Meaco
Meaco DD8L
Meaco’s cold-room desiccant: 7.5 L/day at 20 °C / 60 % RH on speed 2, a 1 °C operating floor, and Control Logic that cuts fan-on time once the target humidity is held. The same cold-utility job as the EcoAir DD1, with Meaco’s duty-cycle approach instead of a simple rotary humidistat.
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The Meaco DD8L is a desiccant dehumidifier aimed at cold or intermittently heated UK spaces. Meaco rates extraction at 7.5 litres per day at 20 °C / 60 % RH on fan speed 2 / laundry, and 3.5 litres at the same conditions on speed 1. The carton “8 L” figure is Meaco’s rounded all-temperature headline, not the cooler indoor row to shop with. Operating range is 1–40 °C. That 1 °C floor is why this page sits beside the EcoAir desiccants rather than in the Best 5 heated-home list.
On size and handling the DD8L is close to the EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3. Weight is 6.4 kg. Dimensions are 500 × 351 × 188 mm (height × width × depth). The tank holds 2 litres with a splash-proof cover. Noise is published as 39, 43 and 48 dB(A) by mode. You get a humidistat you can set between 40 % and 60 % RH, laundry mode, an off timer of 1–8 hours, auto-restart, a switchable ioniser and an anti-bacterial filter. Continuous drain is available; the hose is not in the box (8 × 11 mm). Warranty is two years and can be extended.
The electricity story is the usual desiccant trade-off, with one Meaco-specific twist. Meaco quotes about 330 W at 20 °C / 60 % RH on speed 1, and up to about 650 W on speed 2 / laundry. That is several times an Arete One 12 L at 151 W at the same temperature and humidity point. You buy a DD8L because the room is cold, not because it is cheaper per hour than a quiet compressor in a heated lounge. Meaco Control Logic is the answer to the duty-cycle question: once the target RH is held in a sealed space, Meaco says the fan runs only about 10 minutes per hour. That is a manufacturer claim about sampling behaviour, not a laboratory running-cost guarantee.
Against the EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3 the extraction numbers match at the honest 20 °C / 60 % RH point, and both use a 2 L tank. EcoAir’s Simple MK3 is a rotary humidistat with economy and turbo positions, 300–580 W, 34/47 dB(A), and a three-year warranty. The DD8L adds Meaco’s Control Logic, three fan speeds with quiet selectable on its own, and the ioniser. For a larger cold volume the EcoAir DD3 Classic MK3 is still the bigger desiccant in this guide. For a permanently heated flat, start with the Arete One 12 L instead — that is the everyday compressor this site sets against cold-room desiccants.
Published specification
Extraction figures and room sizes are manufacturer claims, often measured at warm/humid lab points. UK rooms are usually cooler, so real take is lower. We have not run our own lab tests.
- Type
- Desiccant
- Claimed extraction
- 7.5 L at 20 °C / 60 % RH on fan speed 2 / laundry; 3.5 L at the same conditions on speed 1 (Meaco). The headline “8 L” is Meaco’s rounded all-temperature figure.
- Room guidance
- Cold or intermittently heated spaces (utility, garage-adjacent, porch, holiday home, caravan, boat); works from 1 °C
- Tank
- 2 litres (splash-proof cover)
- Published noise
- 39 / 43 / 48 dB(A) by mode (Meaco)
- Operating temperature
- 1–40 °C
- Power (manufacturer)
- ~330 W at 20 °C / 60 % RH on speed 1; up to ~650 W on speed 2 / laundry. Meaco Control Logic runs the fan only ~10 min/hour once target RH is held in a sealed space (Meaco claim).
- Weight
- 6.4 kg
- Continuous drain
- Continuous drain option; hose not included (8 × 11 mm)
- Laundry mode
- Yes
- Filter
- Anti-bacterial filter; switchable ioniser
- Warranty
- 2 years (extendable)
Where it fits
- An unheated or cool utility, garage-adjacent room, porch, holiday home, caravan or boat that sits near or below 10 °C.
- Buyers who already know Meaco compressors and want the same brand’s desiccant option with the intelligent duty-cycle control.
- Anyone who wants a 6.4 kg body and a quiet fan speed that can be selected independently of the humidity target.
Where it struggles
- The whole house is heated and night noise in the mid-30s plus lower running watts matter more than cold-temperature performance — read the Arete One 12 L instead.
- A larger cold volume needs the bigger EcoAir DD3 tank and room guidance.
- You need continuous high extraction without Meaco’s sampling cycle once the target RH is reached.
On the sheet
- 7.5 L/day published at 20 °C / 60 % RH on speed 2 / laundry — the same honest indoor point EcoAir uses.
- Works from 1 °C, so the published range still includes a cold utility.
- Meaco Control Logic: fan on only about 10 minutes per hour once target RH is held in a sealed space (Meaco claim).
- 6.4 kg; 500 × 351 × 188 mm (HWD); laundry mode; continuous-drain ready; ioniser and anti-bacterial filter.
- Three fan speeds, with quiet selectable independently of the humidity target.
Limits worth knowing
- Still draws desiccant watts (about 330–650 W) when actively extracting — the running-cost advantage is the duty cycle, not continuously low power.
- 2 L tank.
- No digital humidity readout on the base DD8L (Zambezi / Pro variants differ).
- Hose not in the box; warranty is two years extendable, shorter than EcoAir’s three on the DD1.
Common questions
Is the Meaco DD8L suitable for a cold UK utility or unheated room?
Yes on the published sheet. Meaco rates the DD8L from 1 °C to 40 °C, and quotes 7.5 L/day at 20 °C / 60 % RH on fan speed 2. That is the cold-room job a 12 L compressor usually cannot hold below about 5–10 °C.
How does the Meaco DD8L compare with the EcoAir DD1 Simple MK3?
Both are desiccants rated at 7.5 L/day at 20 °C / 60 % RH with a 2 L tank and a 1 °C floor. EcoAir quotes 300–580 W and a three-year warranty. Meaco quotes about 330–650 W, Control Logic that reduces fan-on time once target RH is held, three fan speeds with a quiet setting, and a two-year extendable warranty.
Is the DD8L cheap to run compared with a heated-flat compressor?
Not while it is extracting hard. Active draw is still desiccant watts. The running-cost claim is Meaco Control Logic: once the target humidity is held in a sealed space, the fan may run only about 10 minutes per hour. In a permanently heated flat, an Arete One 12 L at about 151 W is still the lower everyday wattage choice.