Whether you own a simple basement or live in a humid climate, dehumidifier will help keep excessive humidity in check. When a home has excessive humidity, it is prone to produce fungus, mold, and mildew. This can cause harmful effects on the walls, furniture, and even clothing. Extreme amounts of humidity can also create a home for viruses and harmful bacteria that may ultimately affect your health. It is recommended to maintain a low humidity level of 30% and nothing higher than 50% as anything above can affect your physical well-being as well as your home.
Dehumidifiers are available in all sizes that make it convenient for you to choose the right one for your home. As the sizes and shapes vary, you can choose where to remove moisture, whether it is from a closet, bathroom, or the entire basement.
Types of Dehumidifier
There are two main categories of a dehumidifier, such as desiccant and refrigerant.
Desiccant
The Structure of this type includes:
- Rotor
- Process fan
- Reactivation fan
- Honeycomb matrix
How does it work?
The process begins with damp air being lead to the machine by a process fan. It is then lead straight to a honeycomb matrix. There, the moisture will get absorbed by the rotors as the dry air will release. The rotor contains desiccant materials which is silica gel. The porous form has a network of microscopic intertwined pores with sucks the moisture when damp air passes through.
The reactivation stage makes the absorption force weaker so the moisture is able to escape from the desiccant materials.
Refrigerant
The structure of this type includes:
- Fan
- Water collecting tray or pipe
- Cold evaporator coils
- Warm condensing coils
How does it work?
The kind of technology works by condensing the humidity to help get rid of all the moisture in the space. Damp air will be sucked by the fan and lead the air towards the cold evaporator coil to cool the air, which makes the moisture turn into liquid water that is collecting and removed either manually or through a drain. The air will then proceed to the warm condensing coils to heat up before being released.
Desiccant vs Refrigerant
Physicality
The refrigerant coil weighs more as it includes heavier parts of the same features. Due to the heavy weight, manufactures usually include wheels for easy mobility for refrigerant.
Costs
Due to the smaller size, many would assume that the desiccant dehumidifier is rather cheaper to run in comparison to the refrigerant coil. But it is actually the refrigerant that runs on less energy.
Sounds
Since loud noises can be a nuisance for homes, the desiccant is fairly quieter as the refrigerant coil uses the compressors to get rid of moisture from the air.
Capacity
The refrigerant coil is able to remove a large amount of water vapor a day, with makes this more suitable for areas with high amounts of moistures. Though it is important to check the extraction rate as elements such as the size and model really depend. Make sure to consult the manufactures before choosing.
Temperature Operation
The refrigerant coil dehumidifier uses cold air to evaporate moisture as the desiccant uses the porous form of granular silica to get rid of humidity without using unwanted heat.