We are always getting questions and queries from our customers and potential customers about our products and their uses.
And because it’s the wet and cold weather season, we thought it only appropriate to make this edition all about dehumidifiers. Within that, we cover managing humidity, drying laundry and HEPA filters. We hope that by sharing the answers to these top-asked questions we can help more of you out there who may have been wondering the same things.
Can I schedule a Meaco dehumidifier to turn on and off at specific times?
We would answer this one by asking, why would you want to? We realise many people want to turn their dehumidifier on and off at set times, either to benefit from cheaper electricity rates or because they see condensation appearing at night, so logic tells them that this is the best time to run the dehumidifier.
We say that using a timer is not a great idea, and we go into a lot more detail as to why using a timer is a bad idea in our blog piece from 2012. But in short, if you restrict the run time of a dehumidifier to, say, midnight to 6am each day, then the humidity that you’ll have been creating during the day (through cooking, boiling the kettle, drying laundry, etc.) will be absorbed by organic materials in your home (clothing, furniture, timbers, papers, etc.) whilst the dehumidifier is turned off. When the dehumidifier is then turned back on, protecting those organic materials within your home becomes a lot more difficult because the moisture is no longer in the air. This is why we don’t promote the use of a timer for turning a dehumidifier on and off each day and our dehumidifiers in general only have one time use on or off timers or no timer at all.
The exception to this is the flagship Meaco DD8L Zambezi desiccant dehumidifier which does have a 24/7 daily run timer allowing you to set when it turns on and off each day.
The dehumidifiers with a standard, basic, on and/or off timer are listed below for you.
There are a few different answers to this question, as it depends on the type of dehumidifier you have.
- MeacoDry ABC 10 and 12L: No on-timer. Auto off-timer, with control to schedule turn off between 1 and 24 hours.
- Meaco Low Energy Dehumidifier and Air Purifier 12L: No on-timer. Auto off-timer, with control to schedule turn off between 1 and 12 hours.
- Meaco Low Energy Dehumidifier and Air Purifier 20L: No on-timer. Auto off-timer, with control to schedule turn off between 1 and 24 hours.
- Meaco DD8L Dehumidifier and Junior: No on-timer. Auto off-timer, with control to schedule turn off between 1 and 8 hours.
Despite the differences in on and off timers, all Meaco dehumidifiers are however engineered with Meaco’s unique control logic. This Smart Humidity programme, designed with years of experience in controlling museum humidities, aims to achieve accurate dehumidification, without needing to set a timer or break the bank. Fear not, we’ll explain Meaco’s control logic in more detail in another question below.
Can you use a Smart Plug to schedule your dehumidifier on/off?
Some customers may consider using a Smart Plug to manage the timing of their dehumidifier. We advise against this for the following reasons:
1) Safety/longevity issues:
Turning the machine off correctly (by pressing the power button on the control panel) allows a few internal operations to power down, ensuring the machine and refrigerant or desiccant settles correctly. Using a smart plug forces a power cut to the machine, which prevents these internal processes from taking place. This will shorten the lifespan of the dehumidifier and invalidates the machines warranty, in general this is the case for all dehumidifier manufacturers.
2) The dehumidifier knows best!
Chris Michael, Managing Director of Meaco, says that it’s best to just let the dehumidifier run on Smart Humidity Mode. “Set the dehumidifier to 50 or 55%rh and then just leave it. Let it decide when it must run and when it should turn off, that is best for your home and for your own health. Turning it on and off manually is a false economy.”
What is Meaco’s control logic?
The unique Meaco control logic is a programme within the machine that achieves accurate dehumidification whilst using as little energy as is necessary (and so saving you money).
When the target relative humidity has been reached, the dehumidifier will switch to fan-only mode. In this mode, the dehumidifier can check whether the relative humidity is stable and once it is the machine will sleep for 30 minutes. Then every half an hour, the dehumidifier will wake up and run its fan again to check the room’s relative humidity. If the relative humidity has risen above the set point, then the dehumidifier will start to operate again. If the relative humidity is still below your target, then the dehumidifier will go back to sleep again for another 30 minutes. The machine is clever enough to know exactly when it needs to be on and when it needs to be off.
This process saves you a lot of money on electricity and increases the lifespan of the dehumidifier, especially when compared to other dehumidifiers that keep their fans running permanently, regardless of the level of humidity in the room.
What is the best dehumidifier for drying laundry?
Choosing a dehumidifier really depends on the size and conditions of the space you are looking to manage the humidity. For drying laundry only, in a room such as a utility space, one of our smallest units would suffice. There is no doubt though if you are going through lots of washing then a 20 or 25 litre dehumidifier will be your best option because they will dry the laundry fastest. Combine one of these with a 1056 fan and your drying times will be cut in half!
However, if you have plans to use the machine to dehumidify your home, you may want to consider purchasing a larger unit and using it for a dual purpose. Our products are built to last, so thinking ahead and using a machine for dehumidifying as well as drying laundry, may save you money long term.
We have written blogs to help you in choosing the right dehumidifier for your sized house here:
- Which dehumidifier should I buy for a flat?
- Which dehumidifier should I buy for a 2 bedroom house?
