Dehumidifying the ambient air of a home is essential to protect the health of the occupants and ensure the durability of the materials. Excess humidity is also a concern in many uninhabitable rooms. To find a drier and healthier air, it is therefore necessary to reduce the hygrometry rate thanks to an air dehumidifier in order to tend towards an ideal rate, that is to say between 30 and 59% or between 60 and 70% for an indoor swimming pool. This device comes in three distinct types and must be chosen according to specific criteria. This is what we are going to discover here.
The different types of air humidifiers
An air dehumidifier allows the humidity control in an interior space. There are three main families of dehumidifiers on the market, namely:
Condensation air dehumidifiers
These domestic appliances are mainly used in adjoining rooms without ventilation. Moist air is sucked in and then passed through a refrigerated evaporator in order to be cooled. The water contained in the air then forms condensation which is collected in a tank before being evacuated, while the air is heated using an integrated condenser and then discharged into the room.
Air dryers
It is absorption air dehumidifiers which use a chemical compound such as lithium chloride or silicon dioxide (commonly known as silica gel). It is the compound that absorbs moisture contained in the air. The principle is simple: it is heated by a condenser to which the moist air is forced. In this way, the water obtained from the steam is discharged and the dry air is released into the room.
The swimming pool dehumidifier
Indispensable if you have an indoor swimming pool, this type of device is perfectly suited to this particular environment where the humidity level must be between 60 and 70%, i.e. higher than that desired in a dwelling. Above 70%, the risk of mold from excess condensation is very real, but below 60% this leads to the evaporation of pool water.
What about the humidity absorber tray?
This device is very basic and does not connect to the electrical network. It is simply a plastic bin consists of two compartments: in the first, we place a sachet which contains a chemical compound (silica gel) which absorbs moisture and then turns it into condensation, the second being a water collector. A sachet lasts between 6 and 8 weeks, after which it must be replaced. As for the water tank, it must be emptied frequently.
The moisture absorber is only suitable for small premises where the hygrometry rate is not catastrophic. It is a satisfactory solution in this specific case, especially since it is not very expensive since its price range is between 12 and 30 €. As for the price of refill sachets, it is around 35 € for 6.
Main data to consider when choosing an air dehumidifier
Always know the volume of air to be treated before buying this type of device. But the desired humidity level and the temperature of the room or premises are two data that also count. It should indeed be noted that the relative humidity (RH) and the temperature are linked, a change in temperature leading to a modification of the RH. Indeed, a rise in temperature leads to a drop in RH, while the latter increases when the temperature decreases.
To purify the ambient air in a cellar, a dressing room, the bathroom, a bedroom or any other room in the house, the air dehumidifier is therefore essential. It must be chosen according to the following criteria.
- The room size : the more spacious it is, the greater the volume of air that must be treated.
- The device power : it determines the extraction capacity in 24 hours (expressed in liters). For a closet, we consider that 8 liters per day is a sufficient capacity, while for a living room of 35 m², we must opt for a capacity of 35 to 40 liters. However, we recommend two air dehumidifiers of 20 liters each for a room of more than 45 m² because the result obtained will be more satisfactory than with a single device, even if it is ultra powerful.
- The sound level dehumidifier: some are very noisy. It is better to keep them in the cellar or attic which are not living rooms. In each room where the members of the family evolve on a daily basis, we opt for a device with a low noise level, which is all the more necessary if it has to operate in a bedroom.
Air dehumidifier: what budget to plan?
The price of a dehumidifier of air is a criterion that also counts in the choice of the device, but it should not be the only purchase condition.
The price range is around from €150 to €1,600 because the models are very different from each other. The most expensive have, for example, a drain pipe while the less expensive ones are provided with a removable tray which must be emptied very regularly. Some are also equipped with a programmer not found at the entry level.
Of course, the power also has an impact on the budget to be planned and this is also the case if the dehumidifier releases heat and can raise the room temperature by about 5°C. In fact, today we find two-in-one dehumidifiers which incorporate a heating function. They are very useful in small spaces where there is a serious lack of space to the point of not being able to install an air freshener as well as a radiator.