I have temp & humidity digital hygrometer readings in every room of the house, including the stair / landing area what would you like!? ...also use a woodburner with well seasoned wood, good dry heat. (don't forget a decent one for the logs, including a temp & moisture reading for the freshly split logs (species selector within that too).

My point is that some "thicky twins" within this sceptred isle, will buy this, stick it on yet not change their approach to lifestyle which more often than not contributes to the overall problem.

Daytime is rapidly disappearing, winterising needs to be approached now before frost & nasty weather set in for the common contributors that often ramp up the damp, mould, etc.

Folks, running a decent hepa filtration unit will also assist if you have it (spores), ..every little bit helps if you have a dodgey cold room, look at additional insulation too & take time to seal up air gaps ( & mouse access) around your wet rad pipes, with a bit of silicone.

One big source of condensate migration as mentioned in another thread (screwfix halogen fittings) is wet air movement from kitchens (cooking without adequate ventilation) which rises & go's through your light fittings & the like moving upward into the next floor (unless you live in a bungalow of course).

& don't renovate a bathroom & put more darn plasterboard back in, just asking for trouble, ..air that sucker well / consider a single room heat recovery & ventilation unit (but don't take the recovery %'s as written in stone) .. take a look here to get your heads around the basics. http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php/topic,18879.15.html
http://www.vent-axia.com/hrv-heat-recovery
https://www.airflow.com/products/pg_I100/240V-iCON-Fans

Not an amazing price tbh.

anyone used this one? I've got a 10L that could do with replacing ahead of winter

Are these not for damp homes! Those who really need them probably can't afford this price.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I bought a meaco one from john lewis. Last yr I payed £99 this yr it's £129. 5yr guarantee. It has a dry function for washing. It works great. Kept my home mould free all winter ( I had environmentle health out as not one wall in the house was free from mould so really bad )

Says 2 yr guarantee now on john lewis. Mine had a 5 yr guarantee.

If you have damp you need to find the cause & remedy it, not run these all the time.

guttering, checks for cracks in outer skin of building, wet walls helped out by some brick waterproofer NOW.

move as much furniture et al away from outer walls (reorganise living space), crack windows to let steam out etc.

ventilate.

I had a quick look for 'humidity sensor' but I seem to get machine parts or the All in one Weather station type things. What else can I search for term wise?

I paid 89 I think for a 10L with a 2L tank.
I was kind of hoping for the usual jaw dropping aldi prices I guess.

Good for drying clothes indoors in the winter when you're unlikely to have your windows open.

Sorry, should have said humidity meter (or hygrometer).
Here's a list on Amazon, starting from £3

Ah OK now I see. Reminds me of a a couple of things I got a while back for the greenhouse though. I could tests the temp accuracy of them with a good ref thermometer and it was not that accurate so I'd be very iffy about a reading for humidity. I remeber the old way of reading it with wet bulb and dry bulb thermometer and chart (can't help but feel wind speed should be in there also). If they can't get temp accurate then I doubt they can get something more complex right.

I will loook into it anyway - see if anyone has tested accuracy of the humidity reading. Cheers.

I have temp & humidity digital hygrometer readings in every room of the house, including the stair / landing area what would you like!? ...also use a woodburner with well seasoned wood, good dry heat. (don't forget a decent one for the logs, including a temp & moisture reading for the freshly split logs (species selector within that too).

My point is that some "thicky twins" within this sceptred isle, will buy this, stick it on yet not change their approach to lifestyle which more often than not contributes to the overall problem.

Daytime is rapidly disappearing, winterising needs to be approached now before frost & nasty weather set in for the common contributors that often ramp up the damp, mould, etc.

Folks, running a decent hepa filtration unit will also assist if you have it (spores), ..every little bit helps if you have a dodgey cold room, look at additional insulation too & take time to seal up air gaps ( & mouse access) around your wet rad pipes, with a bit of silicone.

One big source of condensate migration as mentioned in another thread (screwfix halogen fittings) is wet air movement from kitchens (cooking without adequate ventilation) which rises & go's through your light fittings & the like moving upward into the next floor (unless you live in a bungalow of course).

& don't renovate a bathroom & put more darn plasterboard back in, just asking for trouble, ..air that sucker well / consider a single room heat recovery & ventilation unit (but don't take the recovery %'s as written in stone) .. take a look here to get your heads around the basics. http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php/topic,18879.15.html
http://www.vent-axia.com/hrv-heat-recovery
https://www.airflow.com/products/pg_I100/240V-iCON-Fans

Might get this for drying out a house that we are about to buy that has a lot of damp

Thoughts?????

That is desiccant type, some people don't like the smell they give out (from the chemical reaction).

You might over complicate it a bit, if you buy a £3 meter, you cannot go wrong really.
After that you can buy a more expensive one.
Either one of them will give you a good understanding of the humidity in your house, even if it is not accurate (against what?) it will show the trend.

Anyway, seems that this dehumidifier has a hygrometer itself... it displays the humidity on a LED display and starts working automatically if needed and then stops by itself... not bad at all!

Am having loads of carp with my net connection and can't get the item page to load but be aware that the dehumidifiers that work by cooling air can have a minimum working environmental temp.

Relax, it can work down to 5 Celsius. It is designed for enclosed spaces (obviously) so that's a non issue.
If it worked lower than 5, you would probably see the water in the tank freezing. I am sure that would be an issue for any type of dehumidifier.

It shows exactly the same reading as my hygrometer:

Was just that a few years ago I looked into getting one for a small unheated room we had and the ones that fitted the bill size and price wise ended up being unsuitable due to their min temp needs. I can't remeber what that was (maybe around 18 degrees C) but was not warmer than the room, so ended up getting no where. 5 degrees C sounds fine though.

18 minimum operating temp seems weird.

I used the dehumidifier yesterday, in just 2 hours got the humidity from 64 to 57%... incredible... It is rather big so I suspect it is very effective for the medium sized rooms I got.

Can anyone confirm how many watts of energy this dehumidifer uses per hour?

durrrrrr! How did i miss that

They don't smell all the time though do they? Maybe at the beginning and then occasionally after that.

