basis, or being able to clean out the fins, it is best to dump that water unless you've got no other source.

While I completely agree that drinking water condensed from a humidifier is not recommended, it will not result in Legionnaires Disease. LD is contracted by inhaling the aerosol of water contaminated with the organism such as windage from a poorly treated cooling tower. They infect the lungs, not the gut.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Scatterling

While I completely agree that drinking water condensed from a humidifier is not recommended, it will not result in Legionnaires Disease. LD is contracted by inhaling the aerosol of water contaminated with the organism such as windage from a poorly treated cooling tower. They infect the lungs, not the gut.

I think maybe you can get the disease from showering with water infected with it, the water gets aerosolized in the shower.
But, I was under the impression the the disease organism grew in warmish / hot water, not cold, and condensate water is cold, not warm or hot.