What is a dehumidifier?

What is a Dehumidifier?

Do you have humidity problems? If so … First of all, Welcome to our specialized website! And the second, pay attention to everything we have to tell you about dehumidifiers in our most personal blog. So that, What is a dehumidifier?, here and now we will tell you exhaustively so that your future purchase of a dehumidifier is as satisfactory as possible.

Well … A dehumidifier (to make it as clear as possible) is an electric air conditioning unit (in most cases) that is capable of condensing the existing humidity in a given environment , preventing it from being impregnated on the walls or other surfaces, consequently causing the appearance of mold, bacteria, allergies and damage to the room in question , as well as the proliferation of an air of difficult coexistence.

A dehumidifier consists of a heat pump or coil that extracts the humid air from the environment, which condenses, subsequently draining into an integrated tank or through a continuous drain with a hose. The resulting clean and dry air passes through the condenser , where it is heated, then exits through the integrated dehumidifier grill into the room where the equipment is located.

The main mission of dehumidifiers is to reduce the humidity level to optimum levels (Generally between 40% and 60%) and that are not harmful to both health and the room that may be affected by the problem. In this sense, remember that the higher the power of the equipment, the greater its absorption and suction capacity, so a more powerful equipment will end up with annoying humidity sooner, but obviously this will be possibly more expensive … White and in bottle! No?

What types of dehumidifiers can you find on the market today?

We could be talking about 2 types of systems or rather, 3 systems if we count the classic ones dehumidifying bags , which are ideal for ending excess moisture from drawers and even cabinets; Its price is very economical if we value it as a unit, but in the long run and if the problem persists or worsens, they are not efficient enough . They are usually composed of silica gel or calcium chloride, whose properties absorb moisture from the environment.

Now … If we are based on electrical equipment, we would have to talk in this article about refrigerant dehumidifiers and desiccant dehumidifiers … Here we go!

• Refrigerant Dehumidifiers: Dehumidifiers with a refrigerant system are the most popular on the market , and in this sense I have to emphasize the better price they offer compared to those with a desiccant system. Refrigerant equipment perfectly fulfills the mission of absorbing humidity based on lower energy consumption, and is also very suitable when the ambient temperature is high (although most models have an anti-freeze system for temperatures lower) or humidity exceeds 40-50%
• Desiccant dehumidifiers: Dehumidifiers with a desiccant system do not include a compressor (they use silica gel or lithium chloride), so they are even quieter than refrigerants; furthermore, as a general rule they are more compact, lighter, efficient in terms of absorption and have no problem operating in very hot environments as well as in those colder or with a temperature lower than 9-10ºC. However, not everything is a bed of roses for desiccant dehumidifiers, on the contrary, they are given less fame due to their high price and the higher electricity consumption quite noticeable at the end of the month and with the bill just around the corner. .

What to consider before buying a dehumidifier?

Many and very varied are the aspects that must be taken into account before buying a dehumidifier; You already know more in depth what types of dehumidifiers exist (refrigerants and desiccants), but what are all those specifications that make them a top product on the market?

• Power and absorption capacity

Here we make things clear … The higher the level of absorption, the greater the power that is needed and obviously, the greater the electricity consumption . However, over the years, many leading brands have managed to optimize this point in question, offering products with lower energy consumption.

The absorption capacity that appears in the dehumidifiers is stipulated in liters per day, that is, x liters per 24 hours , the power being linked to a greater or lesser suction of moisture.

• The capacity of the tank and the dehumidifier drainage systems

Dehumidifiers have a Integrated tank with a certain capacity, the higher the capacity, the less attention must be paid to the dehumidifier since the equipment generally stops working when it reaches a maximum level, for this reason, the best brands offer the possibility of having a Continuous drainage system so that the equipment is working non-stop as long as you want.

• Dehumidifier maintenance … Little but necessary

Dehumidifiers require little to very little maintenance; In addition to emptying the tank when it is full (if it does not have continuous drainage) you just have to keep the filters clean , make sure they are easy to remove and wash them every so often and according to the level of work they are exposed to.

• Design or performance?

And even better … Why not have everything in the same team; Brands know that they cannot get bogged down in the most classic designs, which is why they offer the final consumer products in line with the current situation in which we live, all without losing performance and technical specifications.

Speaking of technical specifications, keep in mind that there are several functions that are very useful; In this sense, every good dehumidifier worth its salt will have automatic shutdown , timer , automatic humidity level regulator that will stop when the right environment is reached, a noise level that does not exceed 50 dB (you can find models with just 35 dB), a power as a general rule that oscillates between 200 and 500 Watts, functions of drying clothes, heating and anti-ice and how could it be less, a intuitive control and all the portability needed to easily transport it from one site to another.

Really, what is a dehumidifier useful for?

There are many uses for dehumidifiers, not only to reduce humidity to recommended levels of between 40% and 60% as we discussed at the beginning of this article, but there are many other aspects that make these equipment a guarantee of success.

• Health for your home: The health of your home is a non-negotiable fact; In this sense, protecting from mold, mites, corrosion, oxidation, continued degradation of furniture or clothing and other cloth or paper items are some of the things that a dehumidifier does with little effort, only with technology of Vanguard.
• The laundry drying function: In more winter times where the cold winter makes its appearance accompanied by the annoying rain, drying the clothes can become a headache, especially when even the space of the house is very limited, which consequently brings the drying of the garments with the ambient air of the house takes forever.
• Allergies No !: Keep in mind that if your home has a temperature greater than 25ºC and above all, a relative humidity greater than 85%, the appearance of mites and mold is much more predictable, which would greatly affect the proliferation of allergies. Therefore, with a dehumidifier you can reduce the humidity level so that this effect does not reach port under any circumstances.
• Savings in air conditioning: Does it sound familiar? In a humid environment, when you are in summer, you are much hotter, while in winter, the cold runs through your veins much earlier than normal; therefore, this fact forces you to lower the air conditioning temperature or turn up the heating to cool down or warm up respectively. With the help of dehumidifiers, the relative humidity will be reduced, therefore you will save on energy and the air conditioning function will be more effective.