MeacoDry 25L Arete® Two 25L Dual Dehumidifier and HEPA Air Purifier (WiFi)

Up to 25 litres at 30 °C and 80% relative humidity, and 15 litres at 27 °C and 60%. The first is the standard rating point for this class, useful for comparing models; the second is closer to a typical damp South African house in winter. In a cool room it removes less, as every compressor dehumidifier does.

Solenco, Meaco’s South African distributor, sizes the 25L for homes of four to five bedrooms. Meaco’s own manual is more cautious and says one unit will dry up to a three-bedroom house. Our advice: for keeping an ordinary house at 55% through winter, Solenco’s figure holds; for a house with rising damp, a lot of glass or a sea-facing position, plan on Meaco’s figure, or a second unit at the other end of the house.

Yes. The H13 HEPA filter supplied in the box sits behind the rear air inlet, so whenever it is fitted, all the air the unit moves is filtered, up to 255 m³ an hour on high. Air Purification Mode runs the fan with the compressor off for the drier months. It has no carbon stage for odours or cooking smells; for that, a dedicated purifier such as the Solenco 803 air purifier is the better choice.

Replace the HEPA filter roughly every three months, when it turns from white to grey. Replacement H13 filters for the 20L and 25L are available in South Africa through Solenco, and we can order them for you.

Meaco quotes 40 dB on low, 42 dB on medium and 50 dB on high. In Night Mode the display goes dark, the buttons are silent, the fan drops to low and the tank-full alert doesn’t beep, which is what most people want overnight. Removing the HEPA filter makes it another 4 to 5 dB quieter.

Yes. A right-angle hose adaptor is stored in the lid of the water tank. Push it onto the spout on the left-hand side and connect a standard garden hose with a 12.5 mm inside diameter, which isn’t included; we sell the Meaco Arete hose. The hose has to run downhill without kinks, because the water drains by gravity.

It restarts on its own when the power comes back, in the mode and humidity setting you left it on. At 290 W it is also a modest load to run from a home inverter and battery.

It works between 5 °C and 35 °C. In a cold room the coil defrosts from time to time and the dehumidifying light goes out while it does, which is normal. Below 5 °C or above about 40 °C it shows a warning code and stops. Below about 45% humidity it collects little water, because there is little to collect.

It warms it slightly. The dried air passes over the warm side of the refrigeration circuit before it leaves the unit, which is welcome in winter. In summer the moving air can feel cool, the way a fan does, but it doesn’t cool the room.

For the whole house, somewhere central such as a passage or landing, with the internal doors open and the outside doors and windows shut, set to 55% and running around the clock. For one damp room, put it in that room with the door closed. It can stand against a wall, but don’t box it in with curtains, and keep it out of rooms smaller than 4 m² and away from open flames, because the R290 refrigerant is flammable. After delivery, leave it upright for six hours before switching it on.

Meaco gives the Arete Two a five-year manufacturer’s warranty against defects, handled in South Africa by Solenco. It doesn’t cover parts that wear in normal use (the dust filter and its case, the HEPA filter, the hose adaptor and wear on the water tank) or damage from opening the unit, neglect or non-genuine parts. Keep your EcoHub invoice as proof of purchase, and clean the dust filter every two weeks, since Meaco says skipping it can void the warranty. If something goes wrong, contact us and we log and follow up the claim with Solenco on your behalf.