Meaco DD8L Portable Compact Dehumidifier

Dehumidifiers don’t come more highly recommended than the Meaco DD8L. It is a multi award winning desiccant dehumidifier that is popular in 17 countries. It has won the Which? ‘Best buy awards’ in 2014, 2015 and 2016. To date, this is still one of the best selling and most reliable models on the market. Many customers like it because of its low energy running cost. Without further ado, let’s look at some of its features.

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Features you can expect from the Meaco DD8L:

• Antibacterial filter
• Built-in ioniser
• Auto shutoff water tank
• 8 litre water tank
• Meaco Control Logic
• Timer
• Three variable fan speeds
• Low energy cost
• Lightweight
• 2 year manufacturer warranty.

Meaco DD8L Overview

The Meaco DD8L is simple in appearance and the neutral design makes it suitable in any space.

Who is it for:

• The Meaco DD8L would be suitable if your space needs air treatment
• If you wash laundry often
• If you don’t own a tumble dryer
• Mobile homes and spaces
• Areas where there is a lack of heating
• Flats and homes up to 5 bedrooms.

Noise level

The Meaco DD8L has a unique feature that enables you to change the fan speed and humidistat level. This then gives you more control over the noise level and how hard you want the device to work.

There are three fan speeds that operate at 39dB on low mode, 43dB on automatic, and 48dB on laundry mode. This is quiet for a dehumidifier, and only slightly louder then its competitor the EcoAir DD122 Classic MK5.

Extraction

The Meaco DD8L extracts up to 8 litres of moisture per day which is the standard for UK conditions. This extraction rate is also equivalent to a 16 or 20 litre compressor dehumidifier. The difference is the desiccant will be lighter, quieter and will warm your home.

If you are hoping to tackle cold, damp or areas affected by mould, then the DD8L is a great choice. The device works well at temperatures between 1 and 37℃. The Meaco DD8L will kill mould and warm the air temperature by 10 – 12℃.

However, if the temperature of the property you are treating is 20℃+, then a compressor would be a better buy. Check out the Ebac 3850e refrigerant model as an alternative.

The water tank slides out easily from the back of the device. The tank has a lid to prevent spillages. Just lift the lid and pour the water away. The tank doesn’t have a handle but instead has an easy grip scoop in the side.

The maximum water capacity is 2 litres. During the first few days you may find that the tank fills up rather quickly. The need to empty the water tank will decrease as the humidity in the air drops. On average, you should only need to empty the water tank twice a day. However, this estimation will vary depending on a number of variables such as humidity levels.

The tank has an auto shutoff function, a warning light and sound to indicate when it is full or if there is a fault.

Continuos water drainage

The Meaco DD8L has a drainage kit. To use the continuous drainage function, attach the hose to the drain spout at the back of the device. The hose can empty the tank directly into a sink or a drain.

Antibacterial filter

Like most dehumidifiers, the DD8L has an antibacterial filter that kills pathogens on contact. As with all antibacterial filters, do not wash as this could destroy the antibacterial property of the filter. Instead, lightly vacuum with a nozzle or wipe with a dry cloth as often as is needed.

Ioniser

I also like that the DD8L has a built-in ioniser. This makes it so useful for a variety of customers and not just people who suffer from allergens. This is a great feature to have when treating mould to kill spores. It’s also handy when cooking to eliminate the smell of oil or fats. The humidistat and ioniser  will work together to balance humidity levels and purify the air.

Control Logic Energy Saving

Meaco states that the DD8L will run at 5.02 p/h based on 15.2kWh at 330 watts. When running your device at 650 watts it will cost about 9.88 p/h at  15.2kWh.

If you’ve read a number of reviews, many of the brands will claim to be energy saving too — and they are. The Meaco DD8L differs because of its clever control logic system which reduces energy consumption by up to 80%.

It makes for a more precise dehumidifier. When target relative humidity (RH) has been reached, the device runs the fan for five minutes. It does this to check if the air has risen in humidity. If relative humidity remains ideal, the device will switch itself off for thirty minutes to save energy.

Thirty minutes later, it will automatically switch on again for five minutes to recheck the air. If relative humidity has risen above its target, then the device will start dehumidifying again.

In a well insulated home this means that the fan will run for just ten minutes an hour instead of 60 minutes. Therefore, the Meaco control logic system uses only 1/6 of the power of other desiccant dehumidifiers.

All models in the DD8L series have the control logic system. The Meaco DD8L is an environmentally friendly dehumidifier that works to save you money.

After a power cut the DD8L will restart in the mode it was initially programmed to when power resumes. Other dehumidifiers are not this intuitive and will remain in standby mode until you switch them back on.

Meaco DD8L Control Panel

The DD8L has a soft touch button control panel on the top of the unit. You can view the user manual here.

Viewing the control panel from left to right the buttons are:

1. The Power button which lights up when it is switched on and will bleep three times.

• The ‘Fault light‘ is located beneath the power button, and will light up when a fault has been detected.
• The ‘Tank full‘ lights up when the tank needs to be emptied or when it has not been fitted correctly.

2. Press the Fan button to adjust the three fan speeds between low, medium and high. In ‘high’ the fan runs continuously, and the heater will switch to ‘Maximum’ power.

3. Water extraction button

• ‘Maximum‘ (three water droplets light). The wattage will increase to 650 watts. At 40% RH the device will run for thirty minutes.
• In ‘Normal‘ mode  (two water droplets and a thumbs up light) the device aims for 50% RH. At 50% humidity the device enters the 30 minute cycle.
• ‘Minimum’ mode (1 water droplet light) controls RH at 60%. This will prevent the growth of mould where the device is located. At 60% RH the device will enter the 30 minute cycle.
• The ‘Laundry’  mode (T-shirt light) will efficiently dry washing aiming for 35% RH.

4. The Timer button is another useful energy saver which can be set to 1,2,4 or 8 hours. Use the timer when away from the home or drying laundry.

5. The Ioniser button cleans the air from dust particles and pollutants.

Detecting faults

The control panel has a safety feature that will lock if one of the following faults occur:

• The temperature falls below 10℃
• The temperature rises above 40℃
• RH is below 40℃
• The machine needs to cool down internally.

When conditions return to normal, the device will work again in the mode it was last programmed to.

Box contains:

• Dehumidifier
• Quick start guide
• Continuous drainage kit.