Never, ever noticed any kind of smell with a desiccant dehumidifier. Far more efficient than the compressor type at lower temperatures, too. Had both, but wouldn't go back to compressors.

I am looking now for one....waiting as long as I can before buying...hoping to get a bargain! But it is getting colder and the windows won't be open for much longer I reckon.

I researched and seen countless reviews about smell and people saying the manufscturers explained it is normal as it is a chemical reaction.
I didn't had one myself though.

I've seen the comments - though the general view seems to be that it's caused more by the retransmission of odours collected from the house than any chemical reaction per se.

If you don't have a house that smells of tobacco etc there probably won't be a problem. I've used one of these (an excellent Meaco) for some time now and there's never been one hint of a smell from it.

You say general view, but I didn't see that opinion.
What model do you have? Would you buy a compressor one? I think the desiccant ones tend to warm up the air, which is handy in the winter

Meaco DD8L - one for us and one for a relative. Had the compressor sort before, but these work far more efficiently, and the heat they give out is a bonus. Would thoroughly recommend it if they still sell them (or similar). Well reviewed, as I recall.

These tend to use 2 units a day, the desiccant ones 8 units a day. (HEAT). But what is the minimum working temperature on this. Its the low quality refrigerants that only work at 10C+ . I want one to also use ina garage so I need 5C, but I do not not want the heater kind.

I would not be so sure about the efficiency of the dessicate type.
They eat twice as much energy (as you probably know, you cannot generate heat without eating a lot of electricity).
They are also less effective in removing moisture, so they will run double the time to do the same job. If you look at them, they only come with small water tanks, while compressor once come with huge tanks. This unit from Aldi works surprisingly well, it runs about 30 mins and then shuts itself off for about 4 or 5 hours, because in just 30 min it manages to take the moisture down a lot. It then completely automatically starts itself again for 30 min and so on. Maybe not even 30 min sometimes... it is incredibly good. I have to measure the time it is actually on, but like I said it is very effective. Looking at Meaco ratings, this would be one of the largest they advertise, suitable to be used for house with up to 6 rooms.

I looked at Meaco and I don't like them, they falsely advertise the power consumption (their "efficient" 355W is actually rated at 370W in the tech description), and they advertise their own "intelligent" logic, that turns the device on every 30 min for 5 minutes to measure the moisture??? I don't want it switching on and off next to me all day and night. I think Aldi is way more intelligent since it shows the moisture reading all the time and only starts when needed! Why would it need to start every 30 min to check when moisture meters are cheap and effective.

Your model, Meaco DD8L, is capable of a max 8l/day extraction, while the Aldi one is capable of 20l/day! Huge difference.

Anyway, even with Meaco power ratings, they still quote Power consumption 30/330/650 watts. No explanation why there are 3 different ratings. The Alsi one is max 380W. 650W is almost double for less then half extraction.

I think you misunderstand the capability of the Aldi machine. The 20 litre per day is a theoretical maximum which is almost impossible to achieve, and it's the way people get drawn into buying dehumidifiers by misleading advertising.

The 20 litres, as you'll see above, depends on there being a humidity of at least 80% and a temperature of at least 30 degrees Celsius. That will not remotely happen, or anywhere near happen, over a 24 hour period.

The Meaco operates at 3 levels - you choose which. I've tried compressor and desiccant, and I find the latter much more effective (and much quieter). The heat produced isn't wasted either, as they're mainly used in winter.

Personal choice, though - depends what you're looking for.

The Meaco 8l/day figure is measured in certain conditions as well. So what did I misunderstood? These are the facts, desiccant are not as effective (limitation of the technology, You can also easily see that large capacity dehumidifiers are all compressor type), they eat more energy (almost double) and need to run more to give the same results. I also posted the numbers, if you disagree with them, please post back your findings.

I didn't say the heat is wasted, did I ?

I also dislike Meaco specifically because of that "intelligent" silly way of functioning.

I didn't suggest you had said the heat was wasted - we're agreed at least on that, then.

As to the way Meaco measure their water extraction rates, the point you're missing is that desiccant dehumidifiers don't require the high room temperatures that compressors do to extract water efficiently. So the Meaco 8l/day figure is realistically achievable, but the compressor 20l/day is absolutely unachievable - unless you put it in a sauna.

The Meaco DD8L is a desiccant dehumidifier, this means that it does not have a compressor or cooling coils, making it lighter, quieter and more energy efficient than a traditional dehumidifier.

The use of a desiccant wheel instead of a compressor means that the Meaco DD8L’s performance is not affected by temperature and its water extraction rate will remain consistent at all temperatures. This means that at normal room temperatures its performance will be similar to that of a 20 litre compressor dehumidifier, at below 10°C its performance will be similar to a 30 litre dehumidifier.

Thanks.

At 5C its suitable for my UK use so I might get one. That warranty covers the next 3 years too.

"This means that at normal room temperatures its performance will be similar to that of a 20 litre compressor dehumidifier, at below 10°C its performance will be similar to a 30 litre dehumidifier."

They say absolutely zero about middle/low humidity use. It is likely a very costly exponential when the sponge has little to mop.

desiccant are better in the UK, Singapore would be better suited to compressor type tech. That's what I have found out in my research. Plus desiccant are quieter so can have it running on the landing on those really cold nights...those types of nights compressor dehumidifiers won't work as well.

How do you know? How possibly can you know?

You are quoting a commercial blurb. You do realise that the values for desiccant type are also taken in some kind of ideal conditions, don't you?

Also I hope you will agree that when they measured the desiccant dehumidifier maximum absorption daily capacity (8l in your model's case) they ran it on maximum, which was using 650W ! That is a lot compared to the 380W used by a compressor type... hope you can see that.

As I said, it is also less efficient, in the sense it needs to run more time to achieve same results.

I'm quoting a commercial site - but what it says is borne out by hard fact. Desiccant dehumidifiers don't need what you term 'ideal conditions' (as the compressor/refrigerant type requires) because they operate to much the same efficiency levels regardless of temperature and humidity. That's why they're so much better in the lower temperatures that are more normal in northern Europe.

Any additional running costs (if indeed there are any) are returned by way of background heating.

