ALDI dehumdifier

ongarite

Amazon are doing a lightning deal today for the De Longhi DEM10 dehumudifier at 85 pounds.
Good saving over Powercity, etc if you are in the market for a compressor based unit.\
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000BP81DW

Pangea

Picked up the Aldi Dehumidifier for €150 last week, my first ever one, no complaints so far.

https://www.aldi.ie/p/93597/0

Do people on here leave them on during the night? I haven't yet, In the morning my windows are soaked with condensation but the noise might annoy some.

Damien360

Pangea wrote: »

Picked up the Aldi Dehumidifier for €150 last week, my first ever one, no complaints so far.

https://www.aldi.ie/p/93597/0

Do people on here leave them on during the night? I haven't yet, In the morning my windows are soaked with condensation but the noise might annoy some.

Picked that up also.

Cannot get the timer function to work. Can set but it never counts down and then won't turn off automatically.

Bought it for the same reason as you.

Pangea

Damien360 wrote: »

Picked that up also.

Cannot get the timer function to work. Can set but it never counts down and then won't turn off automatically.

Bought it for the same reason as you.

I havent used the timer yet but it shuts down automatically for me when I have it in normal operation mode, Read the instructions carefully and if its not working you should return it or use the warranty, whichever works.

mrcheez

Pangea wrote: »

Picked up the Aldi Dehumidifier for €150 last week, my first ever one, no complaints so far.

https://www.aldi.ie/p/93597/0

Do people on here leave them on during the night? I haven't yet, In the morning my windows are soaked with condensation but the noise might annoy some.

I find the noise quite relaxing, like sleeping with an air conditioner on

kaizersoze

I'd never sleep with a dehumidifier on in the room again. The only time I tried it I woke during the night with a dry sore throat and a bastrard of a tickley cough that took ages to shift.
Condensation on the windows is caused by an excess of moisture and poor ventilation. What I do is run it in the room during the day every day and it will gradually remove excess moisture from the room (incl bedding, carpets, clothes etc). After a few days doing this you won't get a build up in the room and the condensation problem will go away.

The_Conductor

mrcheez wrote: »

I find the noise quite relaxing, like sleeping with an air conditioner on

Sounds like a cabin on an overnight ferry- somewhere next to the engine room........

mrcheez

The_Conductor wrote: »

Sounds like a cabin on an overnight ferry- somewhere next to the engine room........

Ah I leave it in another room, so only hear noise through the wall.

Agree it'd be a bit loud using in the room where you sleep.

Discodog

Is the Aldi one dessicant or compressor ?

air

Compressor

crabbypaddy

Discodog wrote: »

Is the Aldi one dessicant or compressor ?

Compressor hence peoples complaints about the noise. I would never go back to a compressor dehumidifier now having had a meaco desiccant one for years. If you just need one for inside a lived in house compressor is fine. Compressor is useless in winter when drying out unheated spaces like cars, boats, sheds. garages, campers, caravans, holiday homes etc.

air

Most people want dehumidifiers for heated spaces though & compressor based units are more energy efficient than dessicant ones.

Dickerty

We have one about 6 years, only use it for drying clothes indoor, with the heating on it sucks the water out of the clothes in half a day. Saves you having wet clothes in the house all the time (4 kids here!).

Particularly useful in older houses which tend to get damp easier...

mrcheez

Dickerty wrote: »

We have one about 6 years, only use it for drying clothes indoor, with the heating on it sucks the water out of the clothes in half a day. Saves you having wet clothes in the house all the time (4 kids here!).

Particularly useful in older houses which tend to get damp easier...

I use mine in a bathroom that has poor ventilation, after having a shower. Dries it up in less than an hour and not a sign of mould in 3 years.

It probably doesn't work great in freezing cold environments, but works great in room-temperature environments.

Pangea

crabbypaddy wrote: »

Compressor hence peoples complaints about the noise. I would never go back to a compressor dehumidifier now having had a meaco desiccant one for years. If you just need one for inside a lived in house compressor is fine. Compressor is useless in winter when drying out unheated spaces like cars, boats, sheds. garages, campers, caravans, holiday homes etc.