- Which dehumidifier should I buy for a 3, 4 or 5+ bedroom house?
How does Laundry Mode on the MeacoDry Arete® One range work?
Press the Smart Laundry mode button (circled on image) once to enter Smart Laundry mode. In this mode, the dehumidifier will default to a target humidity of 35%rh and high fan speed. The display will change to ‘35’ for 5 seconds and then show the current relative humidity level.
The dehumidifier will run in Smart Laundry mode for 6 hours; after this time the dehumidifier will turn off. If the dehumidifier reaches a humidity level of 32%rh before the 6 hours is up, the compressor will turn off to stop the air from becoming too dry, but the fan will continue to run (and the dehumidifying indicator will turn off). If the relative humidity increases to 38%rh the compressor will turn back on. It will do this until the 6-hour timer is up, by which point your washing should be dry. Please note that heavier or wetter items such as bath towels may take longer to dry.
Top Tip: To dry your washing faster or to dry it within 6 hours, keep the dehumidifier running before you put laundry out to dry. This will ensure that the room’s relative humidity is well managed, so your dehumidifier can focus on drying your clothes rather than drying the room at the same time. Combine this with a 1056 fan and your drying times will be even faster!
How do I know how much time is left on my timer for Smart Laundry mode?
If you press the Smart Laundry mode button once, the display will show ‘SL’. If you press the Smart Laundry mode button twice, you will see how much time is left on the timer. ‘06’ means 6 hours, ‘05’ means 5 hours, and so on.
Can I use MeacoDry Arete® One without a HEPA filter?
Yes, you can. However, running the MeacoDry Arete® One without a HEPA filter means you won’t able to purify the air against smaller impurities (some as small as 0.3μm)
Without a HEPA filter, the dust filter is still in operation, as this stops any dust and larger impurities from getting into the machine and damaging it. This in turn cleans the air in the room as it collects the dust and large impurities that exist in the air.
Top Tip: We recommend cleaning your dust filter frequently (you can do this easily using a vacuum cleaner) and replacing your H13 medical-grade HEPA filter every 3 months, or when it turns grey, to ensure it’s optimal to catch airborne impurities for you and your family.
We advise you to run this machine with either a H13 medical grade HEPA or charcoal filter so you can get the most out of your machine, especially if you suffer from allergies. Using a HEPA filter removes 99.7% of particles as small as 0.3µm, which means that it is removing allergens much smaller than human hair – things that you cannot see but your eyes and nose can certainly sense and react to!
The HEPA filter cleans whatever air is being drawn through the dehumidifier so whether you are using the machine as a dehumidifier or just as an air purifier you benefit from cleaner air.
Can I use MeacoDry Arete® One as a primary air purifier?
You can use MeacoDry Arete® One solely for air purification by turning on Air Purification mode. However, if your primary aim is air purification, a dedicated air purifier will always be better than a combined device. This is because, when Arete® One is in dehumidification mode, the fan will turn off if the compressor is not required. Having this off reduces noise and prolongs the machine’s life.
Overwhelming feedback from customers showed us that you do not like dehumidifiers that leave the fan running 100% of the time. So, we designed a dedicated Air Purification mode for those who want it. Whenever the fan is running, in Air Purification mode or dehumidifier mode, the air is being cleaned.
Check out our Air Purifier Range.
To end
We hope that this blog post has answered some of the questions you have about dehumidifiers. If you have any more questions, please feel free to email us customerservice@meaco.com and we’d be happy to help you.
Products featured:
MeacoDry Arete® One Dehumidifier & Air Purifier Range
Meaco 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier and Air Purifier
Meaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier and Air Purifier
24 responses
Hi, I lent my meaco arete one to someone for a couple months, and I just found out they’ve been using it for some of that time without the outer dust filter!! They were using the HEPA filter only for a while and said they didn’t know the outer filter was a dust filter and that it was just the cover, and have for a while left it running without the HEPA filter either. It’s now showing humidity at 24 even though that’s not possible and collecting very little water, is it broken? I bought it only a few months ago, I’m very worried is completely broken and the dust has gotten into the dehumidifier and damaged it in some way, what can I do?
Mari,
Thank you for your purchase and your question.
They cannot have been using it with just the HEPA filter as the dust filter casing keeps the HEPA filter in place, without the dust filter casing the HEPA filter would have fallen to the floor. So hopefully they did have the dust filter in place some of the time.
Have a look at the rear of the machine and into the machine without the dust filter in place, does it look dirty, can you see loads of dust? the sensor that measures the relative humidity is behind the grill at the top right hand corner. Blow that through with a hair dryer to see if you can remove some of the dirt that might be there, does that improve matters?
Good luck.
Chris
Hi,
Can I use 20 lit meaco energy, dehumidifier and air purifier in the kitchen all day even when I am cooking? Would I need to keep the window’s closed when I am cooking or is it better to use when I am not cooking? kitchen can get very damp and the walls and window’s can start to drip with water during cooking times. Also on laundry setting the fan brings out the cold air – how can that help to dry laundry? I understand it’s controlling the humidity level so does that collect from the clothes the cold air that releases to suck in the dampness from the clothes?
