Desiccant dehumidifiers are one of two primary drying technologies adapted for residential and commercial use. When setting up a drying system in a building, the primary decision boils down to whether this technology will work best, or whether refrigeration technology will work best. Both have their strengths and challenges, and there are many situations where desiccant systems are the optimal choice. When selecting a technology, the ambient humidity and temperature have to be considered, as well as the efficiency of the system. This will allow homeowners or business owners to make the proper choice for their building.

What are the advantages and challenges associated with desiccant dehumidifiers?

This technology works using simple concepts regarding vapor pressure. The dryer is built with a material that is designed to absorb water out of the air. In most cases, this material is a silica gel, and it’s loaded with spaces intended to capture the vapor as it passes through the material. Because the vapor pressure inside the material is lower than the pressure in the surrounding air, the vapor readily condenses and is picked up by the material.

A disc spins inside the dryer, and most of this disc is coated with the silica gel. The disc rotates slowly, at 1-2 rotations per minute. A steady current of air is pushed through the dryer and comes in contact with a small part of the disc. This strips the waterlogged material of moisture, which is then vented outside of the building. This ensures the system continues to work even during continuous use.

This approach offers some significant benefits. They include:

• Lower weight. Because desiccant dehumidifiers rely on more compact and lighter technology, they can be installed more easily and are often portable. Portability allows owners to quickly place the dryer in an optimal position with little effort.
• Better economy at lower temperatures and humidity levels. This technology provides mostly equivalent performance no matter the temperature, and is much better at removing moisture at temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, when compared to refrigeration dryers. In fact, it is possible to reduce humidity levels below 35 percent using the system. And because there are no coils built into the dryer, there is little chance of it icing over internally, which is a problem for refrigeration dryers.
• Quieter operation. Desiccant dehumidifiers are built without compressor parts, which are known for the noise they make. These systems, then, are perfect when silent operation is a must.

While these dryers have some excellent uses, they cannot outperform refrigeration dryers when the temperature is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or when humidity is particularly high. At above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a refrigeration dryer will work faster and remain more energy efficient while doing so.

The scalability of the technology also ensures it can be used in any industry and in any building, including buildings up to 50,000 square feet. That’s a lot of drying, but even if a home or business owner wants to scale down from there, desiccant dehumidifiers can precisely control moisture levels in a building.