If indeed there are any? So you refuse to see the numbers? Those 650W v 380W ? And you didn't answer, do you think they are ran at the max setting (650W) when they measured the absorption ? Of course they use an "ideal condition" for measurament, or do you really expect to get comparable data by not running them in some fixed conditions, temperature and humidity???

You are missing all the relevant points. The figures will obviously be based on 650W - but as that gives you a greater moisture removal, additional background heating, and a shorter running time the nominally higher wattage actually costs no more. Your argument is akin to the argument that a 2kw heater costs more to heat a house with than a 1kw heater.

Desiccant dehumidifiers work almost as efficiently at lower temperatures and lower humidity levels. Compressors do not.

If you don't accept that, that's your prerogative. I'll not waste any more time arguing with you. Others can draw their own conclusions from checking the facts online.

Thank you, finally we are getting somewhere... you refused to see the numbers so far. All desiccant dehumidifiers have huge power consumption in the region of 700W. While compressor type are usually half of that, and only in the biggest units. This unit from Aldi is physically impressive, very large, and maybe this is why is so effective.

You also use the heated air as a point in your favor :smiley: You do realize we don't want to heat our houses in the summer, nor do we want to buy dehumidifiers to heat it in the winter :smiley: We are talking about the purpose they are built for, not a residual effect due to their enormous power consumption. Also, do you realize that summer air is much more humid than winter air, so actually you would have to use the dehumidifier in the summer, and your desiccant type will warm your house ? :smiley: And by heating it, creating more moisture ? :smiley:

You also post no numbers at all and just blanket statements, that compressor type don't work well in the cold... what do you mean by cold? What do you mean they don't work well? What is the difference? Is it 10% ? I really don't care they don't work below 5 as I don't plan on using them below 16, which is the lowest temperature recorded in my house. I would dare to say most would have the same usage.

I just noticed the dehumidifier started working and stopped after what I consider 10 min.
Although I mentioned this a lot, you didn't post any numbers back, how much time is yours running at a time? I know it is running at least 5 min every 30 min even if it is not needed! Sorry, just not for me.

The op hasn't work it out yet but he bought the wrong type of dehumidifer for the UK.

" While compressor type are usually half of that"

My current 10 litre one is rated at 250 watts but actual usage is 180 watts whilst operating so maybe it is 650 watts versus 180 watts. I'm hoping this Aldi one s near the 200 watt average mark though ' 20 litres in 24 hours' suggests 360 watts actual.

I don't have the heating on all night so in winter it is *not* 20 degrees over night....not all all. compressors *will not* work as well in lower temps...simple fact. Compressors are not as suitable for the UK climate.

So come guys, where is the real data for desiccant ? All they rate it on is a removing water at a constant high humidity ! That is totally useless when we get below 80% onto a curve !!!!

You mean you have 19 degrees then? Why not post the temperature you have? Or are you just desperately trying to prove a point here?
The reality is that desiccant type will eat twice as much electricity to extract the same moisture from the air.
If you post the extraction rate at the same electricity consumption, desiccant will be really low on the graph, but you fail to mention that.

I read with interest your discussion and it seems to me that MaximusRo is trying to justify his bargin against 2-3 attackers in a flamewar. So I tried as objectively as possible to put math behind the arguments here in the forum. I heavily relied on the chart of chapchap to do this calculation and assumed the following:
1. Different types do behave linearly with size i.e. a 20l-type compressor eats 4/3 of a 15l type.
2. I assumed that at 30deg C the compressor at 80% humidity is 4/3 as efficient as at 60% humidity and I extrapolated linearly the line of the 8l-compressor type.
3. I assumed energy costs of 14.04p/kWh for Electricity and 4.15p/kWh for Gas.
4. A compressor needs 380W to extract 20l at 80%humid and 30C
5. A desiccator types needs 650W to extract 8/10 of 9.8l at 20C and 60% humid.

The Gas price I used to deduct the value of the heating (I use gas) from the costs when running a desiccator type.

In conclusion I calculate that the extraction costs are:
14.48 p/l for the compressor type and
19.75 p/l for the dessicator type
when assuming conditions of 20C and 60% humidity.

My calculation was quite complex and seems to support the gut feeling of MaximusRo that compressor types are "more efficient" i.e. cheaper per extracted liter water from air, but that is not obvious without a lengthy calculation and some assumptions. The weakest of the assumptions I made is the Efficiency decrease when for compressor types the humidity is lower at 30 degree, however without such an assumption we will always compare incomparable things.

@chapchap if you could provide also a power consumption number for the 8l compressor type, then I could make a more accurate calculation.

You're still posting here... it takes some dedication.
You still refuse to post any numbers or data... or reply to any question asked by me or other members... thanks for your input, now can you please let us be and maybe talk a bit about the deal itself?

The deal is cold. I was replying deshao btw not you- I don't need to tell you you bought the wrong type of dehumidifier as you must know that already! Hahah

You have no data, no facts and resort to personal attacks, typical for trolling.
I am still waiting to see why I bought the wrong type of dehumidifier, ALDI has a 45 days returns policy, hassle free.
But you failed to prove it. Deshao proved my point beyond any doubt, not sure how you see it the other way around...

PS: why the "hahaha" ? How is this giving you a satisfaction ? You must have a very empty life...

@MaximusRo - you're a bit of a lone voice on this one, I'm afraid, and if I were you I'd take it back to Aldi before the 45 days is up.

You won't accept that you've bought the wrong type for the UK, of course, but the points you're missing are that compressors are far less effective the further below 30 degrees you go, and at 15 degrees they're pretty much useless. Not so desiccants - they carry on performing at much the same extraction rate whatever the temperature.

They're also a lot quieter - you wouldn't want the compressor type anywhere near you at night!

And on your heat point, the heat put out by the desiccants is hardly likely to be wasted. Who'd want to run a dehumidifier in the summer - you can just open a window. It's a winter thing, and the heat is a very useful by-product.

I think you've been blinded by the Aldi claims. They're not exactly fictitious, but you'll never achieve them in the UK. Aldi do sell a lot of these in southern Europe, though, and that's the market they're designed for.

