Dehumidifiers Help Help Help

[Lord Paul]

I’ve got a very old motorhome and I’ve done a full reverb I’ve had 2 of the tablet style dehumidifiers. I’ve bought an electric one to save the cost of tablet replacement. I have now been told by a caravan owning friend that dehumidifiers pull damp into the motorhome therefore defeating the object. Thought you friends on here would know for certain

 

[Figaro]

They won`t pull damp in, it has to be there to start with but ventilation is essential and if sufficient you shouldn`t need a dehumidifier

By the way

Have you cured any source of leaks in the structure ?

 

[Tombola]

Only because as the dry out the air, more air comes in from outside through vents/cab screen heater vents etc.
Its a debate what they do but having some air movement by cracking the odd window/skylight certainly works.

Also do you have any damp issues with the "old van" if maybe, then wise to get a damp metre and check so you can get them fixed.

 

[Googlebot]

I don’t use them and never had damp. They won’t however make anything worse.

 

[dabhand]

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Worth a read, and you need to use one with an auto drain plug so that the water can escape (down a sink) or some such so that your not sucking in water that goes into the tank, which then turns the machine off when full. As for ventilation, not so sure about that unless your in the same room as the dehumidifier, never needed one in a van but used plenty in houses, refurbs, leaks etc in cold weather your just sucking in moist air from outside I would have thought.

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[steve 6644]

They work well to clear up a bad leak or spillage of some sort but once the van has reached the humidity of its surroundings just turn it off. In general, they don't seem to be regarded as a good idea from what I read and I personally would only use one for occasional condensation, not on all the time.

 

[Landy Andy]

I run one all the time mine is parked up at home. Removes the moisture and circulates the air.

 

[poppycamper]

They won`t pull damp in

Think they do.... if they did not then once van was dry dehum would switch off and no longer be required ... but they don't.. they either keep running or cycle back on once humidity increases....So where is all this moisture coming from if not from outside???

 

[Richard-Denise]

This is, I guess, an allied question. Our van (see the Avatar) is stored outdoors in a locked compound. This is the second winter of our ownership. I don't recall any problems during the first winter, but a couple of days before Christmas I went to take the van out and the inside of the front windscreen was covered in a heavy layer of condensation which took some considerable time to get cleared. None of the other windows were at all affected. I'd appreciate any advice on what's caused this and whether there's anything (such as a particular setting of the heater controls, for example) that would help to minimise it.

 

[Figaro]

Think they do..

Well yes, once the air inside the van has reached a point where the air has less humidity than the ambient air outside, then any air entering the van through vents will be dried by the dehumidifier.
Ideally you don't want to be drying ambient air so turn it off at that point.
I've never found the need to run a dehumidifier, I just ventilate well and don't heat when not in use.
Works for me

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[poppycamper]

Our PVC also sits outside with no condensation problems... However 3 weeks ago I put a small fan heater in temporarily to heat lithium batteries up so I could charge them... the following day there was copious amounts of water running down windscreen.
Therefore in my view heat equals moisture.

 

[Podney]

Don’t waste your money on a dehumidifier,spend it on sex,drugs and rock’n roll

 

[Hettie's Crew]

No heat, no dehumidifier, just ventilation and ensuring there are no points of entry for water.
As said, heat equals moisture.

 

[Fontie]

Don’t waste your money on a dehumidifier,spend it on sex,drugs and rock’n roll

Not necessarily in that order lol

 

[TDub49]

I use a dehumidifier that prior to buying the moho last year did sterling survive keeping the inside of my boat dry enough to prevent cold. It is designed for the job (i.e. it is not a domestic one) and has auto settings that mean it runs only when humidity reaches a certain point.

On the subject of ventilation, I am confused. My prefab concrete garage with a corrugated asbestos (yeah, I know . . .) roof has ample ventilation but still gets condensation inside. Likewise my log store, which is a tarpaulin over a metal frame and open to the elements at both ends often has condensation inside it. In both instances, it may be that too much ventilation is the problem rather than not enough so I err on the side of caution and shut the van up tight and let the dehumidifier do its work.