The Ultimate Cheat Sheet on Domestic Dehumidifiers

Domestic dehumidifiers designed for house-hold purposes are broadly put under 2 categories:
1. Dessicant dehumidifier
2. Refrigerated coil dehumidifier.

You can choose either of the two depending on your requirements as both types have their own merits and demerits.

In Refrigerant coil dehumidifiers a fan is used to blow the air over the refrigerated coil, where the moisture of the humid air condensed on the coil that gets collected into the water tank or can be drained directly through the drain hose into the floor drain.

On the other hand, dessicant dehumidifier’s main unit consists of 2 fans, a rotor containing the dessicant material, a heater, and a motor. The fan passes humid air to the rotor where all the moisture is absorbed by the dessicant. The heater produces hot air which is then blown by the second fan onto the dessicant to extract moisture. This moisture then collects into the water tank in the form of water. The heater is used to produce the hot air, and the motor is used to rotate the rotor.

Dessicant dehumidifiers are lightweight and small while refrigerant dehumidifiers are made of heavier components hence are heavy and sturdy.

Dessicant dehumidifiers can work even at subzero temperatures as compared to their compressor-based counterparts which get less efficient at lower temperatures. So, if you are an inhabitant of colder climates all year round, dessicant dehumidifier would be the best choice for you as their working efficiency doesn’t depend on the surrounding air temperature. Besides this, the drier air which comes out of the dessicant dehumidifier, after moisture extraction, is a bit hot due to the heater of the device and gives a touch of warmth and coziness to the ambient in freezing temperatures.

Though dessicant dehumidifier works well at temperatures lower to 37 F, but they can’t compete with the working efficiency of a refrigerant coil dehumidifier.

The limitations involved with the dessicant dehumidifiers are that they are costlier as compared to compressor-based refrigerant dehumidifiers, and their moisture extraction rate is somewhat lower than their refrigerant coil counterparts. Basically, 1 unit is ideal for 1-2 room apartment sized house with moderate humidity levels and extracts about 7 to 15 pints of moisture a day while refrigerant coil dehumidifier works efficiently even in larger area of up to 1500 sq feet with maximum extraction rate of 70 pints per day.

Dessicant dehumidifiers are quieter than their compressor-based refrigerant counterparts, as there is no compressor which makes noise. No compressors means no green-house gas emission and hence no environmental degradation. These facts make the dessicant dehumidifier an eco-friendly environment-loving house-hold appliance.

Choosing the best dehumidifier for your house-hold needs becomes easier if you are thoroughly aware of the pros and cons of a particular dehumidifier as well as about your needs and requirements of opting either a dessicant or a compressor-based refrigerant coil dehumidifier.

Buying something involves spending your hard-earned dollars. Be smart, think thoroughly, and invest your money on something which gives you the feeling of well being rather than troubling you with after-purchase annoyance.