Following a blaze on a Sadler 29, boaters are being warned of the risks of a dehumidifier fire risk and are being urged to make regular checksBoat owners attempting to battle winter damp aboard their yachts are urged to use desiccant rather than compressor dehumidifiers and to maintain and monitor units to minimise fire risks. A spokesman said: “A recent investigation into a boat fire at one of our Yacht Havens discovered that a domestic compressor dehumidifier had been set up to drain permanently into the bilge. The coils within the dehumidifier froze and subsequently overheated. Matt Elliott, the chief engineer at Meaco, an international seller of both desiccant and compressor dehumidifiers for ‘domestic use’ – the type primarily used on boats – urged boaters to invest in ‘overengineered’ appliances. For any dehumidifier to work, it needs to pull air in with a fan running continuously.