Fwomorothy Bradbury )
Subject: De-humidifier question


I wouldn't go the dehumidifier route, but if you do...

Dessicant rotor based -- silica gel impregnated rotor
o Amber Dry & Amber Ruby are 2 colours of the product (B&Q £189)
o Running 500W (note, as they are partly room heaters)

So, more cost to buy, use more leccy to run.


Compressor based -- phase-change system
o Less efficient as temperature drops below 20oC, poor below 10oC

This is true of all air dryers, of all technologies. As air temp drops
the air contains less moisture, so less is extracted.

But since houses stay near to 20C, the change in extraction rate over
temp swings is not particularly relevant.


o B&Q £75 to a couple of hundred, cheap ones lose motor bearings in 2yrs

never known that yet, though admittedly I'm not a prolific purchaser
of dehumidifiers.


o in a kitchen they can get very dirty & need a heavy cleaning

true of any dehumidifier system.


Sadly the dessicant type should be nearer £100, as there are far
less complex & component intensive than the refridgerant type.

Simpler than a basic microwave in fact. Why do mfrs introduce new tech
products? Is it because they believe their own marketing blurb? No,
its to make higher profit.

Large industrial sized compressors are expensive, large desiccant
wheels are not.


Running a clothes dryer can be cheaper than a dehumidifier,

no, they take more power.


so bear that in mind - they are not cheap items to run long term,
and that becomes more the case when you consider their cost.

No form of air drying is free, compressor dehumidifiers are the
cheapest option I've found yet. Fans cost less to buy and install, but
chuck a lot of heat out, and are very much less effective than a
proper dehumidifier. A lock that allows a window to be secured ajar is
the cheapest in the short term, but of course wastes heat just like a
fan.


The ideal is to solve the source of the dampness, and do it in a no
run cost way. Often this is achievable, but not in all cases. 5
showers a day means a dehumidifier. Or, if you live alone, a sanity
check


NT

"N. Thornton" wrote in message
om...
Fwomorothy Bradbury )
Subject: De-humidifier question


I wouldn't go the dehumidifier route, but if you do...

Dessicant rotor based -- silica gel impregnated rotor
o Amber Dry & Amber Ruby are 2 colours of the product (B&Q £189)
o Running 500W (note, as they are partly room heaters)

So, more cost to buy, use more leccy to run.


Compressor based -- phase-change system
o Less efficient as temperature drops below 20oC, poor below 10oC

This is true of all air dryers, of all technologies. As air temp drops
the air contains less moisture, so less is extracted.

But since houses stay near to 20C, the change in extraction rate over
temp swings is not particularly relevant.

Oh I just wish our cellar/pantry did, even in summer. It is buried into the
side of a wet hill and is permanently cold and damp so we've blocked it off
and left unused for now. But would like to at least keep the damp there
under some sort of control.