Meaco Dehumidifier

[cxz]

Hi there,

I am planning on getting a dehumidifier, probably the Meaco Zambezi. Does anyone know if it's worthwhile to get the Zambezi over the Junior to combat mould? Or would the junior with no ionizer suffice?

Also I will be in temperatures over winter that are frequently below freezing and won't be at the boat for long periods of time. Is there anything I should know about that? Perhaps someone with personal experience with the Meacos?

FYI I also liveaboard most of the year and would plan on keeping it aboard full time as this is my only home.

[tkeithlu]

Our experience is that a small dehumidifier is adequate to prevent mould. We sit it on the counter beside a basin and run a small hose into the drain from its cup. But, that is a solution for when we are not in the boat. As several recent posts make clear, condensation when people are breathing in a boat in winter is a real problem. In our case though during the three winters (as defined in north Florida) we spent on the boat our heating the interior pretty well took care of that, as well.

So, without as much information about your particular circumstance as I would like I'm inclined to say that any of the Meaco dehumidifiers will do the job, or possibly be overkill.

[cxz]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

Our experience is that a small dehumidifier is adequate to prevent mould. We sit it on the counter beside a basin and run a small hose into the drain from its cup. But, that is a solution for when we are not in the boat. As several recent posts make clear, condensation when people are breathing in a boat in winter is a real problem. In our case though during the three winters (as defined in north Florida) we spent on the boat our heating the interior pretty well took care of that, as well.

So, without as much information about your particular circumstance as I would like I'm inclined to say that any of the Meaco dehumidifiers will do the job, or possibly be overkill.

Sorry I realized I did not make it clear. I do not intend on living on the boat during the winter. Good to know that I probably don't need the ionizer then. However I read about some problems with the Junior model after some people owned it for a year or two, still undecided. I think keeping a dehumidifier onboard even when I return for the next season would make it annoyingly bulky and difficult to sail with.

Do you know if running it on automode in a freezing temperature will destroy the unit? What happens?

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by cxz

Sorry I realized I did not make it clear. I do not intend on living on the boat during the winter. Good to know that I probably don't need the ionizer then. However I read about some problems with the Junior model after some people owned it for a year or two, still undecided. I think keeping a dehumidifier onboard even when I return for the next season would make it annoyingly bulky and difficult to sail with.

Do you know if running it on automode in a freezing temperature will destroy the unit? What happens?

I've run a variety of dehumidifiers on boats for years with temps below freezing for several weeks with no Ill effects to the dehumidifier. It's not uncommon for ice to coat the evaporator fins so it no longer actually dehumidifies, but that doesn't hurt the unit and you don't really need to worry much about humidity at that temp anyway. I would advise you put the whole unit in a sink or on a tray because that ice can melt into whatever the unit is sitting on rather than draining out the tube depending how thick it gets and what parts thaw first.

[tkeithlu]

Assuming your boat is 31' not 31m, and you're not planning the live onboard, this little dehumidifier will keep the mold out.

https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Breeze-El...e-b06387f8bcf1

[Oeanda]

We are running the Meaco Z2 in a 39’ boat. Does a great job. It doesn’t generally get below about minus 5° Celsius here but in those (outside) conditions the dehumidifier has been fine. Pre-dehumidifier there were times we had to scrape the ice off the inside of the windows to see out... Not sure what temps you’re expecting, but the unit puts out a bit of heat itself, so our boat hasn’t ever quite dropped below freezing inside. It gets fairly warm- would need some quite low temps to freeze the actual unit though I could imagine the drain hose freezing and clogging first. It has some auto-shutoff functions and I suspect it would turn off in such a situation. Try contacting Meaco - they’re helpful with replies.

[cxz]

I've just ordered the Meaco Zambezi and will play around with it when it arrives and see how it does during the winter. It'll be interesting to sail around with a giant dehumidifer in the v-berth during the summer months to say the least...

[Oeanda]

It’s been a lifesaver for us for keeping the boat dry and comfy. When sleeping at the dock we run it at night- the gentle whooshing sound is surprisingly relaxing and cancels out the local town noises, and the incredibly annoying ‘crows wandering around on deck at the crack of dawn’ problem.