Yes but for me I use it for bedrooms, now my bedroom is warm on a night like this with no heating on (26c reading at the moment) so I dont think it would be suitable for me.

Note this:
If the average temperature that you will be using your dehumidifier in will be over 20°C then a compressor model might be a better buy.
http://byemould.com/meaco-dd8l-compact-dehumidifier-review/

crabbypaddy

Pangea wrote: »

Yes but for me I use it for bedrooms, now my bedroom is warm on a night like this with no heating on (26c reading at the moment) so I dont think it would be suitable for me.

Note this:
If the average temperature that you will be using your dehumidifier in will be over 20°C then a compressor model might be a better buy.
http://byemould.com/meaco-dd8l-compact-dehumidifier-review/

If your house is so well insulated and air tight that its 12-14 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature with no supplementary heating it sounds like its not getting remotely enough ventilation, a house like that should have mechanical heat recovery ventilation and zero condensation.

kyeev

I bought the Aldi dehumidifier about a week ago (150 euro).
I have it running for a few hours a day.
Its about 20 degrees in the room and the humidity, according to the dehumidifier, drops from ~70% to around 50% after a couple of hours.
However it never collects any water?
The fan is blowing.
I can hear the compressor switching on.
The front of the machine, below the fan, is getting quite hot.

What's going on?

I can't understand how the humidity is dropping but there is no water in the container?

crabbypaddy

kyeev wrote: »

I bought the Aldi dehumidifier about a week ago (150 euro).
I have it running for a few hours a day.
Its about 20 degrees in the room and the humidity, according to the dehumidifier, drops from ~70% to around 50% after a couple of hours.
However it never collects any water?
The fan is blowing.
I can hear the compressor switching on.
The front of the machine, below the fan, is getting quite hot.

What's going on?

I can't understand how the humidity is dropping but there is no water in the container?

Compressor could be stalled - if compressor is laid on its sde or inverted during transport the oil can end up where it shouldn't be and can stall the compressor then you will hear the thermal cutout clickin in and out every few mins. Humidistat could be being fooled by the heat from the compressor

Pangea

crabbypaddy wrote: »

If your house is so well insulated and air tight that its 12-14 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature with no supplementary heating it sounds like its not getting remotely enough ventilation, a house like that should have mechanical heat recovery ventilation and zero condensation.

Well I had the window opened most of the day so it got ventilation, sun faces my room in the evening leaving the room warm at night, the house isnt probably your typical house ,it has a wooden skeleton with blocks then built around it, built in the early 70s

kyeev wrote: »

I bought the Aldi dehumidifier about a week ago (150 euro).

What's going on?

I can't understand how the humidity is dropping but there is no water in the container?

Probably not the problem but you wouldnt have it on fan mode by any chance? that wont dehumidfy.

Must say Im happy with the aldi purchase, working good so far, emptied it this morning and it was near full now so just emptied it again after it being on all day in the hall.

Danger781

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KV87MBU/

This is on offer today on Amazon. Can anyone confirm if this is a dessicant or a compressor?

Why do descriptions never confirm this??

Can anyone recommend a decent one (Ideally from Amazon, but open to other avenues..)

Danger781

Danger781 wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KV87MBU/

This is on offer today on Amazon. Can anyone confirm if this is a dessicant or a compressor?

Why do descriptions never confirm this??

Can anyone recommend a decent one (Ideally from Amazon, but open to other avenues..)

Might just go with the safe option and invest in the EcoAir DD122

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EcoAir-DD122-Simple-Desiccant-Dehumidifier/dp/B00474K8SY

The_Conductor

Danger781 wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KV87MBU/

This is on offer today on Amazon. Can anyone confirm if this is a dessicant or a compressor?

Why do descriptions never confirm this??

Can anyone recommend a decent one (Ideally from Amazon, but open to other avenues..)

Its a refrigerant/compressor dehumidifier- its one of the ones that regularly gets top reviews and is one of the best selling dehumidifiers over on AO.com

The Amazon price is ok- but their suggested rrp does not reflect the price its normally sold at in a variety of other retailers- including Currys of all places.

