Seeking Dehumidifier reccomendations.

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JayArr

JayArr

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Joined
Jun 13, 2020
Posts
1,421
Location
Mission British Columbia Canada
Hi All

I asked about how to get the moisture from condensing on the inside of my windows and several people said use a dehumidifier. I've spent a couple of hours on Amazon but am still unsure what to buy. The small quiet ones seem to have reviews that say they don't work too well, the large ones are effective but reviews sometimes say they are noisy.

If you have a dehumidifier in your unit and it works could you please post up make and model and if it works, is quiet, and how big it is?

Thanks
Jeff and Michelle
 
I do not use a dehumidifier but I can offer my knowledge of buying and using one.

First task is to figure out the size of the unit. Sizing the unit is a little tricky if you are sensitive to the noise. Noise is generally higher as the unit gets bigger so you should consider a size that is just big enough to do the job.

Sizing is based on 2 factors. The amount of space in the RV and an estimated load. In your case, outside temperature will also be a factor.

I would take your best shot at sizing the unit and instead of ordering through Amazon, drive to the local cheap house and pick one up there so that you can easily return it and get something different if you are not happy.

I assume you are in Canada? Do you have plants in the RV or maybe enjoy long hot showers? Those are two common characteristics of high humidity in cold climates.
 
Specs:

20 foot trailer, about 8 feet wide, about 6 feet tall. So I figure about 160 square feet, 1000 cubic feet?

No plants, two adults, two large dogs. 1 short shower each every couple of days. We do cook inside.

I think you're right about the outside temp, it was most pronounced last month when it was around 40-50F out.

Jeff


 
Check reviews for dehudifiers  online as a start.  Also web sites like compactappliances.com usually have reviews for all the products they sell.  I have used them many times over the years.  Always fast delivery, fair prices.  Remember to buy a dehumidifier that can be drained outside unless you plan to drain the tank every day.  Over the winter I would set one up on the table, stick the hose out a window, turn it on and close the door.  Always had nice dry trailer inside.
 
donn said:
Over the winter I would set one up on the table, stick the hose out a window, turn it on and close the door.  Always had nice dry trailer inside.
Click to expand...

Or you could set it up on a kitchen counter and stick the hose in the drain and seal it off with a dish towel. Or set it on the floor next to the shower and do the same thing with the hose. Just don?t forget to crack open your gray water tank drain valve maybe 1/4.
 
Rene T said:
Or you could set it up on a kitchen counter and stick the hose in the drain and seal it off with a dish towel. Or set it on the floor next to the shower and do the same thing with the hose. Just don?t forget to crack open your gray water tank drain valve maybe 1/4.
Click to expand...

Doing that then leaves the "P" trap vunerable as any antifreeze will be washed away.  Thus my out the window suggestion.
 
donn said:
Doing that then leaves the "P" trap vunerable as any antifreeze will be washed away.  Thus my out the window suggestion.
Click to expand...

I don?t believe the op said anything about how cold it would get.
I would think the dehumidifier would evaporate any antifreeze in the traps. Not 100% sure on that one though.
 
JayArr said:
Specs:

20 foot trailer, about 8 feet wide, about 6 feet tall. So I figure about 160 square feet, 1000 cubic feet?

No plants, two adults, two large dogs. 1 short shower each every couple of days. We do cook inside.

I think you're right about the outside temp, it was most pronounced last month when it was around 40-50F out.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Sounds fairly normal. The cooking and showers will probably be the 2 biggest factors. A bath fan vent and a good cooking exhaust fan will help to keep the humidity down. Its nice to keep the heat from both of those sources in the RV but along with the heat comes moisture.

There is a humidity zone that's healthy for the RV and the people in it. That zone will produce moisture on the inside of your windows at a given outside temperature which is commonly known as the dew point. There will always be a dew point that will put moisture on the windows. I recall years ago when I was up north that during cold cold the moisture on the windows froze.

I think if you stick to your square footage for sizing you should be ok. As the air outside becomes cooler the air will also be drier decreasing the need to dehumidify.

The drain issue is a good one to consider. It will depend on how much humidity is removed. I suspect as climate heads toward  Winter you will find less of a need for it because of the drier air. In the Summer is when the demand will increase and you may need an outside drain but in the Summer you will not find much moisture on the inside of the windows. It will be found on the outside if you are using air conditioning and if you don't use air conditioning, there will not be any moisture on the windows unless it is raining.



 
We've ordered the Toshiba 20 pint unit. I like the Toshiba name, I've worked on Toshiba electronic gear for 20+ years and it's always been good quality so I'm hoping that the refrigeration gear is too.

Model: TDDP2012ES2C

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/toshiba-20-pint-dehumidifier-with-continuous-operation-function-energy-star/1001510701

It's got a humidistat that lets you pick an RH% point and it will dehumidify down to that point and hold.

I'll give it a try and report back when I know more.
 
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