Still rambling rubbish I see. The only time a desiccant is cheaper is when temperature drops below 10C. That is from independent Which testing but even then, summer cancels that out !

And the idea is to maintain the humidity below 60 %. It will only be 80% for a minimum amount of time !

I bought one. So far impressed. Looks almost identical to this one:



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Meaco-Dehumidifier-Digital-Warranty-MEACO20LE_APD/dp/B00HO963A6/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1413844438&sr=1-2&keywords=MEACO+20L

Btw it uses around 240-250w when in use, whwn dehumidifying, according to energy monitor plug.

Do you even own a humidity meter, let alone a dehumidifier?
See above, Meaco is selling this unit at double the price they sell their desiccant units and advertise it as "Platinum Range, low energy".
Also, here is a review from someone in a position to make a comparative critical review, owning both a desiccant and this unit, and a power meter etc:

"I have only had this machine for one day but my initial impressions are very positive.

Yesterday I tested its performance back to back for a few hours with my 1 year old Ecoair DD122FW Simple (a Desiccant machine) in our unheated laundry room filled with wet laundry on airers. The ambient temperature of the room ranged from 13.5C to 18.5C (I have a humidstat with thermometer on wall) over the test period.

I couldn't believe that over the test period the new Meaco extracted 920ml of water while the DD122FW managed just 505ml. The DD122FW was in low fan mode (drawing about 335 watts) and the Meaco was on low fan mode (drawing 240 watts - tested with energy meter plug). I've done the maths and in terms of litres of water extracted per watt of energy used, the new Meaco was at least 150% more energy efficient than the desiccant unit. I say "at least" because the Meaco spent a significant part of its running time in "defrost mode" drawing only 28 watts. I suspect in reality it may have been close to 200% more energy efficient.

Based on my usage rate the £100 extra in purchase cost of the Meaco over the DD122FW should be recouped in under a year.

I bought the new Meaco to save energy when drying laundry as, while it does a good job a drying, I'm conscious my DD122FW consumes a lot of power due to the heat created which is great if you want heat a room. From now on I will use the DD122FW as a low powered fan heater when I need the heat. The way I look at it is if you can benefit from all the heat it produces, it effectively dehumidifies for free.

Personally I think all dehumidifiers sold in UK should be rated on litres/KwH when running in a 18C/60%RH environment. That is the figure that most buyers really want to know (or at least should want to know!)."

Any fan device makes a noise.
Not the compressor (is your compressor fridge noisy?), the same way modern vacuum cleaners engines are quite, but so powerful that the air traveling through the pipes is louder.

Desiccant are quite because of their limited capacity have to travel less air through the chemicals to give them a chance to react.

That makes them stay on for longer to do the same job, while eating double the energy anyway.

I also don;t like the idea of my air going through a chemical reaction and than into my lungs. Plenty of reports of the smell desiccant gives.

Seems like it is also a Which? best buy... I guess they don't know what they are talking about and should learn from you as well: http://www.meaco.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Platinum20L

There's no stopping your crusade, is there, Maximus? :stuck_out_tongue:

The main thing you're missing, though, is that if you look at the specifications of the Aldi model and the Meaco they're completely different! The Meaco is certainly not the same machine.

That plus the fact that one of the other Which? Best Buys is the Meaco DD8L, which is desiccant.

I just prefer to have opinions based on facts from people that actually tested the products. I think the review on amazon is the most relevant, as the guy really ran them side by side.

Right now, you again managed to misinform, the Which? best buy is a compressor type, here is the link again: http://www.meaco.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Platinum20L

Not sure how you could miss that?

BTW, there is no crusade. It's not me taking this personal and saying they should be embarrassed about their choice etc.

As for being certain about things... you are certain about everything, but just don't want to tell us why?
I'll report back with the power cunsumption readings tonight, I highly doubt it's a different unit if the readings are the same 255W others are reporting. Don;t you think it must be the same compressor since the consumption is the same, design is the same, 20L rating is the same etc.

You're continuing to delude yourself. Amusing, given that you're spouting your nonsense without even having access to the Which? website that we members have. If you had that access, you'd see that Which? have not just one Best Buy, but a series of them, and one of them is the desiccant DD8L - the clue is in the word 'a' on the Meaco link you've added "(is a Which? Best Buy 2014)". which you're choosing to ignore.

And as for banging on about what you laughingly term 'facts', where are the facts in taking reviews from a completely different model, with a completely different wattage (255W as against the 380W shown on the Aldi box) and a different weight (12.6KG as against 13.2KG).

I suppose if you've bought the wrong type of dehumidifier for the UK (I see that several people have told you this, but you don't want to hear it) you might try to justify it by pretending to yourself that you've somehow managed to get a Which Best Buy at a bargain price - the only problem with that is that you haven't. It's a completely different model, with higher running costs, possibly made by Meaco but to Aldi's own specification.

If you want to carry on living in cloud cuckoo land, that's fine. Aldi have loads of these left on the shelves. There's a reason for that - not everyone is as gullible as you are.

Quickly skimmed 5 pages,still no idea what you lot are on about. :laughing:

I have a dehumidifier as we have loads of condensation,thought the thread was long and would be an interesting read :neutral_face:

Looks similar to my Meaco20L Platinum Range, which I can recommend. I paid £199 and additional set of three HEPA filters for £25 sold separately.
My Meaco20L performs well and cheap to run. Will blow some warm air so not all energy lost. Invest in good dehumidifier and will last for years.

Bought one of these last week, amazing device! dries clothes in no time too.

I find the very thin old windows in my flat are quite handy at attracting water overnight and a Karcher WV50 is very good at collecting the water in the morning, I consider it to be a very energy efficient 'dehumidifier'. I wonder if it would be £130 well spent or not. The window vac costs pennies to run in comparison and I have a lot of very large windows from the late 1870's.

For some situations a dessicant based dehumidifier is best.
For some situations a compressor based dehumidifer is best.

During the course of an average year, with an average house, average temperatures etc, there are situations where one type of dehumidifier will perform better than the other.

It is also true that some peoples requirements/living arrangements/lifestyle will mean that either type will be better suited for them.