You can buy this locally in Currys Blanch/Liffeyvalley

The_Conductor

Danger781 wrote: »

Might just go with the safe option and invest in the EcoAir DD122

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EcoAir-DD122-Simple-Desiccant-Dehumidifier/dp/B00474K8SY

Works good in lower temperatures- but a complete energy hog- a regular compressor dehumidifier like your aforementioned Vax- works far more efficiently and effectively at room temperature than this one does.

If you look around- you can find some with ionisers built in etc.

To be brutally honest- the Lidl one from a few weeks back- is probably as good as you can get- if you can find one somewhere.

cfeeneyinterior

The_Conductor wrote: »

Works good in lower temperatures- but a complete energy hog- a regular compressor dehumidifier like your aforementioned Vax- works far more efficiently and effectively at room temperature than this one does.

If you look around- you can find some with ionisers built in etc.

To be brutally honest- the Lidl one from a few weeks back- is probably as good as you can get- if you can find one somewhere.

I bought this last week....
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008BZVCVM
From researching and googling it is more efficient,so will need to be running for less time than the regular compressor type but it uses more juice than the compressor... anyways last week my mind was made up to buy the desiccant type.
So far, so good. Shifting lots of water from clothes drying on landing. Should sort out the damp spots that come during winter due to clothes drying indoors....

crabbypaddy

The_Conductor wrote: »

Works good in lower temperatures- but a complete energy hog- a regular compressor dehumidifier like your aforementioned Vax- works far more efficiently and effectively at room temperature than this one does

Thats nonsense the DD122 is 340w - measured - on eco setting vs 270w - from specs - for the vax, on eco setting the DD122 will still easily produces 5-6l/24h in the real world room temperature and 60% humidity.

The 10l vax at room temperature and 60% humidity would produce 5l if you were lucky and as humidity falls it becomes less and less efficient. This becomes very significant when you are trying to draw water from walls, floors, furnishings, carpets, clothes etc. and you want the air humidity to be very low. That vax would have to run for a much longer time at to achieve the same result as the dd122.

editorsean

I have used various brands and sizes of dehumidifiers over the years and found that the compressor models tend to follow a similar pattern and how the desiccant type compares.

The capacity ratings stated in the compressor model spec are based on operating at 30C, 80% RH, which most buildings will never experience in Ireland. Based on my experience measuring with a jug and watt meter, when most operate around 20C, 60% RH, they extract roughly 1/3 their capacity rating and use about 3/4 their wattage rating. So a 12 litre 240 watt compressor model will extract about 4 litres per day or about 170ml per hour and use 180 watts. Usually by the time the bucket fills, it collects just under the number of litres as the number of kilowatt hours recorded by the watt meter, such as 4 kWh for 3.5 litres collected as an example.

There is a sharp drop-off in the extraction as the temperature falls with compressor models. At around 15C, the moisture starts freezing on the coils, so the compressor needs to cycle off/on to allow them to defrost. The extraction rate falls in half around this temperature, e.g. probably 2 litres / day for a 12 litre machine. Professional building dryers get around this problem using hot gas defrost, where a valve periodically releases the hot gas from the condenser into the evaporator coils to rapidly defrost the ice build-up.

With a desiccant dehumidifier, the extraction rate in the spec is usually for 20C 60% RH, a more realistic rating than given on compressor models. So for a typical 7 litre desiccant machine rated at 650 watts, you can expect it to extract 7 litres per day or about 290ml per hour on its high setting, using 650 watts. Based on my experience, the low (Eco) setting cuts both the power consumption and extraction rate in half, so on the low setting a typical 7 litre desiccant model will extract 3.5 litres per day or about 150ml per hour, using 330 watts. With a watt meter, I typically find they use double the kilowatt hours as the number of litres they collect, e.g. 4 kWh for 2 litres collected. On the other hand, there is very little drop-off in the extraction rate in rooms below 15C. They don't vibrate/rattle like some compressor models do, so are usually quieter, with a similar sound to a fan heater.