Hasina,
Thank you for your purchase and your questions.
It is fine to use it in the kitchen when you are cooking, and I would suggest opening the windows for 10/15 minutes when cooking to let the steam out. You can keep the dehumidifier on during this.
the air coming out of the dehumidifier will be one to two degress warmer than room temperature, but because the air is moving, it might feel cold (but it isn’t), this is especially likely if the room is on the cooler side in the first place.
This video has some great tips on how to dry your laundry.
Chris
Hello I have an arete one and today when I pressed the laundry function I noticed that the fan speed did not increase as it used to. Is there a fault with my machine?
Nicola,
Thank you for your purchase and your question. This just means that it was already in high fan speed because the relative humidity in the room was a long way from the target. All is good.
Chris
Hello,
Just got my band new Arete Two, is there anyway to control the dehumidifier based on the internal humidity level, for example for it to turn itself on in the night if the humidity reached a certain threshold. I am aware it might require the machine to be periodically turn on to check the humidity level but I not sure if this is achievable within the app or even for the machine.
Thanks,
Jordan.
Jordan,
Thank you for your purchase. Set your target relative humidity to 55%rh (the default) and it will turn on and off as required, day and night, to maintain this relative humidity for you.
Chris
I’m currently attempting to buy your hepa filters online for my meacrodry arete one 12l dehumidifier. I have two questions.
1. Why am I being to ‘attempt’ to buy online when there are plenty of shops that sell your product but don’t sell the aforementioned additional items. In this case, Argos. It’s pretty ludicrous.
2. As stated, I’m trying, to purchase online but it doesn’t appear to let me get it sent to another address… this is a pain as I live in a flat.
Could you help please.
Fox,
Thank you for your enquiry. To note, we offer free next-day delivery on our online store http://www.meaco.com and we aim to provide all the additional accessories like HEPA filters. While stockists such as Argos may carry our main products, they choose which accessories to stock, but rest assured, you can find everything you need directly from us.
Regarding the shipping issue, if you’re unable to complete your transaction online or if you’re having trouble with the shipping address, please feel free to give us a call, and we’d be happy to assist you in placing your order. We’ll make sure it’s sent to the address that works best for you.
Kind regards,
Omar.
I’m going on holiday for Xmas. I plan on setting up my dehumidifier with a large bucket so it can run while I’m away. How do I set that up with the spout so the water doesn’t automatically go into the tank.
Joseph,
Thank you for your enquiry. While I’m not sure of the exact model you have, all of our units can be set up this way.
Please refer to your user manual for the specific instructions for your model. Alternatively, below is an online link with all the user manuals, you can select your model and see more details on setting up the drainage system, below is also the dimensions for the hoses. Simply select your model type from the list to get the correct setup instructions.
https://www.meaco.com/pages/instruction-manuals
Dimensions below:
12L Low Energy – Hose Diameter (inside/outside) (mm) 12mm x 15mm
20L Low Energy – Hose Diameter (inside/outside) (mm) 14mm x 17mm
10/12/20L ABC – Hose Diameter (inside/outside) (mm) 14mm x 17mm
DD8L Junior and DD8L – Hose Diameter (inside/outside) (mm) 8mm x 11mm
DD8L Zambezi – Hose Diameter (inside/outside) (mm) 11mm x 15mm
* Just keep in mind that using a silicone hose, it’s perfectly fine to go up or down by 1mm in size, as they will stretch to fit.
I hope that helps.
Kind regards,
Omar.
Is my 12 l Meaco using electricity , when it is turned on , but it has reached required humidity, so the fan is not operating , so to confirm it’s plugged in , and switched on but the fan is not operating
Sharon,
Thank you for your question regarding “using electricity, when it is turned on”.
The answer is yes, this is similar to other devices, like your TV, which also use power in standby mode, even when not in active use.
Hope this helps,
Omar@Meaco.
I’ve recently bought the Meaco Arete 2, and the humidity stays around 70-75%, dropping slightly before rising again. Is this normal ? Or will it just take a few days for the dehumidifier to stabilise and bring the levels down further.
Thanks in advance.
Mirza,
Thank you for your recent purchase. Yes it is normal for the humidity to fluctuate, especially when you first start using the dehumidifier. The unit may take a little time to bring the humidity down to your desired level, particularly if the room has been quite damp or if there are still sources of moisture. Over the next few days, you should start to see more consistent results as the dehumidifier works to stabilize the humidity.
I hope that helps,
Omar@Meaco.
Hello, when will you be stocking the MeacoDry Arete 12L? I’ve been checking for a few week now and it’s always out of stock.
H Jo,
Thank you for your enquiry on stock levels for the AreteOne 12L, they’ll be available commencing May, on the product page (link below) you can add your email to the notification list.
I hope this helps.
https://www.meaco.com/products/meacodryarete1-12l
Kind regards,
Omar@Meaco
Where can I buy a purifier filter for my meaco dehumidifier, I see they are out of stock.
Ms I lambden,
Thank you for your enquiry, HEPA filters will be restocked approximately mid-May onwards, you can register your email on the website to be notified.
Kind regards,
Omar.