Are your homes damp? Do its surroundings seem to be too humid? If you have this problem in your home, it can contribute to awful odor and mold growth on walls, furniture, and even clothes. When the dust is much, an asthmatic patient will feel uncomfortable. A major solution to removing humidity is a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier will ensure that moisture is removed from the air.
But how does it work?
Dehumidifier Working Principle.
A dehumidifier works exactly like a refrigerator. This is the principle of drawing air into the dehumidifier. The drawn moist air is passed through a cold coil surface. Moisture is removed from the air and condensed into liquid which is collected into the water tank. The air is then passed on to a warm coil which heats the air and emits it as clean, dry air.
(Dehumidifier working Diagram)
How Is Moisture Removed From The Air?
A dehumidifier works to remove moisture through two methods; Refrigeration and adsorption/absorption.
Refrigeration – In this process, the dehumidifier cools the air thereby removing moisture in the following highlighted process.
- Warm air is released into the dehumidifier through one side of the machine.
- The fan blade drags the air into the inner component of the dehumidifier where the cooling coils are in.
- The air sucked is passed through the freeze cold coil pipes and is circulated through a coolant. As the air is cooled, the moisture is removed from it and condenses into a liquid which drips into the water tank.
- Now the air free from moisture is passed into the compressor unit where it is heated back to its original temperature.
- The warm, dry air is now emitted out of the dehumidifier into the room through a vent space.
- The process is continually repeated till the room reaches optimal temperature.
- When the water tank is filled to the brim, the fan off and it switches on an indicator light to inform you to empty the tank.
A dehumidifier that makes use of the process of refrigeration is called a refrigerant or compressor dehumidifier. These types of dehumidifiers are more effective in hot rooms than cold rooms. This is because the dehumidifier needs the room air to be warmer than the surface of the coils in the dehumidifier.
If the air in the room is cold, it could freeze the dehumidifier coils. This can make the dehumidifier go into an automatic defrost mode, and it will spend important time and energy in defrosting its coils rather than the removal of humidity.
Absorption/Adsorption.
Other dehumidifiers work using these processes. Each of them makes use of adsorbent material to remove moisture from the air. In absorption, the moisture is soaked into the adsorbent while in adsorption, the moisture is removed on the surface of the adsorbent material. Either process takes place in the following ways.
- Moist air is sucked into the dehumidifier through a duct
- Air is drawn to a rotating wheel that has an adsorbent that removes humidity.
- The adsorbent rotating wheel rotates, heating and drying out the air
- The hot dry air is blown back into the air.
Dehumidifiers that uses the absorption or adsorption process are called a desiccant dehumidifier. A desiccant dehumidifier is not temperature-dependent, so they can work at low temperature, as a result, they make a good basement dehumidifier.
Desiccant dehumidifiers use more energy than the refrigerant one, this is because it uses heat to warm the adsorbent material. This process consumes a lot of energy. A downside of the desiccant dehumidifier is that it gives out so much hot air which may not be necessary if your home is already warm enough.
Does A Dehumidifier Cool A Room?
Although the air a dehumidifier blows out is warm but Yes, it does cool a room.
Unlike air conditioner that gives cold air into the room’s atmosphere, dehumidifiers’ takes in existing air, removes moisture from the air and then emits it back into the room. So the air is almost the same as the room’s original temperature.
Humid air increases room temperature than usual. It is caused by the accumulation of sweats from the skin which refuses to escape. This causes the environment to be damp and moist and it makes us hot and sweaty thereby increasing the rooms’ humidity. When a dehumidifier is used, it can remove the moisture from the air and reduce the humidity. Therefore, the less humid air will be cool on our body than the previous humid air.
Disadvantages Of A Dehumidifier.
A dehumidifier has many benefits that overshadow its disadvantages, but like every other thing, it still has these disadvantages. So here are the main disadvantages of a dehumidifier:-
Electricity Cost.
In as much as there are many energy-efficient dehumidifiers in the market today, there are also some that consume a lot of electric power. It is interesting to note that some of these dehumidifiers that consume a lot of energy are cheaper brand products. This is why it is recommended to buy a dehumidifier that is energy efficient. Make a research on buying such dehumidifiers. Buying a cheap dehumidifier may look like the best deal but the number of electricity bills it will accumulate over the month and years will dissolute any of such thinking. Instead, buy a premium quality brand and save electricity bills.
Output Noise.
Just like other machines that produce noise, dehumidifiers are not different. Bigger capacity units dehumidifiers tend to make more noise than smaller ones. Desiccant dehumidifiers are quieter than refrigerator dehumidifiers, but they are usually more expensive to buy and run.
Just like electricity consumption and cost, cheap dehumidifier makes more noise than quality brand dehumidifiers. The noise output of a dehumidifier can affect people differently. Some people require no noise when they sleep, others may need low calm noise. If you do not need noise at all, carefully make findings of what brand of dehumidifiers have low output noise and get that.
Cost.
The cost of dehumidifiers can be a disadvantage especially if you are on a budget. This might make getting a premium quality dehumidifier difficult as they are mostly expensive. Getting a cheap product dehumidifier as a result of this may lead to other disadvantages such as high electricity cost and output noise.
Heat.
There are two types of dehumidifiers as was discussed above. If you need one for your rooms, it is advisable to get a refrigerant (compressor) dehumidifier. For a basement or caravan, a desiccant is preferable due to the heat it produces. Using a compressor dehumidifier for a basement with low temperature can freeze the coils slowing its performance while using a desiccant dehumidifier in an already well-insulated hot room might increase the temperature than usual.
Maintenance.
The maintenance of the q dehumidifier may not be much work but one tedious aspect is emptying of its water tank. This can be done a few times a day or week depending on the tank capacity. Emptying a tank regularly can become a boring routine and a waste of invaluable time that can be used doing something else.
In all mentioned disadvantages, one thing that stands out is that cheaper brands of dehumidifiers were a major cause of the disadvantages. To avoid this, it is best recommended to buy a premium quality brand that is not only energy-efficient but also does it work in low output noise and needs a measurable amount of maintenance.
Conclusion.
Dehumidifiers can help to reduce humidity by removing moisture from the air and releasing it as dry air. A dehumidifier can also cool a room as it releases air that is cooler on our skin than the humid air was. It is also healthier and reduces risks relating to respiratory diseases.
The disadvantages of owning a dehumidifier can be averted if you purchase a high-quality dehumidifier. Not only will owning one assure you of energy efficiency, but you will also be getting a product that is durable and long-lasting.
