Keeping your home warm / heating / energy crisis / insulation etc

Think this was recommended. Gets good reviews

Meaco 20l

https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-20l-low-energy-dehumidifier-and-air-purifier

This arrived on Wednesday, and I'm very pleased with it so far. After reading reviews I decided to go for a dessicant model rather than a compressor. I paid 180 from Amazon.

https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-dd8l-dehumidifier

Thanks all for the recs

Fitted some of this stuff earlier as got a couple of terribly badly fitted double glazed windows that you could feel blowing a draught when shut

Looking to replace my ancient dehumidier which I have to turn on by shorting the nonoperative button with a screwdriver. Our house is reasonably big so tempted by 2 smaller ones rather than a big 20L. Should I?

Yeah, we should all be starting with draftproofing. Just got two rolls of Gapseal. It’s a flexible rubber roll that you squeeze and poke into gaps around windows. It’s reusable and non permanent for when you want to open windows in the summer, a good product and cheap.

https://www.gapseal.co.uk

Gonna order some, cheers

I don't see why not if you've got room and willingness to store 2 thing. I think it'll be a better solution as it gives you more flexibility. For example 1 in the utility drying out laundry and another outside a bathroom where you've just had a shower.

I was looking at those Meaco dehumidifiers and they look quite expensive to operate, 22p/hour at high it says and I assume you need to run it for a while.

Am I missing something here or do you just have to suck up the cost?

I just measured my 20l model and it runs at around 250w, with the new kw/h prices from October that is around 9p per hour.

Interesting, thanks. Those costs were from Meaco. Is that a dessicant one?

No, it's this one:

https://www.meacodehumidifiers.co.uk/products/meaco-20l-low-energy-platinum-dehumidifier-3-year-warranty-meaco20le?variant=14283987451971&currency=GBP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google%20shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjw7eSZBhB8EiwA60kCW26qEfBLam-Bp7m0xHYReUjHt0TsfnL2aeTktt4hl00ru1xMVr_4bBoCf1UQAvD_BwE

I've been thinking about replacing our small Dehumidifier which still works OK.
It's an old Ebac 10L unit thats about 20 years old and draws 220 watts.

I think one of the new Meaco 10 or 12L models will pay for itself in a couple of years if it runs for the same amount of hours per day.

Two smaller units will be more expensive upfront and use more electricity than one larger unit. Although the two smaller units will probably be running for less time once they have reached their set point(s).
Two smaller units would be more flexible and probably more effective overall. Come warmer weather, you can switch one off completely or raise the set point so its only running at peaks in humidity.

Better price than Amazon

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/oct/03/how-to-insulate-yourself-from-energy-bills-that-are-going-through-the-roof

If anyone was wondering about the efficacy of loft insulation, I plotted my gas consumption against mean outside temperature before and after insulating the loft. House is a 1950s ex-council semi with cavity wall. Insulation before was about 50mm fibreglass between the rafters; after was with 170mm rockwoll on top. Gas consumption dropped by around 25%, which surprised me. Not perfect maths, but you get a ballpark.

Cheers. Looks like the dessicant ones are pricier to run.

Desicant ones work better in colder temperature IIRC.

Yes, although interesting brief blog from Meaco on that suggesting it isn't as clear cut as it was.
https://blog.meaco.com/why-desiccant-dehumidifiers-are-not-always-better-at-low-temperature/

Cheers.

Did you board on top?

And did you replace it or put an extra 170mm on top?

Did you board on top?

Yes, 170mm loftlegs with tongue & groove chipboard panels on top.

And did you replace it or put an extra 170mm on top?

Extra 170mm on top of the existing stuff.

👍

How much did it cost in the end?

Planning on doing this soon, so this is good to hear

I did this a couple of years ago, the loftlegs and chipboard costs really add up.

They produce heat though, rather than just moving it around.

Looks like the dessicant ones are pricier to run.

They do generally cost more to run, compared to a compressor type. However they produce warmer air exiting the unit, so that may in turn reduce the heating costs for home use. Of course that depends if the heat is produced in an area where you're going to benefit from it.