What is a Desiccant Dehumidifier?

Desiccant dehumidifiers are huge pieces of equipment that help to remove moisture out of the air. This is particularly useful after you have experienced a leak or a flood in your property – bringing in a desiccant dehumidifier can help remove the risk of further water damage and mould.

What is the difference between a compressor dehumidifier and a desiccant dehumidifier?

Desiccant dehumidifiers are quite different to the more common compressor dehumidifiers that have been much more common over the last 40 years or so. In order to understand the differences between them, let’s take a quick look at how they work.

What happens instead with compressor dehumidifiers, is that they first draw the air in, so that it passes through a filter, before then going to cold coils similar to those in a refrigerator. As the air passes through the coils, the water condenses and then drips down into a separate section of the unit. The remaining, now moisture-free, air is then warmed back up to room temperature before being blown back into the room.

A desiccant dehumidifier works very differently – rather than working like a fridge, they are more similar to the little packs of silica gel that you get with new shoes. You see, desiccant dehumidifiers contain certain substances (a desiccant), usually Zeolite, which are particularly good at absorbing water from the air. The air is drawn into the machine by a fan, which then passes by a slowly rotating wheel, which contains the desiccant. The water is then absorbed by the substance and the air returns to the room.

What are the benefits of a desiccant dehumidifier?

The very nature of desiccant dehumidifiers presents many benefits when compared to compressor dehumidifiers. First of all, from a practical point of view, as they rely on a substance, rather than anything mechanical, to remove water from the air, they tend to be much smaller and lighter. On top of this, they are much quieter, which could be very important depending on where you are using it.

Following on from this, with fewer moving parts, they also tend to require less maintenance – there is much less that can go wrong with these machines so you are much less likely to need to get them repaired. Ultimately, they end up having a much longer lifespan.

One major drawback of the compressor dehumidifiers is that it depends on the changing of temperature to extract the moisture – there needs to be a significant contrast between the temperature outside of the machine and inside. This means that they only tend to work at their best in warm conditions. Desiccant dehumidifiers don’t have this issue, and work equally well no matter what the temperature.

They are also more eco-friendly as they don’t require any refrigerants, which are integral to how compressor dehumidifiers work. These specialised liquids are on the GWP list (Global Warming Potential), so when it comes to disposing of them, certain measures need to be taken.

Do I need a dehumidifier?

While it may seem innocuous, having excess humidity in your home can actually harm your health, as well as your property. Too much moisture in the air and you may experience damp issues or mould. This could lead to eye or skin irritation, asthma attacks, coughing fits or shortness of breath.

To determine whether you need a dehumidifier, the best thing to do is to check the humidity in your house with a hygrometer – you can pick them up for less than £15. The ideal relative humidity is between 40%-60% – anything over 60% and you should be looking to install a dehumidifier to make sure your property is safe.

Other telling factors include: visible signs of mould, condensation on your windows or a damp smell throughout the property. It’s also advisable if you know that you have a mould or dust mite allergy.

How can Ideal Response help?

If you find that you have mould in your property, it is a good idea to have it looked at and cleaned by professionals. While you may be able to clear it yourself, it is usually an indication of a larger problem that will need to be addressed otherwise the problem will recur.

The safest thing to do is to call Ideal Response and ask about our mould removal services. Our highly trained team of experts will not only remove the mould, but will then protect against it ever returning – we even offer a 14 month ‘guaranteed no return’ service. On top of that, we can be at your property within 24 hours of receiving your call.

Get in touch today for a free No-Obligation quote.