So for a house maintained around 20C 55-60% RH, a 7 litre desiccant dehumidifier will extract the equivalent to a ~20 litre compressor model on high or about a ~10 litre compressor model on low, using double the kWh as a compressor model for the same quantity of water collected. With lower temperatures such as 15C or below, a desiccant dehumidifier is definitely worth considering as it can still pull close to its rated capacity whereas you would need a compressor model rated 6 times the desiccant model capacity to achieve a similar extraction rate below ~15C.

The_Conductor

editorsean wrote: »

So for a house maintained around 20C 55-60% RH, a 7 litre desiccant dehumidifier will extract the equivalent to a ~20 litre compressor model on high or about a ~10 litre compressor model on low, using double the kWh as a compressor model for the same quantity of water collected. With lower temperatures such as 15C or below, a desiccant dehumidifier is definitely worth considering as it can still pull close to its rated capacity whereas you would need a compressor model rated 6 times the desiccant model capacity to achieve a similar extraction rate below ~15C.

This is it in a nutshell.
However- and keep in mind- room temperature in Ireland is between 20 and 22 degrees- you're not going to get even the coldest of homes down at 15 degrees........ I fully get what you're saying- the colder it gets- the better the efficiency of a desiccant dehumidifier over a condensing dehumidifier- however, in an Irish context- unless you're using it in an unheated garage or outhouse- you're simply unlikely to get to a situation where the desiccant dehumidifier will show its credentials in this manner.

editorsean

Indeed that's how I use mine - I currently use a 24 litre compressor model (Trotec 75S) at home which is mainly kept between 18C to 22C year around and a 7 litre desiccant machine (Trotec 55E) at my workplace in the unused section of the building that is mainly 10C to 15C when it's used between Autumn and Spring.

Discodog

The_Conductor wrote: »

This is it in a nutshell.
However- and keep in mind- room temperature in Ireland is between 20 and 22 degrees- you're not going to get even the coldest of homes down at 15 degrees........ I fully get what you're saying- the colder it gets- the better the efficiency of a desiccant dehumidifier over a condensing dehumidifier- however, in an Irish context- unless you're using it in an unheated garage or outhouse- you're simply unlikely to get to a situation where the desiccant dehumidifier will show its credentials in this manner.

I think that a lot of rooms in houses, especially without central heating, drop to 15 & lower. This is often why unheated bathrooms, bedrooms etc get damp in the first place.

Heighway61

I need a dehumidifier but can't decide what to get. Getting dizzy looking at the many models from the many different manufacturers. I think I've decided then read the reviews and see complaints of faults and unreliability. It's for drying clothes in a detached double garage and also to dehumidify bedrooms in the house. Can anyone recommend a dessicant dehumidifer you know to be reliable? I'll pay extra for a good one.

Edit: Looking at

amazon.co.uk/dp/B007X236NQ/
amazon.co.uk/dp/B008BZVCV
amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BP1IXSS/

wiz569

I got a Meaco from CH Marine a couple of years,got this discount code in a mailer this afternoon if its any use

Use Code NL10 at checkout to get 10% off. Offer ends 23rd October

Heighway61

Thanks, will check that out. Were you happy with the Meaco? Which model?

wiz569

Heighway61 wrote: »

Thanks, will check that out. Were you happy with the Meaco? Which model?

I got the DD8L,which now seems to come in a Junior or Senior version,mine is probably like the Senior version as it has the ioniser function,which I never use lol

I quite happy with it tbh,it does the job,still get some condensation on windows but a lot lot less then without,would probably be better but I can only run it for about 8 hrs a day as the noise drives the missus mad,and its not that loud

Mind you I only paid €150 for it about three years ago

Danger781

Still cheaper on Amazon, even with the discount code.. FYI..

wiz569

Danger781 wrote: »

Still cheaper on Amazon, even with the discount code.. FYI..

