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The Meaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier/Air Purifier is designed to help control humidity levels in a house, reducing or even eliminatingwindow condensationand, subsequently, minimising the risk of damp.
它还提供了further benefits. It can help to dry laundry quicker and, thanks to its HEPA filter, can also purify the air — ideal for those with allergies, but also a great way to create a fresher-feeling indoor air environment in general.
这对于那些生活在m除湿机是完美的edium to large homes — spaces up to 64m² are well served by this particular model. It can also be used in unheated basements or cellars.
So, just how well does it live up to its claims, is it easy to use and is it worth the initial outlay and running costs further down the line?
Meaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier/Air Purifier Specifications
- Name:20L Low Energy Dehumidifier/Air Purifier
- Type:Compressor
- Filter:Washable + HEPA filter
- Timer:1-24hr
- Extraction:20L
- Dimensions:595 x 385 x 290mm (HWD)
- Weight:13.5g
- Variable humidistat:是的,3 - % / rh和80% rh
- Louvre:Yes - automatic
- Air flow:160m3/hour
- Noise level at one metre:Max. 46dB(A)
- Operating temperatures:+5˚C/+35˚C
- Fan speeds:2
- Tank:6L
Is the 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier easy to set up?
虽然这除湿机是相当大的,它不是too heavy and came in a box with carry handles. Once it is out of the box, it is easy to move around thanks to the castors underneath.
Set up couldn't have been simpler. The instruction manual is really clear and the control are simple and, in all honesty, pretty self-explanatory.
Once plugged in, the machine can be switched on, activating the digital display. The target humidity level can then be set — another very simple task. So,what is normal humidity in a house?
“The average humidity inside UK homes should be around the 50-55%rh range and be slightly lower in winter months,” says Chris Michael, MD ofMeaco. “Maintaining a humidity target of 40% in the winter will keep condensation from forming on your windows.”
With that in mind, by using the up and down arrows, I set the target at 55. I also selected the 'CO' mode. On this mode, the dehumidifier runs continuously. You could also choose to select 'AP' mode, although this just purifies the air as opposed to collecting any water.
With it all set to go, the reading on the display shows the current relatively humidity level — I was a little alarmed to see it was 80 when I first turned it on! As such, I chose to set the dehumidifier to run at high fan speed...
How does the Meaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier work?
First things first,how do dehumidifiers work?Well, at a very basic level, they remove excess moisture from the air — something that helps reduce condensation and, in turn, damp. They can also help to dry wet laundry faster.
"A dehumidifier removes moisture from the air — excess moisture that you do not want to condense and hang around your home," says Chris Michael. "It helps to ease damp problems, gives you healthier air to breath and can even make your energy use more efficient.
"There are two main types of dehumidifier — the desiccant dehumidifier and the compressor dehumidifier," explains Chris. The Meaco Low Energy Dehumidifier I am testing is a compressor.
Compressor dehumidifiers are best for anyone aiming to prevent damp and help clothes dry quicker. They are ideal for use in areas with temperatures above 15˚C and they are cheaper to run than desiccant.
"They have two sets of coils, the first cools to create the condensation, which is collected into the water tank, the second warms the dry air back to just above room temperature," says Chris. "This helps to create the dry air needed to combat condensation, mould and damp problems."
How did I test the dehumidifier?
Our house is old — and very cold. It is actually even pretty cold in summer — apart from upstairs, where it is akin to a sauna. In short, it is draughty, pretty badly insulated and has single glazing in several rooms.
As such, once the temperatures start to fall, our windows in the bedrooms and living room are running with condensation which pools on the window cills and around the glazing bars. We have to mop them up every single morning to prevent damp forming, although black spotty patches around the windows and behind curtains are not a rare sighting.
Our other problem is a lack of space in which to dry laundry. While we have an airing cupboard with a hanging rail which is great at drying out some clothes, with two sports-playing teenagers, the dirty washing basket is never empty so we also have to use radiators and a sizeable drying rack in addition to the airing cupboard.
Of course, all this damp washing hanging around does nothing to help with the condensation and moisture levels in the air. It is fair to say I couldn't wait to test out this dehumidifier.
To begin with, I placed it in the master bedroom — the room that suffers the worst from condensation. I am guessing this is due to the fact that two people sleep in there, as well as the clothes airer that can often be found in one corner.
I set the fan at high speed, the target humidity at 55%rh and let it do its thing. I left it running the whole afternoon and refused to turn it off at bedtime, much to the annoyance of my husband who said he wouldn't be able to sleep with the fan running. We compromised and set the fan to low — honestly, the noise didn't bother me one bit. However, I was woken in the early hours of the morning by my husband fumbling around in the dark to turn it off...
Despite these nocturnal activities, when I opened the curtains in the morning, there was not a single drop of condensation on our windows! Interesting, there was also none to be found on my son or daughter's windows where there usually is.
Meaco suggest placing the dehumidifier in a central position in your home, such as the landing or hallway. Now, I had a problem with this. As our condensation was mainly upstairs, the dehumidifier would need to be placed on our landing. The thing is, we all sleep with our bedroom doors closed and I couldn't wrap my head around how this would work.
