Dehumidifier: Worth it ?

[zeehag]

uhoh--my radar missed that---- modify my info--please---
GRAB IT AND run like a scalded dog-- can be used as barter goods for future or can be modified to become perhaps usable in some way....

[Dreaming Yachtsman]

We used a dehumidifier in our boat in the Rio Dulce two hurricane seasons ago and were very glad we did. One unventilated (left the door shut by mistake) compartment had black mold and mildew all over it while the rest of the boat was clean. We had it set on a timer to run two hours in the early morning and two hours in the early evening to reduce electrical consumption.

[chadlaroche]

I took it .it was free , the best kind of deal ! tossed it in the front storage compartment .Thanks gord for pointing out the bilogical metals contaminant issues The water aspect was more emergency worst case scenario.....

[Maggie-K]

Could you give us some insite as to where the EPA states this???

Originally Posted by GordMay

DON't DRINK DEHUMIDIFIER CONDENSATE!

Dehumidifier condensate (the water that the dehumidifier produces) can be loaded with biological contaminants and metallic residues that are not safe to drink. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, stagnant condensate can harbor biological contaminants, including mold, mildew and algae, especially if the collection bucket isn't cleaned regularly. The condensate also contains significant amounts of bacteria, viruses,
household chemicals, fibers, dust and dander. Moreover, the condensate can contain lead and other metal residues from the component parts of the dehumidifier.

Theoretically, you can work with condensate. Recycling this stuff, as well as
urine, is commonly done in space vehicles. It takes several steps and sophisticated filtering and processing to come up with a useable end product.

As a starting point, some processing methods include, gentle distillation
(discarding the early and late distillate), filtering through filter grade
diatomaceous earth, exposure to sun light or strong UV, hydrogen peroxide
treatment or aeration. There are other treatments, as well. Essentially you
are working with a kind of pond or “grey” water. Some of the off-the-shelf filters at the camping equipment stores are very good at mechanically filtering out the biological components, but I would still recommend gentle distillation as a first step.

Carbon filtering is a good end-treatment for removing some chemicals and odours. However, carbon filtering doesn't work at all well when there are a lot of biological components in the water; the carbon then just becomes a nice bed for bacterial and mold growth.



As above, I couldn’t disagree more!