1 type is not ABSOLUTELY better than t'other. They both have their advantages/disadvantages, which will be weighted differently for different people

Lot's of insults, and no facts, as usual. I posted the link to the Which? best buy unit twice, especially for you, and you still accuse me I hold information :smiley:
And you keep on ignoring the fact that Which? recommends a compressor dehumidifier, and that people trying them both found that they are cheaper to run compared to desiccant. What does it matter if it is or not the same unit, when you are debating the dehumidifier type? They are both compressor. As for the power rating, do you ignore the member that posted he measured the consumption of the Aldi unit and is 250W ? Maybe your intentions are good but you just missed these posts?

Another member also calculated the efficiency for you and compressor came on top... and yet you are all vocal...

Here it is again, did you read this?
""I have only had this machine for one day but my initial impressions are very positive.

Yesterday I tested its performance back to back for a few hours with my 1 year old Ecoair DD122FW Simple (a Desiccant machine) in our unheated laundry room filled with wet laundry on airers. The ambient temperature of the room ranged from 13.5C to 18.5C (I have a humidstat with thermometer on wall) over the test period.

I couldn't believe that over the test period the new Meaco extracted 920ml of water while the DD122FW managed just 505ml. The DD122FW was in low fan mode (drawing about 335 watts) and the Meaco was on low fan mode (drawing 240 watts - tested with energy meter plug). I've done the maths and in terms of litres of water extracted per watt of energy used, the new Meaco was at least 150% more energy efficient than the desiccant unit. I say "at least" because the Meaco spent a significant part of its running time in "defrost mode" drawing only 28 watts. I suspect in reality it may have been close to 200% more energy efficient.

Based on my usage rate the £100 extra in purchase cost of the Meaco over the DD122FW should be recouped in under a year.

I bought the new Meaco to save energy when drying laundry as, while it does a good job a drying, I'm conscious my DD122FW consumes a lot of power due to the heat created which is great if you want heat a room. From now on I will use the DD122FW as a low powered fan heater when I need the heat. The way I look at it is if you can benefit from all the heat it produces, it effectively dehumidifies for free.

Personally I think all dehumidifiers sold in UK should be rated on litres/KwH when running in a 18C/60%RH environment. That is the figure that most buyers really want to know (or at least should want to know!).""

The efficiency figures were flawed. One was at 30oC and 80%, the other at 20oC and 60%. Not really comparable...

It's not me saying compressor should not be used in the UK and other ridiculous statements like this.
Also, if you look at post #63, you will find the calculations used exactly the scenario you mentioned (20/60%)

i`m sorry, but the calcualtion done by Deshao129 said..

. A compressor needs 380W to extract 20l at 80%humid and 30C
5. A desiccator types needs 650W to extract 8/10 of 9.8l at 20C and 60% humid.

and
when assuming conditions of 20C and 60% humidity
and
I extrapolated linearly the line of the 8l-compressor type

Any of these introduce potential errors into the calculation.

As I keep saying, there is no definate answer as to which is best, and the guys test was, while interesting information, only indicative that the compressor works better in what is a very particular situation.

Thank you! I would indeed appreciate if you would just go away. Than we could actually have a constructive conversation in here and as you see the thread got quite some heat.

I checked my local Aldi yesterday they have not even sold a single one of this I am waiting if they reduced the price. I don't know why people voted hot. Over priced.

You're not comparing like with like. It's already been pointed out above that the Aldi model is completely different from the Meaco model you're trying to compare it with. How do you explain the different weight and the different wattage? :neutral_face:

it's all about power consumption, meaco 12l platinum range will do exactly same work for Max 165w and you can get 3 years warranty or 5 with John Lewis for an extra 24 pounds

As promised, here is the power consumption, it didn't go higher than 233W, have no idea why, and it varied a lot, most of the time being under 200W. The energy monitor I am using is very reliable, and tested it with lots of devices:

Right, the one million pound question !! Is this item Eco friendly? seeing as its going to be on for most part of the time.
anyone know?

well.. looks like this discussion went a step too far. So, I used to have the ebac 2850e which is a 21 litre compressor and it did the job fine. Bought this one from aldi about 2 weeks ago and it performs a bit better I'd say and is very simplistic to use. The main difference is that this one is on castors so its much easier to move around

More pics with stickers from the device:

Is it the weight of the device or including packaging? It says "approx. weight", also the dimensions are exactly the same (mm):


About the wattage: this is 320W, not very far off the 255W of the Meaco. Real life measurements made by me and another member a few posts up seem to indicate the same figures around the 250W mark.

Really loving your desperation to convince yourself that you got a bargain. And that you really got a completely different machine with a completely different stated wattage and a completely different stated weight.

No, it is pretty much similar. The actual power consumption is similar.
Meaco probably built the Aldi unit, but left a few features out.
Differences include:
Aldi unit doesn't have motorised louvre (no big loss).
Meaco unit has white opaque water container rather than clear.
Slightly different button arrangement (due to motorised louvre on/off control), but definitely based on same control panel.

The outside of the units are practically identical, same trim in same places, just different colours. The insides are probably the same, as they for the same power claim to dehumidify the same amount.

Meaco: Extraction rate 20 litres per day*at 30°C and 80%rh (12 L per day at 26.7°C 60%rh)
Aldi: 20 litres per day at 30°C and 80%rh (12 L per day at 27°C 60%rh)

Meaco: H x W x D: 595 x 385 x 290mm
Aldi: 385 x 290 x 595mm (I assume W x D x H)

Meaco: 12.6kg
Aldi: 13.2kg (Slight disparity in weight)

Overall, regardless of where it comes from, it is fairly quiet - just the noise of the fan can be heard. It also produces loads of water.

There is a lot of rubbish written on here. I'm pretty sure this will work well for most people. We have one similar from screwfix it runs constantly on the low setting and fills it's 4l water collector every 24 hours. All the walls are tanked except for the behind the wall electricity meter and gas are sat on! The dehumidifier is a compressor and work fine even though our cellar is between 14c and 18c year round.

Desperation? You think 0.6 kg difference is the key and ignore all other facts (same dimensions, same ratings etc) ?
I tried posting all the info possible to help people make a decision. Again, in case you didn't catch it, there is a 45 days return policy.
3 years warranty. All other 20L similar units are sold for at least £75 more. How is this not a bargain?

