Araon said:
get the rechargeable dehumidifiers from caravan shops mine cost a fiver, plug it into the mains for a couple of hours to dry the crystals and it should last a week in a closed van less if your drying the west of england :lol: sorry windsurfer, or you can buy the ovenable I know its not a word bags or tins of silica once all the items inside have dried then the volume of air is no bother to keep dry and save your pride and joy.........
aha! - ok - I expected a dehumidfier to be like the ones used in comms rooms
- I'll take a look at a few caravan shops online for some inspiration
Thanks!
EDIT:
All you need to know about dehumidifiers:
How does a dehumidifier work?
There are four types of dehumidifier sold to the domestic market in the UK - Compressor (the majority), desiccant, peltier and silica gel.
A compressor based dehumidifier draws the air in from the room over a filter and passes it over some cold coils similar to the coils on a fridge. As the coils are cold, water condenses and drips into a bucket. The air is then reheated to room temperature and blown back out of the dehumidifier.
A desiccant dehumidifier has no coils and uses a wheel filled with a moisture absorbing desiccant material to extract the water from the air. The air is then reheated to about 10°C above room temperature and is then blown back into the room.
A peltier dehumidifier basically uses a cold metal surface to condensate the air on. These should not be used below 15°C and will not control much more than a large wardrobe.
A silica gel based dehumidifier normally comes in a tub or a rechargeable cassette and should not be used to control more than a box/draw or wardrobe.
Why do unheated areas get separated out?
A dehumidifier that can be found in your local high street store is designed for use in your home, which is nice and warm. In a garage, store, workshop, boat, caravan, holiday home or a conservatory the temperature will drop a lot lower. Since a compressor based dehumidifier works by reducing the temperature internally it can easily reduce down to freezing even if the ambient temperature is 10°C. What you do not want is for your dehumidifier to form a block of ice or for you to find a puddle on the floor.
What happens when the temperature in the room drops down towards freezing?
Most dehumidifiers designed for use in the home will just stop working and turn themselves off. Others will try to work and might well suffer from a build up of ice. Those with a defrost system are likely to only extract a tiny amount of water.
What is the correct type of dehumidifier to use in these applications?
You need a machine with a function called hot gas defrost or a desiccant based machine. If the dehumidifier does not have either of these features then do not buy it. Examples of our current range can be found here.
How does Hot Gas Defrost work?
Hot gas defrost works by reversing the coils and using the heat from the hot side of the coils to melt the ice to water. When this is done the heat is returned to the front of the machine to warm the air before it is blown back out.
So what temperature will a hot gas defrost system or a desiccant dehumidifier work down to?
Freezing.
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Now I know
http://www.meaco.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DD122FW
