Dehumidifiers

The Therma-Stor Santa Fe Max Dry Dual XT is one of the most efficient stand-alone dehumidifiers on the market, with an Energy Factor of 3.75 liters/kWh. Photo: Therma-Stor. Click on image to enlarge.

Last week, after reviewing a little physics regarding condensation and latent heat, I described how air conditioners remove unwanted humidity. This week I'll examine how dehumidifiers work in removing moisture and when it makes sense to use them.

Like air conditioners, dehumidifiers remove moisture by condensing water vapor out of the indoor air. While an air conditioner dumps the warm air that's produced through that condensation process (latent heat) outdoors, a dehumidifier doesn't get rid of that heat. Instead, releases the warm air into the space where it's is located.
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