I put it on clothing drying that is supposed to max out all settings (fan on max and humidity target set at 30%), the energy meter never went above 260W, for me consumption is definitely same as the Meaco:

And they are both branded / similar versions of this: http://uk.alibaba.com/product/1419907662-Home-Dehumidifier-DYD-F20A.html

The important thing is it works. It's up to you whether you're happy with your purchase / other peoples purchases :smirk:

Wow quite unreal some folks!

Mine has a Humidity setting on it,you can change it from 30% up to about 80%

Does anybody have any idea what setting it should be at,I've no idea :confused:

They must think your house is ramshackled if it's damp & you can't pay for it's upkeep lol,in my case I'm plagued with condensation :disappointed:

Also If your house is in a valley next to a river it will probably be more prone to damp regardless how much the house cost.

I think normally It's set at about 60%,thank you,I didn't know what the percentages were for :smile:

Yes, that is indeed the Meaco unit and the data specs is a mixture of the Aldi unit specs with the Meaco specs...

They are all the same unit just different branding.

You can also find on Alibaba most Meaco products (air purifiers for example) in countless brandings. If you buy enough from the manufacturer, they will brand the units and the packaging.

It normally will display the humidity in your house/room, how much is it showing on yours ?
The manual explains how it works pretty well though. You set your target humidity level and the device will try to keep your room at that setting, by turning on were humidity goes above that level and turning off when it did it's job.

Would anyone say this is energy efficient Or not ? I'm not a electrician and don't know what it would cost me to run for 6 months if the weather stays poor for 6 months.

I don't know where the manual is lol

It got to about 58 when I turned it off in one room to go out earlier.

I take it that the dehumidifier should be left to stand upright for at least a few hours with it having a compressor similar to what you would do with a freezer although i can see no mention of this in the manual.

My house is heated, I assume the same about most people's houses. You can install this in any space that is humid.
I tried opening windows for years and it solves nothing. I do have proper ventilation in the windows (double glazed with ventilators). To test this, just buy a cheap exterior hygrometer and compare to the interior one... probably you will find a lot of the times is very humid outside as well.

Sorry, my message wasn't for you, I'll delete it as irrelevant!

No, I would set it up where the problem lies which is the walls and fitted wardrobe. Yes I do have to open the windows to reduce the dampness.

A lot of people don't get it,if you do a quick search on Google you will read about opening windows etc but when you delve deeper that won't work with a lot of problems,you've found that yourself,when I started leaving a window open in the evenings in the bedroom it actually made it worse and the mattress ended up being damp !

The warm air hitting the cold glass,coupled with drying washing and having baths etc causes all the condensation in my house,opening windows isn't a cure for that.

People think they have damp sometimes when it's the condensation causing the problems,not rising damp etc

It's the bane of my life in the Autumn/Winter!

Well you wouldn't want to install this one inside a wardrobe. But, if you currently are opening windows to reduce dampness, I would say this would be energy efficient for you.

The vast majority of energy this dehumidfier uses will go into warming up your house, so cutting down your heating bill. Additionally, your heating itself will take less energy to heat the house if the humidity is less. Additionally you won't waste energy with heat going out of open windows. So a win in lots of places.

Of course you have to factor against that the cost of the unit itself....

Yes, especially in the mornings and evenings, having the windows open makes it worse. A lot of times, because the temp outside drops in the evening/morning (for instance, the other days we had 18 Celsius during the day but 6 during the night), the cool air from outside hits objects in the house that are hot from during the day and condensation forms instantly. Objects can be anything from the mattress to a wall or wardrobe.

Open windows is not a good idea. Controlled ventilation might help.

when the release date for this item? I cant seem to see it on there site!

I picked one up today. First store I checked had none. Another store nearby had 3 on the shelf (Boscombe).

Only had it on a couple hours, but so far so good.

Just weighed it out of interest. It weighed 12.7kg with the tank empty.

But cold air, even with a comparable RH, contains alot less water vapour than warm air, so replacing warm wet air, with cold dry air is not always a bad thing. I agree that controlled ventilation is better, but opening windows has its place.

So air with the same RH have different water content? I thought this is the whole point of the RH measurement.
Opening windows is good, but not keeping them open. I open all windows starting from one room, and by the time I finished opening them in the last room, I start closing them in the 1st room. This gives me a big amount of fresh air in a short period of time, so I don't lose heat.

Happy with this so far. It collected about 2 litres overnight, and the flat already feels drier and warmer. Does not use a huge amount of electricity compared to my storage heaters which I have now turned down.

If it showed 58 after the device functioned for a while, I guess your room started from well above 60%.

Yes the key word is relative. Look it up. air at 10oC @100% RH has less water vapor per m3 relatively than air at 30oC with 100% RH. A lot less. A lot lot less. Cold air holds less water vapor, so is drier, typically than warm air. That's a good strategy regarding windows, although opening them all, with all the doors will give a through draft that will replace the warm wet air quicker, with cold dry air.

Makes sense, thanks for explaining.

Some other good deals with 3 years warranty can be found here: http://www.energybulbs.co.uk/energy+saving+products/dehumidifiers/home+dehumidifiers

Use AUT14 for 10% off

They still seem more expensive than the Aldi deal. Especially today, Aldi has the £5 out of £40 spent voucher.

The room starts off at about 65 .

I keep having a leak in the chimney which doesn't help,keep getting people out,it still keeps doing it.

Had someone out again last week,so if it still does it,the problem will never be resolved :disappointed:

I'll have to check now you've said that,it could be about 70 I'm not sure lol

I have had two Meaco dessicant dehumifiers for 2 1/2 years, 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs and i have never really been that impressed by how much water they remove plus they run almost constantly costing a small fortune to run so i thought it was worthwhile buying one of these because of the Aldi 45 day return,

After two days i am amazed by the amount of water this thing removes.
I have this one downstairs and kept the Meaco upstairs and today for the first time the Meaco is now shutting off regularly as the humidity level is now almost constant.

I really wish i had bought this type of humidifier as opposed the the dessicant type first time around.