The next day though, I placed the dehumidifier on the landing during the day, for around six hours and turned it off at bedtime. And you'll never guess what — no condensation in the morning. Witchcraft. Clearly the moisture the machine had been dealing with during the course of the day and into the evening had been contributing to the morning condensation.
A quick note, the humidity levels in the morning when I turned the dehumidifier back on tend to read around 65-70, gradually reducing into the 50s as the day goes on.
How much does the Meaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier cost to run?
One of the main concerns of many people (my husband included) isdehumidifier running costs.
While it soon became evident to us that our condensation was being greatly reduced thanks to the dehumidifier, what this new damp-free air was costing us was a lurking concern.
When calculating dehumidifier running costs, you need to take the model's power rating and find out how much you pay for electricity per kWh. The new Energy Price Cap rates from 1 October to 31 December 2023 stand at 27.35p per kWh.
Dehumidifiers are rated in Watts (W) — this is the amount of power they use.
Our model has a power consumption of 219 watts at 20°C and 60% relative humidity.
To establish how much it would cost to run, we used the following calculation:
0.219kWh x 27.35p = 6p per hour. We have been running the dehumidifier for between 8-10 hours per day, meaning we are spending roughly 48-60p per day. I was really pleased to hear this and felt that the results were well worth it.
Did the dehumidifier dry our clothes faster?
In short, yes, it did. I kind of thought that in order to do this I would need to place the dehumidifier right by the clothes rack, but this wasn't actually necessary. It was certainly nearby, around a metre and a half.
I also selected the louvre swing button mode. This sets the louvre in motion, distributing the air around. Meaco recommend using the louvre to direct the airflow towards laundry. The air coming out in this mode is a little warm — something that greatly pleased my son on getting out of the shower and stepping into our usually chilly landing.
Where a clothes rack-full of washing would normally take around a day and a half to get fully dry inside in our house, with the dehumidifier running it takes roughly half a day. I also noticed that the washing hanging in the airing cupboard, which has louvred doors and is also located on the landing, was drying much quicker.
In fairness, Meaco suggest that to dry laundry quickly, the dehumidifier should be placed in as small a room as possible with the doors and windows closed. If we had done this, then I think the washing would have dried out much faster than it did.
How often did the water need emptying?
When the water tank is full, the dehumidifier lets out a series of beeps and then switches itself off. There is also a series of three wavy lines that lights up on the digital display to indicate the tank is at its limit. At this stage, you simply pull out the water tank at the front of the unit and empty it out — you can use it to water your plants if you like.
There is a carry handle on top of the water tank which make it easy to transport and tip out.
This model has a tank with a capacity of 6L. Running on full speed for six hours, my dehumidifier collected 2.17 litres.
What is the HEPA filter for?
When the dehumidifier arrived, it came complete with a HEPA filter, in addition to the regular filter that it was fitted with.
HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. A HEPA air filter is made up of thousands of very fine fibres compressed into a mat which can grab both microscopic particles as well as bigger ones. The HEPA filter that comes with the Meaco dehumidifier I am using can capture up to 99.97% of particles that are 0.3μm or more. It is really simple to pop the HEPA filter in and, once in place, all the air going through the dehumidifier is purified — great for anyone who might be allergic (or would just prefer to avoid) mould spores, pollen, dust, pet dander or dust mites. We have several hayfever sufferers in our household and I am interested to see whether this helps in the summer months.
What extra features does the dehumidifier have?
Aside from those already noted, this dehumidifier comes with several other useful functions that are worth noting. These include:
- Memory function/Auto re-start:This one was very useful. It means that even when you turn the machine off, when you switch it back on it will continue to run in the same settings you previously had it running on meaning you don't need to reset the whole thing.
- Meaco Control Logic:This useful features means that when the relative humidity in your room is at more than 3%rh below your target, the dehumidifier will stop drying the air. If the relative humidity is then stable, the dehumidifier will go to sleep for 30 minutes. After this time, it wakes up, samples the air and if it senses the air is now more than 3%rh above your set point, it will start to dehumidify again. If all is well however, it will go to sleep for another 30 minutes. Great for saving energy.
- Child lock:This would be really useful for those with little ones who might be tempted by flashing lights and an array of buttons. With the child lock activated the functions of the dehumidifier cannot be changed.
Do I recommend the Meaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier?
是的,是的,是的。我不能告诉你它有多好not to have to set aside 30 minutes or so every morning to mop down windows of their condensation. In terms of mould spots on the walls, we tend to wipe these off as soon as they have appeared and while it is perhaps too soon to say whether or not the dehumidifier has helped with this, no new ones have cropped up in the two weeks that we have been testing it.
The Meaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier and Air Purifier costs approx. £259.99. They also do a smaller model, The Meaco 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier and Air Purifier, which costs £189.99 and is more suitable for small homes and flats.
While it is definitely not the cheapest model on the market, you need to factor in the fact that this is a low energy dehumidifier, making it cheaper to run than many of these lower cost products. For example, my colleague recently carried out aProBreeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier Review. While this model only costs £199, the website states it has running costs of 14p/hour — more than double our model.
Laundry is drying faster, the air quality in the house somehow feels better, upstairs feels noticeably warmer and our windows are no longer sodden. I highly recommend this product.
