| Damp is a curse for any interior because it | | | | maximise surface exposure to the air, leading to |
| threatens the structural integrity of the property. | | | | higher capacities for adsorption. Because they do |
| Humid environments are also the ideal conditions | | | | not rely on air cooling to condense water from |
| for mould spores to proliferate, as well as being | | | | air, they perform particularly well in colder climates |
| the favoured habitat for undesirable insects | | | | - even at sub-zero temperatures - because there |
| including cockroaches, clothes moths and fleas. | | | | is no water created during the drying process. |
| Hiring a dehumidifier is a quick fix when humidity in | | | | Electronic units |
| a room has elevated beyond 50%, but what | | | | Utilising a peltier heat pump (named after the |
| should you look out for when choosing a unit? | | | | French physicist Jean-Charles Peltier) to create a |
| Mechanical and refrigerating dehumidifiers | | | | cool surface for condensing water vapour from |
| Perhaps the most common type of dehumidifier, | | | | air, electronic dehumidifiers are ideal for |
| these work by cooling moist air with a | | | | environments where noise is a concern as the |
| refrigerated coil, then re-heating the air so as to | | | | units have no mechanical compressors and are |
| lower overall humidity levels while not affecting | | | | therefore very quiet. |
| ambient temperatures. They are most effective | | | | Air conditioning units |
| in warmer ambient environments where relative | | | | Air conditioners are very similar to dehumidifiers |
| humidity is over 45 percent. Avoid mechanical | | | | and often act as dehumidifiers themselves. This is |
| dehumidifiers in colder climates, where they are | | | | because they dispense of accumulated water |
| less effective. | | | | gathered as they cool the air. Window-mounted |
| Desiccant dehumidifiers | | | | units for example either drain the water out of |
| These units operate on a different principle by | | | | the window in a drip, or else evaporate the |
| using desiccant materials (e.g. silica gel) to adsorb | | | | interior humidity out of doors. A specialist |
| water vapour from the air. Desiccants typically | | | | dehumidifier may not be necessary of a traditional |
| have very small pore diameters and therefore | | | | air conditioner unit is available. |