Drippy Cave Syndrome

hardee":tgi5z6oj said:
I'm curious, how long does it take to do a "session"? And after that session, and you keep running the dehumidifier, how much water do you get on the second session, or third?. I'm just wondering, how do you keep outside air from contributing to that "3-5 gallon" total?
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Good questions! A session for me is typically one or two 24 hour days. It's easy to tell when the session is over because the amount of water you capture in the dehumidier's tank dramatically diminishes once the air reaches a very low relative humidity. Typically I get 2 gallons of water on the 1st day; then 1 or 2 more on a 2nd day; sometimes I have to go to a 3rd day. Eventually the water output slows to a 1/2 gallon/day. At that point I know the job is done. I then stop running the dehumidifier until the next session 4 or 6 weeks later (in the summer months I don't run it at all). Frankly, there is no use running back to back 2nd or 3rd sessions.....it's a matter of diminishing returns. Outside air ain't much of a problem. I close the boat up and heat it well above the outside air temperature. I'm sure some outside air is getting in via the cockpit bilge or elsewhere, but I just look for the sudden decrease in dehumidifier output to tell me when the session is over. (Note the dehumidifier circulates the air; it does not create a positive or negative pressure inside the boat.)

Note my process is very different than the one used by robhwa. He sets a relative humidity level (50%), I don't. I run the dehumidifier continuously until it no longer collects much water. I probably get down to 20% humidity -- altho it will rise again when the interior of the boat cools back down to the outside temps and residual water evaporates into the cabin. So he gets far less water out in a given period of time than I do since he stops at 50%....but he runs longer.

Clearly, localboy's process is different still. I used to do it localboy's way, but then since I had the big dehumidifier anyway, I switched. Just heating the inside of the boat helps a lot because that lowers the relative humidity (stopping condensation), but it does not appreciably remove the water from the boat (i.e., especially inside of cushions, inside boxes or containers, or in nooks and grannies). I get gallons of water and take it outside and pour it on the ground :wink: .
 
Sandy,
I've never used a dehumidifier, and not sure if I have ever even seen one. Would it be possible to rig one up in or over the sink and just let it drain to the outside?
 
Thanks Mark. So it looks very doable to just run the drain hose down the sink and not worry about it over filling. Now I just need one that is low wattage and runs on a simple solar system...
 
Knipet,

We're talking apples and oranges here. localboy's example, as well as those that some others are using, are small, low capacity, low power consumption units. I'm talking large, industrial grade, 120v high power, high capacity units. My solution is extremely effective and wrings out nearly every bit of water, but it can only be used when the boat is at home. You would not cruise with this dehumidifier.

My unit weighs over 40 pounds, stands 25" tall, uses 800 watts, and costs $350 (it's much like dealing with a Honda 2000i generator). Here is the unit I have (well, my exact model has been disconnected, but this is the replacement model):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BZK14TT/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

But to answer your question directly.....yes, my unit could be placed on the counter and drained outside via the sink. The water collects in either the 2 gallon internal container, or leaves the unit via a hose that can be hooked up for a continuous downhill drain. However, I wouldn't bother to do that. It only runs for a couple of days and is easy to empty once a day (it also has an automatic cutoff if the bucket gets full). By not emptying it yourself daily, you would not get feel for how much water is being extracted each day.

P.S. A dehumidifier like this is basically an air conditioning unit with a compressor and a condenser, but it's configured to extract water not cool air.
 
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