Damp In The Winter

Preventing damp and the build-up of moisture can often be remedied by simply opening a window. But in a second home, boat, RV or garage left vacant for long periods over winter, this is not an option

One of the biggest worries over winter, is how to keep a second home, RV, boat or even a garage dry, to avoid damage from the damp, cold North American winter. Nothing is worse than returning during the winter, even after just a few weeks, to be welcomed by a musty smell, which is an indication of a damp or mold problem. How to protect personal possessions and soft furnishings can be a worry for most owners. Musty smells caused by damp and mold can occur during winter as windows are closed and the surface of walls and windows become colder because the outside air temperature is lower. Simply opening a window is not a solution, and this is where a dehumidifier comes in. It will reduce the level of humidity in the air, by sucking in air from the room at one end, removing the moisture, and then blowing it back out into the room again.

In response to these problems and after several years of feedback from customers, Meaco (U.K.) Limited, Britain’s leading dehumidifier specialists, recently launched the Meaco DD8L Zambezi dehumidifier, designed and developed to address the many problems homeowners were encountering. Many found that compressor dehumidifiers would not work well at temperatures below 60°F, and there were often problems with the machines icing up. The Meaco DD8L Zambezi addressed these issues, functioning consistently well at all temperatures, plus introduced many new features to address the problems these customers were having.

Director of Meaco, Chris Michael, explained. “Every day we have people who call us to say that they are suffering from mold or musty smells and want protection over winter. Zambezi can do that easily and has the added advantage of adding some warmth to the air, helpful during the winter months. As it is a desiccant dehumidifier it does not have a compressor, refrigerant or cooling coils which makes it lighter, quieter and kinder on the environment when it has to be recycled at the end of its lifespan. Zambezi has just scooped a 2016 Which ? Best Buy, building on the success of the 2014 and 2015 Which? Best Buy Meaco DD8L dehumidifier, and adds in unique features suggested by customers that result in it featuring 6 unique World Firsts.”

One of the most requested features was to have a Daily Run Timer to turn the dehumidifier on and off at particular times, so taking advantage of off-peak electricity hours. The Zambezi DD8L is the first domestic dehumidifier in its class to offer this unique Timer + control.

Another concern was that the water needed to be drained away continuously and auto-restart if there was a power cut, re-starting in the correct mode. The Zambezi will drain straight into a sink via a hose, and if there is a power cut it will turn itself back on and start working again when the power is restored, and the humidistat ensures that it does not try to over dry and energy usage is conserved. Another world first, the Meaco Control 20+ ensures that if the owner has left the dehumidifier in the wrong setting Zambezi will automatically adjust itself to achieve the humidity conditions the owner desires.

In line with Meaco’s socially aware ethos, and what makes Zambezi unique, is for every sale £2.00 goes to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation to assist their Elephant conservation work in Africa. “Our hope is that it will raise awareness not only of the benefits of dehumidifiers as a way of improving our customer’s quality of life but also the life of Africa’s orphaned elephants,” explained Chris Michael.

Finally, another concern was the cost of running a dehumidifier. In response to this Chris Michael suggested, “if they close up any vents to prevent air exchanges with outside and use the intelligent electronic humidistat then the cost over the course of a whole winter can be less than replacing a set of moldy cushions!”