Leaving an oscillating fan running?

[jpstevens]

I got three years use from the EvaDry 2200 recommended by Practical Sailor. I drilled a hole in the condensate tank so that it would not fill and shut down, then put the EvaDry and the power brick in the galley sink. It worked quite well in preventing mold, and I'm about to order a replacement.

[OS2Dude]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

I’m not real comfortable leaving the AC on. I keep thinking how much water it’s pump puts out and what would happen if a hose failed. But maybe I’m not thinking it through. If a hose failed the AC would shut down and turn off the pump. So maybe it’s no more dangerous than some other thru hull failing. I confess I don’t go all thru the boat closing thru hulls when I leave the boat.

If the hose failed at any point prior to the discharge side of the unit the A/C will get a head pressure error and turn off, including the pump. Depending on the pump, a failure on the pressure side may or may not continue to flow but even if it does it will only be as much as the failure allows and will not be under pressure. A failure on the inlet side will flow as fast as the failure will allow. Your primary bilge pump should be able to keep up with that. If the hose fails between the discharge side of the A/C and the hull, then water will be pumped into the boat whenever the A/C turns on. Depending on how often the A/C cycles and the relative capacities of the pumps, the bilge pump may still be able to keep up.

[ferrailleur]

Originally Posted by flyingfin

You are better off with leaving a dehumidifier running for a few hours a day, on a timer.
Dump the condensate overboard via the sink in galley or head. A fan just moves the moist air around

I love the idea.... any small safe efficient dehumidifier in mind?

[Tillsbury]

Yes, very cheap just to get a basic dehumidifier and leave it in the galley sink, that’s what I do. I’m similarly concerned about leaving a/c on because of the sheer volume of water being pumped through the boat.

Most of those that have a small reservoir can take a small hose from the outlet instead, down into the sink.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, rslifkin.


Most thermo-electric (Peltier effect) dehumidifiers are, at least for the most part, cheaply made in China. They’re constructed using only the cheapest lowest quality parts. This fact is, however, offset by the design of the parts used in their construction. None of the parts have a highly complex design that requires that high quality components be used in their construction for them to function properly and for a reasonable amount of time.
Most thermo-electric units are rated to remove between 8 and 20 ounces (0.5 to 1.25 pints) of moisture per day. Compare this moisture removal rate to 15 to 20 pints per day for the average residential desiccant dehumidifier, and 70 pints per day for the most popular compressor based dehumidifiers. A thermo-electric dehumidifier is simply not an option if you need humidity removed at a high rate.

[cygnussailor]

I have two solar powered vents that move air out of my boat. Replacement air comes in from all of the places that are not absolutely air tight. Mine have been on the boat for 21 years, still work, and have never given me any trouble.

[nikoli]

I too have my boat in a slip 3-hours from home and do not get to it every weekend. I chose to have a small dehumidifier left on the galley counter and modified the reservoir to drain into the galley sink. The AC plug is plugged into a mechanical timer that runs 4 hours each evening. It works and I have not had any issues .... but, I do always wonder whether it is a good idea to leave something on AC power while unattended for long periods of time. Then again, I have the battery charger on AC power and running on shore power while away from the boat, so it all depends upon your level of comfort.

One other area of concern with this setup is your seacocks. I typically leave my sink drain seacocks open all the time .... others will choose to close them while away from the boat as common practice. Again, it all depends on YOUR level of comfort.

[gonesail]

better off running a dehumidifier on shore power. set it at 50% humidity and let it drain overboard. I have had one running in my garage for months now. There is a compact one on Amazon that only weighs 20 lbs that would be perfect.

[RossD]

I've done that for years, small fan, metal housing. Your 120 volt is protected by a breaker, actually multiple breakers. We all pay for insurance, at some point we also need to live life and not worry about everything. Just be sure the thing is mounted so it won't dislodge.

[Leo Ticheli]

I never leave a seacock open when leaving the boat; I've seen a couple of boats sunk in the slip. It's a very sad sight.

I have two small $30.00 dehumidifiers on the boat now, and they actually do a pretty good job, but, I am thinking of adding a large capacity one with a built-in pump so it can drain without needing an open seacock. I don't have "boat smell" or mold, but it can't hurt to keep the boat dryer.

Fair winds,
Leo

[daveball]

We spent five years in Australia and eight in Malaysia, fans ran constantly and were necessary for minimal comfort. We'd also leave the boat from time to time usually for weeks and at times months. In most cases we had someone look in periodically to see that all was in order. The setup we used was two 30" fans, never had a problem with the fans or with mold.

[ronbo1]

A fan COOLs by evaporating sweat on the skin. If you’re not on the boat it does little except move hot air around. Use a dehumidifier instead.

[David1033]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Solar Fan!

My boat has a solar fan just forward of the mast.

It does a great job moving the air and there are no worries.

I'm glad I found your post. I remember reading about solar powered fans somewhere, but didn't like to suggest it because I can't remember where I saw it, but yes, a solar powered fan or two seems like a sensible solution, and if my memory serves, they're not going to break the bank, either.

[BBill]

I lived aboard in S. Florida for 10+ yrs. 8 yrs tied to the dock and 2 yrs cruising...and no ac. We kept a 110v box window fan running on low speed full time for yrs and yrs. Never turned it off and never had a problem. I cleaned the elec motor several times but that's it. Back ashore I had a trailer sailer and kept the same type fan running full time for 5ish yrs. The only maintenance I've had is the motors eventually get clogged up with dust and have to be cleaned to keep them running...once every yr or two.

Forget doing this with small high speed fans because they won't last for full time duty.

[frankv1205]

I have 2 computer muffin fans running all day I put them in the dorades connected directly to a small solar panel One pulls air in the other exhausts I get 8-10 hours of airflow depending how much sun the panel gets I have been
doing this for 3 years with the same fans I did the whole set up for around $30 dollars