Plug in or not plug in

[Haddock1]

Hi All,

Be interested in your views when laying up for winter. Do you leave her plugged into shore power and if yes would you think it is OK to leave a dehumidifier running?

I do have lots of solar so no issue re battery charge if not connected which would also run the dehumidifier of the inverter.

Thanks

Mike

PS Had lots of condensation and mould last year.

[Tupaia]

Don't leave anything plugged in that cannot cope with a power cut or somebody unplugging it and plugging it back in.

Also depends if your dehumidifier has to be emptied.

[Haddock1]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

Don't leave anything plugged in that cannot cope with a power cut or somebody unplugging it and plugging it back in.

Also depends if your dehumidifier has to be emptied.

The only devices connected to shore power would be the battery charger and the dehumidifier, which is self draining, so both would auto restart in the event of a power cut. My niggle is leaving mains equipment turned on unattended.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Haddock1

Be interested in your views when laying up for winter. Do you leave her plugged into shore power and if yes would you think it is OK to leave a dehumidifier running?

When we're wintering in our slip, with access to shore power, we leave it plugged in.

When hauled for the winter, we've never been in a yard where shore power was available except for short-term (and monitored) charging.

-Chris

[disputin]

We leave our IP485 plugged in all winter with the reverse cycle heat pump set at a low temperature and several dehumidifiers, Davis air-dryers, and a heater running on low. The dehumidifiers have tanks with an overflow hose in a sink. The heaters and air-dryers are cleaned annually (no dust build-up).

I also have a Victron Cerbro which alerts me if there are any power disruptions (or wifi disruptions) within the marina.

This leaves the boat generally warmer and dryer than outside and has stopped any mold growth (unlike our first winter in the PNW).

Sean

[Wayne Gilham]

Most (thst is, typical refrigeration-style) dehumidifiers require temps well above 40 degrees F in boat to work by temp drop at coils providing the moisture condensation... which then requires electric heater onboard, which is not as safe ( high amps draw thru your 30a cord and AC system - if going that route, use only oil-filled radiator type heater!) But a regenerating desiccant dehumidifier works at any temp (above freezing) and the continuous regeneration provides a small amount of heat into the boat . This unit has done well for me in PacNW, only caveat, when you set up hose discharge, be sure to tilt the unit slightly downhill (1/2") toward the discharge port, else condensed water goes into removable tank and unit shuts down when full.

One of these is sufficient for my Irwin 43 center-cockpit sailboat, which has a lot of interior volume. Drains to bilge, where auto sump pump gets condensed water overboard. I supplement with oil-filled heater only when Temps fall below 25F

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 https://a.co/d/aopTCJp

[Dockhead]

I always leave my boat plugged in to keep a trickle charge going into my lead-acid golf cart batteries.

I leave on tube heaters in the engine room and bilges. Tube heaters are low power and with extra protection against fault or fire, designed especially for this purpose. I also have a Dimplex anti-frost heater with similar purpose.

Dehumidifiers are a fire hazard, and I know of a boat seriously damaged by a fire caused by one. I wouldn't leave one of those on.

If you have a charger/inverter with UPS function, be darned sure to have that OFF. Otherwise, if shore power is cut (which can happen banally through someone kicking your plug), whatever you have left working will be powered from your batteries, soon flattening them. Don't ask me how I know about this.