Thanks for posting this i`m now tempted to buy another now while they still have stock

Does anyone else find they make your eyes dry and uncomfortable after a while :disappointed:

Well yeah, that because they dry the air out, or de humid ify if you will. Kinda the point of the machine....

Hope not :neutral_face:

They are really uncomfortable today, I have to use moisturising eye drops anyway,the dehumidifier just makes them worse :disappointed:

Change in the weather and all the windows were covered in condensation this morning grrrr

Inside,I can't have the dehumidifier on at night,the noise drives me mad,I could never sleep with it on upstairs so the windows are still always full of condensation when it goes colder.

You have big problems in that house, I would look for solutions. You can program the device to run between certain hours.

Drying clothes & running baths is a big problem and all the glass I think,large windows :neutral_face:

We are waiting to get our Bathroom done had loads of delays,so then no more bath running mostly showers so that should help,I hope lol

Do you have a window in the bathroom? If yes, open it after you take a bath and close the door, moisture will go out the window instead of the house.
What is the heating like? Heating usually dries air.
Try applying my ventilation method described above every hour (open all windows in the house, start from one corner of the house, when you open last window, return to first and close them). This will give you a large amount of fresh air without losing the heat.

I've tried opening the bathroom window,it takes too long to clear it so I put the dehumidifier in there now after baths,then when that's clear I bring it onto the landing and then into the main bedroom.

I don't like opening windows at night,I don't want any creepy crawlies in :innocent:

As long as the temps don't drop it's fine,like yesterday it was cold so the windows were covered,today it's warmer again and they are all clear.

having had a dehumidifier for a few years, I thought taking a dehumidifier into a bathroom where you will find in theory open containers of water (the toilet, in the traps of sinks/baths etc) doesn't it just draw the moisture off these water sources and therefore be inefficient/waste of money? If you were to need to do this I would be putting all the plugs in and putting the toilet seat down, ideally cling film it, which would be stupid. Have I got this completely wrong. Normally I restrict turning mine on in the kitchen (where it normally sits) till times when I'm not soaking dishes or have any standing water, I even moved the fish bowl.

I have quite an older dehumidifier which was about £200 about 10 years ago I notice the usage says min 290w max 560w so I guess it not very eco at all on max. Its called Amber-dry and says it's a "Silicagel absorption dehumidifier" don't even know what that is? heres the link to it http://www.dehumidifiers-online.co.uk/Amber-Dry-Brochure.pdf

LOL

I thought enough people posted here confirming they found compressor type way more efficient than desiccant.
You refuse to mention if you own any of them, while the reviews came from members that had them both so are entitled to compare.
What you are saying is completely untrue.
Even about the noise, they are quieter just because they are not as efficient and as such they need to travel less air, so using a lower speed fan. The noise is generated by the fan. Your freezer uses a compressor, is it noisy?
This is explained here: http://www.best-dehumidifier-choice.com/quiet-dehumidifier.html
but I am sure you'll still post the same sweeping statements with no backup even after reading these things over and over again from various members!

Here is a quote from the article just in case:
"Movement of air requires a fan and it is the fan that is the main culprit behind the noise that comes from these machines. Some of you own models with variable fan speeds and the lower speed is always quieter. Their effectiveness is greater at the higher fan speed or speeds so there is a trade-off between effectiveness and noise output.
A myth has grown up that the main source of noise, at least from the refrigerant type, comes from the compressor. Just listen to your appliance when it's in "defrost mode". The compressor has stopped but the fan keeps running. You can poke me in the eye if you can tell the difference in noise level because I'm darned if I can."

What you're saying is a bit funny... I would definitely not recommend cling filming your toilet :smiley:

The moisture you are targeting is in the air, not in a container. Think about having the shower on, running hot water, creates lots of moisture in the air. Now turn the cold water on the sink, or just let it filled, you will not get the same humidity at all.

Also, your bathroom is small (relatively), the dehumidifier doesn;t have to stay inside...

Well in the past I have used mine to dry wet plastered walls, trapped leaks etc I tend to put it on the room with water issues shut the door and it pulls the moisture from the air first and then it targets standing water, I find the water levels go down in anything left uncovered, which is why I think I have learnt to remove things I don't want sucking up lol

I'm not starting all that again, as I said. It's a complete waste of time arguing about it, and I'm not prepared to do so. Actually, I do own both, and I've run them side by side, so I know exactly how they operate in different conditions.

You are correct, as the humidity is lowered in the air, the water from the traps, toilet etc will evaporate a lot faster, even a cooler temperatures, due to the increase in the gradient. If you remove all standing water, you will end up with very dry air, and the dehumidifier will not be removing any water at all. Quite handy if you need to dry walls/floors/plaster out.

Got one now. Works great. Noise is too loud to sleep next to it,but it is acceptable if it is in another room. Hygrometer is stupid. Does not know the numbers 65,66 and 67 it always counts directly from 64 to 68.

MaximusRO,

How many hours does the unit normally run per day ?

Sorry you bought the wrong type of dehumidifier for the UK. You wanted to get a desiccant type dehumidifier like this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00474K8SY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1CEVPBK07DLJ4&coliid=I20ZY5SD3K0TWC&psc=1

As it runs as quietly as 34dBA you could leave it on low all night so it will come on and off when needed- so on those cold,cold nights it will help a lot to keep those windows clear.

Are you a complete troll ? You said you'll stop porting this nonsense. Can you not read??

I thought enough people posted here confirming they found compressor type way more efficient than desiccant.
You refuse to mention if you own any of them, while the reviews came from members that had them both so are entitled to compare.
What you are saying is completely untrue.
Even about the noise, they are quieter just because they are not as efficient and as such they need to travel less air, so using a lower speed fan. The noise is generated by the fan. Your freezer uses a compressor, is it noisy?
This is explained here: http://www.best-dehumidifier-choice.com/quiet-dehumidifier.html
but I am sure you'll still post the same sweeping statements with no backup even after reading these things over and over again from various members!

