Dehumidifier for laundry drying.

Nov 25, 2015 26 Replies

The EcoAir DD122 Simple is a basic dessicant unit - pretty good.

2 settings - fast at about 500W and a half power setting.

I upgraded to a Meaco refrigerant based unit that does the job in less time at less than half the power (so a lot less energy). I use the EcoAir for periodic drying out of my tool shed - seems to keep the damp at bay.

Either will work and the Meaco is better, if you don;t mind the extra cost.

Thanks. I think I would prefer a compressor one.

I am considering the Meaco 10L:

I've got the 20l and it is a bit of a beast - the 10 should be a tad more subtle. However, it's not very noisy (I can sleep with it behind 1 door on the low setting).

Mostly fan noise - the compressor element is audible but about as much as a fridge I'd say. Nicely built machine too.

Beware that some machines now run the fan all the time, wasting your hard e arned. They claim some sort of air purifying function as a euphemism for 'w e left out the relay so it'll cost you £200 in wasted leccy.'

Tank capacity just translates to emptying frequency. Plumbing it in elimina tes that.

NT

On 10 Nov 2015, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com grunted:

Yes, but not all machines let you do that (doesn't look like above model does), and it's a feature worth looking for if it may be of use.

We have two machines; one of them has a socket at the back where you can shove a drain hose in - if I'm using this machine in anger I tend to stand it on a stool with the hose leading to a 2-gallon bucket next to it on the floor. Reduces the emptying frequency a lot, and is less fiddly.

If I was the OP I'd definitely look for this facility - stand the dehumidifier on the utility room worktop with the hose just draining into the sink.

In message , Lobster writes

Yup, it was on my list of features :-)

The above model does have it, and that basically is my plan

But not into a bucket as they don't have the full / cutoff feature. ;-)

We often use a dehumidifier as you intend for drying extra-thick clothes and stuff not suitable for the tumble dryer (like daughters chainsaw trousers) by putting them and the dehumidifier in the bathroom.

I was considering putting it in the bathroom cupboard (as that has a louvred door in any case) and plumbing the outlet though the wall and into the garden but I wasn't sure how well that would cope with freezing (as it would be used more in the winter than the summer).

The ideal solution would be to plumb it into the drain properly but whilst the cupboard backs onto the toilet, it isn't so easy.

Cheers, T i m

We have the Ebac 2650E Dehumidifier as do a few on this group. It has its f laws, the water tank cutoff switch is not reliable, so I have it on a 12 ho ur countdown timer to avoid overflows. And when the cutoff does work, the t ank is so full that it spills unless you tilt the unit rather than the tank as you remove it. But it collects plenty of water. It can also be plumbed in.

Simon.

With a socket in the bathroom cupboard? (Not that I personally think there's anything wrong with that, but....)

I hear you and probably not. It would probably be hard wired into a double isolated / fused outlet (if that's any more acceptable to the regs)?

Cheers, T i m

IMO the bathroom regs are excessively strict; I think you should be able to have an RCD-protected socket in a bathroom cupboard for things like this. Anyway, you may also have to shell out £200 for an IPX4 dehumidifier (e.g., the EcoAir DCW10).

Quite.

Hmmm (and thanks for that) but are you saying that is the only type of dehumidifier you could put in a bathroom?

FWIW, mine is all plastic, would be on a raised / fixed self in said cupboard and wouldn't be touched (if plumbed in) in any case (not that that may make a difference etc).

Cheers, T i m

Why not just get an Xpelair and a inlet ventilator? That's what I did. Much cheaper to buy and run.

Bill

I keep some of the water - it's ideal for using in a steam iron.

Also use it for watering some plants which can't have tap water (when I can't be bothered to go outside to get some rain water from the water butt).

Doesn't that suck all your warmth outside?

I was considering one of those heat exchangers for the bathroom but never got any further than thinking about it. I think they can only be a maximum 50% efficient (heat recovery) and hence why I (and others) use dehumidifiers for such things. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Because I don't think it will dry the clothes that much quicker, and it will be sucking out lots of nice warm air from the house and replacing it with cold often damp air from outside. It would also be another job, requiring another bunch of roundtuits.

Also the room contains open flued boiler, I'm not sure you are supposed to have an extractor in a room with one of those?

Yes but who cares? My utility room is best kept cool and dry. Heat in there would be of no benefit.

Bill

It worked well for me.

water-logged

air from the house and replacing

As I said in my case that doesn't matter.

Oh well, if you're a lazybum!

Dunno. My utility room is just a utility room.

Bill

No your not - at least not without a lot of effort proving the ventilation is sufficient.

My solid fuel stove basically says "no extractor fans in the same room"

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