susan.charles@windstream.net Report post Posted November 10, 2009 Can anyone tell me where I can buy a dehumidifier that is not so noisy? I found one at a local home improvement store, but the reviews on it say it is very noisy. I realized we needed one during our last trip. When we moved the trash can in the kitchen, the floor underneath it was wet each time. Thanks for any suggestions. ccmsm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted November 10, 2009 We have used small house-type dehumidifiers on our motorhomes and boats for many years WHILE IN STORAGE . Basically, they are small A/C's with both condenser and evaporator (where the water condenses) in the room. Not familiar with a quiet one. I would question that enough moisture would buildup while living in the coach (with proper ventilation) to keep any area wet (other than glass areas and other areas that remain cold-- below the dew point of the inside air. Have you searched for water leaks from potable water system or sink drains? Brett Wolfe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
susan.charles@windstream.net Report post Posted November 10, 2009 Leaks were the first thing I looked for. Although the trash can sits 6-8" from the cabinet that the sink is located in I couldn't find any moisure any where around it. We were in the North Georgia mountains and it was cool outside and since I'm cold natured I usually keep it warmer than I should. The windows had some moisture on them but not very much. The manual for the motorhome stresses the importance of keeping moisure to a minimum. We are careful to have vents open while showering or cooking. We do use the washer/dryer a lot so I'm sure they generate lots of moisture although it is vented to the outside. ccmsm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted November 10, 2009 I posted a rather lengthy piece on Moisture in Your Motor Home several months ago. There is a discussion of dehumidifiers there. You may want to take a look a that thread for some detailed information. If you can find no leak in the fresh water system and the trash can itself isn't leaking, then I would suspect that the floor beneath the trash can is not insulated and this allows that spot on the floor to be cold because the trash can is insulating the floor from above, keeping warm air from reaching it. This could be solved easily by elevating the trash can off the floor. You could suspend it from a cabinet wall or place a short stand beneath it to allow inside air to circulate over the floor and keep it warmed. If you have problems under the trash can, you should also check the walls behind the couch, in the back of cabinets and in other areas where the outside wall of the motor home is not directly exposed to heated indoor air. All these areas could be problems as well. In my article, I listed a number of steps that you can take to reduce moisture in your motor home. Compared to the effectiveness of the steps listed in the article, any dehumidifier will be much less effective in removing moisture from a motor home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
susan.charles@windstream.net Report post Posted November 10, 2009 Thanks Tom. I remembered reading your post when I first joined the forum but I couldn't remember where to find it. I think we will try your suggestions before buying a dehumidifier. The smallest one I can find is a 50 pint model. ccmsm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidnDerita Report post Posted December 6, 2009 We just bought a Soleus Air 40-Pint Dehumidifier CFM-40E, and are very pleased with the performance. It is very quiet, it is a compact unit that fits virtually anywhere, and so far it has proven to be very effective in removing moisture. It was $189.99 at Amazon. Other sites were less expensive, but Amazon has free shipping (for the Christmas holidays only), and that made it the most economical site by quite a bit. We have been amazed at the difference it has made. We are currently in North Georgia where the temperatures range from lows in the high 20's or low to mid 30's and highs in the low to mid 60's. With temp differentials like that we were seeing quite a bit of moisture on the inside windshield and other windows. After running less than 5 hours, the windows were completely dry. Very good machine in my opinion and I have no hesitation in recommending it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted December 6, 2009 Louise was cooking several days ago and the windshield fogged up (all the others are thermal windows and never fog). I opened a vent for an intake and turned on a different vent fan and the window fog was gone in ten minutes. It was raining and cold (low 40's) outside and this still works. I'd much rather use the vent fan, low cost operation, doesn't take up any additional space and it works fast. Ours came with the motor home (in fact we have three of them) so there is no additional expense. You bring in a little cold fresh air (not a bad thing) and the furnace ran once. We sat down to a good meal and had a nice view! This process works if the temperature is 20 or 0. In fact it works faster and better the colder it is outside. The colder the outside air is, the drier it will be. And, yes, even if it is raining or snowing, the outside cold air will dry the air in your motor home when it replaces the moist warm air the vent fan is removing. When you warm up the cold outside air, the relative humidity in that parcel of air drops like a rock. Cold air holds hardly any moisture and warming it increases its capacity to hold moisture, thus the amount of water in the air compared to its capacity to hold water becomes very small. It becomes very dry air. It will quickly pick up any moisture off windows and other cold surfaces thus drying out your motor home. It is not necessary to leave the vents open or to run the vent fan continuously. Moisture in the motor home is event driven. You take a shower, the moisture level goes way up. Open a vent, run a fan and the moisture goes back down to normal levels. Turn off the fan and close the vent. Cook a meal and the moisture goes way up. Open a vent, run a fan and the moisture goes back down to normal levels. Turn off the fan and close the vent. You come in with wet clothes or wet towels from the campground showers and the moisture goes way up. Open a vent, run a fan and the moisture goes back down to normal levels. Turn off the fan and close the vent. I'm not anti dehumidifier, I'm pro vent fans! Vent fans are a cheaper more environmentally friendly solution (made of less material and use less energy) to moisture in a motor home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Wayne77590 Report post Posted December 6, 2009 Nice write-up Tom. Thanks. Wish I were edumacated so I could write like that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted December 6, 2009 We do "ALL OF THE ABOVE". When in storage, there is a dehumidifier onboard set to 45%. When we travel, the dehumidifier stays home and we do as Tom does. Brett Wolfe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
