What is a desiccant dehumidifier?
Dehumidifiers, naturally, remove humidity from the air. Normally this is done by cooling finned tubes in a heat exchanger below the dew point temperature so water condenses and drips into a condensate pan or drain. This process is energy intensive because it requires cooling the tubes and air below temperatures that are comfortable for air conditioning. Desiccants are chemical compounds that have an affinity for water vapor, in a sense they absorb it like a sponge. A desiccant dehumidifier employs desiccants deposited on honeycombed surfaces to provide lots of area for water vapor to be absorbed. Blowing air through these surfaces remove moisture from it before it enters the building and reduces humidity levels. Liquid desiccants are also available in spray systems.
