Cabin ventilation

[CHSN WND]

My H26 has a Nicro solar vent fan mounted in the center hatch/winshield. The solar panel gave up the ghost and I bought a new one during West Marine's annual sale.

I also bought a new center hatch, as the old one had a small crack that leaked. I have not yet cut the hatch for the new vent fan.

Today, I rec'd an email announcing a 1 day sale for Oct. 2 on a heater/fan unit that supposedly removes moisture and prevents mildew and mustiness inside boats. It get's very good reviews on the West site, so it seems like it works as advertised.

My question is, which device would you choose for a boat kept in a slip in MN? The price point is lower for the heated air fan, but neither is terribly expensive (both are <$100). The heater/fan unit runs off 110v shore power and can be turned on and off. The solar fan of course is solar powered and I believe the only way to turn it off is to pull the battery (not likely to happen very often). I put a couple of hanging bags of damp rid inside the boat in late August and they were filled with liquid by mid-September (we had dreadfully humid weather in that 2 week period, I also had several leaks that have now been repaired).

I'm leaning towards returning the solar fan and buying the warm air fan, since it's cheaper and does not require cutting a hole in the opening hatch. I can also turn it off at will or keep it running all times when I'm away from the boat.

Thoughts?

 

[Kings Gambit]

Perhaps see the recent discussion of dehumidifiers and moisture/ventilation issues in the latter posts of this thread only a few days old.

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=174935

 

[CHSN WND]

Perhaps see the recent discussion of dehumidifiers and moisture/ventilation issues in the latter posts of this thread only a few days old.

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=174935

Thanks - I tend to look only at the small boats forum - I need to broaden my horizons!

The other topic is a bit different, but it did pique my curiosity. I'm tempted by the Eva-Dry petite 1100 dehumidifier - it costs the same as the West Marine heater fan but probably does better at moisture removal. One SBO member mentioned he drilled a small hole in the reservoir and inserted a tube that drains into his galley sink - seems like a good idea and way to ensure the unit keeps running for an entire week.

Hmm, so now I need to choose between a small dehumidifier, a solar vent fan and a 110v heater/fan!

Thoughts?

 

[markwbird]

Both

I feel your pain. I went through this very exercise here in the bay area. My boat was as moldy and mildewy as it can get. I put in the Nicro solar vent in the forward hatch and bought a small electric heater fan at ACE hardware and I let it run on low in the cabin. Problem solved. The key is ventilation plus keeping the cabin a little warmer than outside. The Nicro vent battery will not last forever but you get the most out of it by fully charging it before using it. Check instructions.

 

[markwbird]

Dehimidifier no good

I tried the damp rid and the dehumidifier. Don't waste your money. Does not work. The problem is that the boat is not airtight and a dehumidifier works kinda slowly pulling the water out of the air. Meanwhile, the outside humidity just seeps into the boat anyway. A heater warms the air and thus, reduces the relative humidity which is what matters.

 

[CHSN WND]

I feel your pain. I went through this very exercise here in the bay area. My boat was as moldy and mildewy as it can get. I put in the Nicro solar vent in the forward hatch and bought a small electric heater fan at ACE hardware and I let it run on low in the cabin. Problem solved. The key is ventilation plus keeping the cabin a little warmer than outside. The Nicro vent battery will not last forever but you get the most out of it by fully charging it before using it. Check instructions.

So, a combination of the Nicro solar vent in the V berth and a heater/fan unit maybe in the galley or near the rear berth... I could buy 2 of the heater/fan units for the price of the Nicro solar vent, and I'd avoid the hassle and cost of cutting the plexi hatch. But that won't drive air flow thru the cabin like the solar fan would. Do you see refreshing the air or heating the air to be the more effective tool at reducing moisture?

 

[twodzusfittings]

When I got my boat I cut a hole in the forward hatch to accommodate a Nicro Solar Fan. It has an on off switch built in. You have to hold the fan blade still and behind it is the switch. The way you get rid of mildew and damp smells is to have air circulation. By having the fan on all the time in exhaust mode, it pulls the air from the various gaps, mostly by the companionway, through the boat. Solar costs you nothing to run, but you have the initial output to buy the unit. A Heater or dehumidifier will cost you electrical power to run plus the cost of the unit. I've had mine for five years now and it still runs like a champ. Besides that, I would not leave anything plugged into a 110 socket while away from the boat in case it caught fire. On a side note, I believe Nicro has been bough by Marinco.

 

[flynhi4u]

Dave,
You didn't have all these problems when you had a 20 footer LOL!

Sam in IN ;-)

 

[CHSN WND]

Dave,
You didn't have all these problems when you had a 20 footer LOL!

Sam in IN ;-)

Haha I just wasn't crazy enough to chase perfection on an old H20 (unlike some people I know!).

I'll install the solar vent, but still might buy the West Marine heater/ fan unit and hope the boat doesn't burn down. That would be bad - very bad. Just to be clear, it's not a heater intended for warmth, it's a small fan with a warm plate inside intended to reduce humidity.

 

[markwbird]

heat vs ventilation vs both

I really don't know how well it would work with just the heater. I started with the Nicro vent plus a dehumidifier and it sucked. Then I added the heater. All good. Like you, I took to the forum first and the advice I got consistently was ventilation. I spend weekends on my boat so the environment is pretty important to me. Worth the cost to get it right.

 

[CHSN WND]

I really don't know how well it would work with just the heater. I started with the Nicro vent plus a dehumidifier and it sucked. Then I added the heater. All good. Like you, I took to the forum first and the advice I got consistently was ventilation. I spend weekends on my boat so the environment is pretty important to me. Worth the cost to get it right.

I'm with you 100%, Mark. I use my boat the same as you - it's my weekend getaway. I also plan to do the same as you - solar vent plus little West Marine heater/fan unit. You can't beat these forums for people who have identified, then successfully managed these common problems.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Chase wind;
One major problem is the leaks. Once plugged, you should eliminate a lot of that issue. Solar vent helps some but a heater does dry out.
Folks, I lam not a fan of leaving electrical on when leaving the boat for even several days. If using a heater, turn it on when you get there. If leaving for the week, turn off all shore power to the boat for safety reasons.

 

[CHSN WND]

Chase wind;
One major problem is the leaks. Once plugged, you should eliminate a lot of that issue. Solar vent helps some but a heater does dry out.
Folks, I lam not a fan of leaving electrical on when leaving the boat for even several days. If using a heater, turn it on when you get there. If leaving for the week, turn off all shore power to the boat for safety reasons.

I suppose I'll forego the West Marine device, then. I presently do turn off shore power when I leave the boat. I'm hoping once I fix all leaks (I think I'm very close) I should be okay with the solar vent. I can always run the heater when I'm on or near the boat.