I wasnt pricing them only sharing the code

kyeev

kyeev wrote: »

I bought the Aldi dehumidifier about a week ago (150 euro).
I have it running for a few hours a day.
Its about 20 degrees in the room and the humidity, according to the dehumidifier, drops from ~70% to around 50% after a couple of hours.
However it never collects any water?
The fan is blowing.
I can hear the compressor switching on.
The front of the machine, below the fan, is getting quite hot.

What's going on?

I can't understand how the humidity is dropping but there is no water in the container?

crabbypaddy wrote: »

Compressor could be stalled - if compressor is laid on its sde or inverted during transport the oil can end up where it shouldn't be and can stall the compressor then you will hear the thermal cutout clickin in and out every few mins. Humidistat could be being fooled by the heat from the compressor

Exchanged dehumidifier for a new one.
This one collects loads of water so you were right, it was probably a duff compressor. The humidstat was being fooled...

crabbypaddy

Heighway61 wrote: »

Thanks, will check that out. Were you happy with the Meaco? Which model?

If you're planning on using it in an unheated detached garage then desiccant is the only option for Ireland. Your garage would need to be fairly airtight though to be effective or else you'll just be dehumidifying the air, garages often have ventilated eaves/soffits / unsealed up and over / roller doors.

We bought our DD8L used its about 6 years old we've had it 2 years , bought it originally for drying out the camper as we do a lot of wet weekends by the sea with wetsuits, wet towels, buoyancy aids etc. Its used and borrowed all the time for drying out plaster, paint, cars, carpets etc.

The main thing to watch out for is never plug it out while its running, press the off button wait for it to finish its cooling cycle also clean the filter regularly.

Chmarine have the distributorship for Ireland so basically control the price in Ireland, the DD8L now comes with 2 year warranty as standard, and they charge extra for the 3 year and 5 year warrany.

http://www.chmarine.com/acatalog/meaco-dd8l-20l-warranty-3-years.html
http://www.chmarine.com/acatalog/meaco-dd8l-20l-warranty-5-years.html

Regarding faults and reliability. Desiccant dehumidifiers are more complicated than compressor ones so there probably are more failure modes, I doubt it will last as long as our old dimplex compressor dehumidifier is at least 25 years old. But when it fairs I will buy another desiccant model. Also I doubt any chinese compressor dehumidifier will last that long either and I have also seen quality brands like ebac leaking refrigerant requiring flushing, soldering, vacuuming and regassing.

If I was replacing the DD8L at current prices I would take a punt on the cheaper DD122. We don't use the ioniser function in normal use as it produces ozone and everyone hates the smell \ feeling of it - its like being in an od photocopying shop. It is useful for removing odours though.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/EcoAir-DD122-Simple-Desiccant-Dehumidifier/dp/B00474K8SY/ref=lp_11472944031_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1476787573&sr=1-3
http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/EcoAir-DD122-Simple-Desiccant-Dehumidifier/product/B00474K8SY

Heighway61

crabbypaddy wrote: »

If you're planning on using it in an unheated detached garage then desiccant is the only option for Ireland. Your garage would need to be fairly airtight though to be effective or else you'll just be dehumidifying the air, garages often have ventilated eaves/soffits / unsealed up and over / roller doors.

We bought our DD8L used its about 6 years old we've had it 2 years , bought it originally for drying out the camper as we do a lot of wet weekends by the sea with wetsuits, wet towels, buoyancy aids etc. Its used and borrowed all the time for drying out plaster, paint, cars, carpets etc.

The main thing to watch out for is never plug it out while its running, press the off button wait for it to finish its cooling cycle also clean the filter regularly.

Chmarine have the distributorship for Ireland so basically control the price in Ireland, the DD8L now comes with 2 year warranty as standard, and they charge extra for the 3 year and 5 year warrany.

http://www.chmarine.com/acatalog/meaco-dd8l-20l-warranty-3-years.html
http://www.chmarine.com/acatalog/meaco-dd8l-20l-warranty-5-years.html

Regarding faults and reliability. Desiccant dehumidifiers are more complicated than compressor ones so there probably are more failure modes, I doubt it will last as long as our old dimplex compressor dehumidifier is at least 25 years old. But when it fairs I will buy another desiccant model. Also I doubt any chinese compressor dehumidifier will last that long either and I have also seen quality brands like ebac leaking refrigerant requiring flushing, soldering, vacuuming and regassing.