Here is a quote from the article just in case:
"Movement of air requires a fan and it is the fan that is the main culprit behind the noise that comes from these machines. Some of you own models with variable fan speeds and the lower speed is always quieter. Their effectiveness is greater at the higher fan speed or speeds so there is a trade-off between effectiveness and noise output.
A myth has grown up that the main source of noise, at least from the refrigerant type, comes from the compressor. Just listen to your appliance when it's in "defrost mode". The compressor has stopped but the fan keeps running. You can poke me in the eye if you can tell the difference in noise level because I'm darned if I can."

I repeat...you bought the incorrect type of dehumidifier for the UK. Move to South East Asia and then ( your mistakenly bought type for the UK) will be perfect for your needs. But not here.

You think he's a troll? Just because he happens (as do I and others in this tortuous thread) to disagree with your fervent denial that anybody other than you could possibly be right on this issue?


Did they? Take a look at mine. I've already told you that I own both, so even with your logic you should be prepared to accept that I'm 'entitled' to compare!

Chapchap is expressing a view which is different from yours. I happen to agree with him. If you take a different view, that's fine of course, but we happen to think otherwise. What is your problem?

I wholeheartedly agree!

Careful guys......I suspect the next thing will be a wild allegation that we're all one and the same person! :smile:

You never replied to any of my question. You never mentioned you own them both until now.
If you really owned two types, you would have mentioned model, make etc etc etc... you know, bring something constructive to the conversation.
You only post sweeping statements with no backup.
chapchap is pathetic enough to repeat same things over and over again without any backup just as yourself AND insults...
you guys are a sad bunch..

You repeat indeed... like a broken record
In the mean time, plenty of people bought it and posted back it is better than their desiccant type.
I also posted independent reviews from Amazon, and from various blogs... while you posted... nothing.
But you choose to ignore them. I guess this makes send for you.... in your world.

Oh......poor diddums. :laughing:

So what is the temperature in your home matey? Are you keeping your room below 18? Common, tell us... prove me wrong :smiley:

More informative posts from you?
I'll keep humoring you... answering to your silly comments and watching you come back to a closed thread :smiley:
At least I do have an interest in coming back to this thread... I love to see your pettiness though... you only come back to answer me:)

Not quite right. I returned to mock you. :smile:

Yes/no is the answer.

You bought the wrong type of dehumidifier for this country.

Had this a couple of weeks. Working well, perfect for my application.

Our Argos own brand dehumidifier packed up 2 days ago after just 3 years. Everything electrical I have purchased from aldi has been top draw, so despite this product being on sale over a month a ago , I tried Aldi customer services, who found one still for sale in store 10 mes away. They even put it aside for me on the phone for collection later that day. Have to say this seems a vast improvement over our Argos unit. Very quite with a humidity readout and loads of custom settings.

We need the unit for our conservatory which gets a lot of condensation in winter.

Worth trying to track down even now if you need a one as the three year warranty is well worth the effort if not too far away

£65 that is a total steal for this item. Very well done.
5 days of use and this things is just awesome. has sucked 5 litres of water out of our unheated conservatory in 4 days.

the rate has somewhat slowed now due to the build up between our old unit packing up and new unit getting to work. The noise is also very minimal, around the same as a standard desk fan. Also no smells or user issues. very simple to use.

if you need a dehumidifier i would call up Aldi customer service and see where they have one left and swoop very quickly. If you snag it for £65 you have really got a scorching hot deal. Hopefully this item will continue our experience of Aldi electrical products. Top draw, well priced and very reliable.

Imagine how much,much,much better it would have been if you bought the correct type of dehumidifier ?! You know a desiccant type!

Imagine how much money i could have saved if i hadn`t wasted my money on the desiccant type, this thing pulls out more water a day than both of my Meaco DD8L juniors did together.

Does anyone know how noisy/quiet this dehumidifier is please ?

Desk fan level of noise. I could certainly sleep with it on , but having had a fan on for years I struggle to sleep without fan noise now. Not that loud at all in my opinion. Hope that helps

Having checked the £120 Lidl one and found it 10C only, I stumbled on the very last one at my local Aldi for £90.

This was to backup replace my Dimplex DXDH10N.

Well impressed, it is premium compared to the basic Dimplex. Its quieter than the 1 speed Dimplex with the fan on normal full.
Also the compressor sticks at 210 watts once running and 33 watts for that fan and I think defrost.

Great buy, seems a high end unit, the only niggle being the rather large 5C minimum increment in the settings. (auto switches at +3C or -3c from target setting).

I'm only comparing to my other Dehumidifier but the slow fan setting on this is very quiet whilst full speed is better than before. Though I have doubts the slow fan speed suits a big room or is as efficient.

A short test on electricity usage for me is 2.5KW per day set in the large room at 60% on 24 hours. I'm guessing 3.5KW at 55%. If I use 50% it defrosts too often which is why I wanted 1C increments.

So a week at 55% for me should be 25 units (£3.25)

A typo, obviously I meant 5%. The Lidl ones manual states that it works above 10C whist this Aldi one works at 5C. But maybe it is advice as opposed to reality. I think you get good efficiency at a temp of 13C and above. Interestingly, Which states something like 'Only consider a desiccant one for below 10C'

Just wanted to say thank you for your comments/review. I found them really helpful and am very happy with my purchase. Merry Xmas!

Just an update to say thanks to MaximusRo, after a lot of checking, it does look like the Aldi one is just a slightly lower spec of the Meaco 20L low energy unit, or I should say, the same China-sourced model with a few modifications. I am hoping that the grill is also so similar that the Hepa filters for the Meaco 20L low energy will also fit the Aldi Easy home 2014 LE model. Has anyone tried this by any chance? I have not got the unit myself yet as they are all sold out!

This is the manual for the model Aldi sold in October 2015 (page 23 has the technical data):
https://www.aldi.hu/fileadmin/fm-dam/products/si_2015/kw04/Hasznalati_utmutato_-_Paramentesito_keszulek.pdf

If you just want to dry clothing and don't mind spending more for less then a desiccant dehumidifier is a good option. If you want serious moisture extraction capacity then you have to go with a compressor unit. Even if you're worried about the noise you can still get some fairly quiet compressor type dehumidifiers like the ones mentioned here: http://www.knowitalllearning.com/quiet-dehumidifier-reviews/