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Do I need a dehumidifier?

A dehumidifier is a device that removes moisture from the air in your home. If you or your family members suffer from asthma or allergies, a dehumidifier can help relieve symptoms and make breathing easier. The following content is designed to help you decide whether or not to purchase a dehumidifier so that you can evaluate for yourself whether a dehumidifier is a worthwhile investment for your living space.

Applications and advantages of dehumidifiers

You may remember the water cycle from primary school: evaporation, condensation and precipitation. What you may not know is that the water cycle always takes place in the air you breathe, even when you are indoors.

"Humidity" is a measure of the water vapour in the air. Dehumidifiers remove or minimise this water vapour.

Reduce allergy symptoms

  • Wheezing
  • Sneezing
  • Chest pain
  • Eye irritation
  • Itching

Common allergy triggers are:

  • Mould
  • Dust mites
  • Pollen
  • Animal hair

Drying out the air in your home keeps triggers to a minimum. Dust mites in particular need a relative humidity of 65 percent to survive and reproduce. This is a value that can easily be achieved with a dehumidifier. Dehumidifying the air also controls mould growth. When there is moisture in the air, it becomes heavier and it feels harder to breathe. For this reason, a high humidity environment can be uncomfortable for people with asthma. A dehumidifier can make the effort of breathing in and out easier on the lungs. The mugginess disappears and the air is cooler and more comfortable.

Dehumidifiers can create an environment that helps eliminate mould and dust, reducing invaders such as silverfish, cockroaches and spiders. Lower humidity can also be beneficial for people with COPD. If you live in a naturally humid climate, a dehumidifier can also cool your home and reduce the energy consumption of your air conditioner.

Buying criteria for dehumidifiers
Energieverbrauch

1. The power

The power of a building dryer or dehumidifier is dependent on the ambient temperature: At high temperatures, you can use a smaller model than in a cool cellar. In general, the lower the room temperature, the more power is needed. If it is too cold (below 15° C), it is advisable to heat during the dehumidification process to improve drying efficiency.

Raumgrösse

2. The size of the room

When drying large rooms, in addition to the dehumidification capacity of the appliance, the fanpower of the dehumidifier is also relevant in order to ensure the circulation of the air in the room. This is achieved by compressor-driven condensation dryers, which you can also find in our shop. In case of water damage, additional fans can provide support.

Fassungsvermögen

3. The tank volume

When buying a dehumidifier, be sure to look at the capacity of the container for collecting condensation water.If it is only a matter of simple humidity compensation, a smaller tank is usually sufficient. However, if there is high humidity and the unit should be in continuous operation during the day, a larger volume is advantageous. This way you can ensure that the air dryer will run unattended for longer periods of time. If the capacity is still not sufficient, a condensate pump such as the Demecto 70 or BTR 50 is an alternative.

How a dehumidifier works

A dehumidifier works by drawing warm air currents into its coils via a fan. The warm air contracts as it passes through the cooled coils of the unit and condensation remains inside the dehumidifier. This condensation collects in droplets and runs into a storage container or is discharged through a drainage hose connected to the dehumidifier. The cooler, drier air is then released back into the room through the other side of the unit. Your dehumidifier should be able to reduce the moisture in the air to a relative humidity of 30 to 50 percent.

Many dehumidifiers come with a meter that measures the relative humidity in the place where it is placed in the room, and you can set the humidity to the percentage you want. In the home, the compressor-driven condenser dehumidifiers are most commonly used as they combine numerous advantages. Below we have compared the

How a dehumidifier works
A dehumidifier works by drawing warm air currents into its coils via a fan. The warm air contracts as it passes through the cooled coils of the unit and condensation remains inside the dehumidifier. This condensation collects in droplets and runs into a storage container or is discharged through a drainage hose connected to the dehumidifier. The cooler, drier air is then released back into the room through the other side of the unit. Your dehumidifier should be able to reduce the moisture in the air to a relative humidity of 30 to 50 percent.

Many dehumidifiers come with a meter that measures the relative humidity in the place where it is placed in the room, and you can set the humidity to the percentage you want. In the home, the compressor-driven condenser dehumidifiers are most commonly used as they combine numerous advantages. Below we have compared the different types of dehumidifiers for you:

Compressor-driven condenser dryers

In the unit there is a refrigeration circuit through which the air is cooled down. The temperature falls below the dew point. The water condenses on the evaporator and runs off into the tank. The air then flows through the condenser and is heated up again. As a rule, the air blown out is thus 0.5 - 1.5° C warmer than the air sucked in.

Advantages:

  • powerful
  • easy to handle
  • low power consumption per kilogram of condensate
  • long-lasting

Disadvantages:

  • Limitations in very cold ambient conditions

Peltier dehumidifier

The Peltier dehumidifier works similarly to the condensation dryer. However, the refrigerating machine is replaced by one or more Peltier elements. The Peltier element is an electrothermal converter.The semiconductors used cause one side to heat up and the other to cool down. The cold side is used for condensation, the warm side must be cooled.

Advantages:

  • cheap to buy
  • space-saving, compact dimensions possible

Disadvantages:

  • low efficiency / low power
  • high power consumption per kilogram of condensate
  • short lifetime of the Peltier elements

Adsorption dryer

In adsorption dryers air is passed over a metal silicate-coated disc. The disc rotates in countercurrent so that the water dissolves and the metal silicate dries. The warm "wet air" is discharged to the outside air; alternatively, it can be condensed and discharged to a tank.

Advantages:

  • very low humidities achievable
  • can be used independently of room temperatures

Disadvantages:

  • expensive to purchase
  • high energy consumption
  • at high dehumidification capacities, the units are very large

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