Thanks for the advice. Went for DD8L Zambesi. Not glad to hear about the garage situation though. It has two roller doors. Wanted to get the clothes out of the house.

Didn't kow that about the ionizer

hatchman

Heighway61 wrote:

Thanks for the advice. Went for DD8L Zambesi. Not glad to hear about the garage situation though. It has two roller doors. Wanted to get the clothes out of the house.

Why not put up a small sealed partition in garage for clothes drying ? Smaller volume would be more economical for running dehumidifier too.

air

Does the dessicant wheel have a certain life expectancy after which the machine needs to be replaced?

wiz569

air wrote: »

Does the dessicant wheel have a certain life expectancy after which the machine needs to be replaced?

Not sure tbh but mines going now about 3 years and the only problem is a squeak every now and then

editorsean

The desiccant wheel will generally outlive the machine assuming it does not adsorb anything other than water vapour. A dust-build up inside will reduce its effectiveness, so ensure the filter is regularly cleaned. Otherwise it will need to be dismantled to vacuum off the desiccant wheel.

Oil mist will shorten the life of desiccants as once the desiccant adsorbs oil, it cannot be easily removed. For example, operating it in a kitchen with a deep fat fryer running is not a good idea. Similarly if operated in a garage with power tools, oil-fired workshop heaters, etc. in use that can lead to contamination of the desiccant wheel.

The Zambesi does have a nice feature in that it has a timer, as it can be set to run while away or during the nightsaver rate (if on that tariff). Desiccant dehumidifiers should not be run with an external timer as there's no way for the machine to run its cool-down cycle before fully switching off. The cool-down cycle cools down its heater and removes moisture that otherwise would condense and potentially cause corrosion inside, the main failure of desiccant dehumidifiers.

Heighway61

Some one said to let the humidifier stand for 24 hours before first use. Is this true for desiccant and compressor types?

wiz569

Heighway61 wrote: »

Some one said to let the humidifier stand for 24 hours before first use. Is this true for desiccant and compressor types?

Only ever heard that for fridges that may have been lying on their side during transport but as they have similar workings it would be no harm,but only for the compressor type

air

Yes, not a bad idea, for the compressor type only.
I note that in the US, the units are rated for energy consumption on a L/kWh basis, something which the EU should also adopt.
If they had to publish a figure for various temperatures it would be a big help in comparing units.

cormie

Does anyone know, for drying clothes (either just out of the washing machine or just in from getting soaked in the rain, what are the basic advantages and disadvantages of using a dehumidifier instead of a tumble dryer, if any?

air

Well a regular vented tumble dryer loses heat out of the building at a high rate.
With a dehumidifier the heat is effectively recycled again and again which greatly improves efficiency.
There are condenser dryers on the market also but they are quite expensive. Using a dehumidifier in a small sealed room is effectively air drying the clothes just with the advantage of a much lower relative humidity.
Also apparently tumble dryers are very hard on clothes & wear them out prematurely.
Finally a dehumidifier is a much lower electrical load so far easier to supply with PV for example if available.

cobham

Apologies for hopping on this thread but would like opinions as to best place to locate a dehumidifier. It is big enough for average house and I have located same over the years in different locations from hallway, half landing and unused/unheated room off hall. As an asthmatic I appreciate the drier atmosphere in the house as evidence of the litres of water produced every few days. Moisture would be from cooking and showers. Clothes are line dried mostly. There is always a window open in the house.

air

You'll be better off closing the window and leaving the dehumidifier on.
If the house is undergoing a high rate of air changes then the dehumidifier won't be able to do a whole lot.
Best to locate it nearest the source of moisture - nearby the kitchen or bathrooms for example.

cobham

I still like the idea of 'fresh air' somewhere in house. Windows would be opened on sunny days on south side but the one kept open most of time is of an underused bathroom. There is no other ventilation in the bathrooms save the window. Doors to heated section of house are kept closed and one chimney blocked. All other rooms have airvents.