Skip to content
FREE Shipping throughout South Africa 🇿🇦
FREE Shipping throughout South Africa 🇿🇦
Desiccant dehumidifiers are NOT always better at Low Temperatures - Solenco South Africa

Desiccant dehumidifiers are NOT always better at Low Temperatures

Desiccant dehumidifiers

Winter is not only snuggling up in warm blankets, but for many people who live in areas that reach sub-zero temperatures the icy season also brings the not-so-cozy things, such as frozen water pipes. This is why desiccant dehumidifiers have always been the main option to get rid of cold dampness, however, according to Chris Michael from Meaco in Britain, desiccant dehumidifiers are not always better at low temperatures!

So why is this?

According to Chris, the reason why this question comes up is because compressor dehumidifiers extract less water as the temperature and/or relative falls and costs more money per liter of water as the conditions fall, whereas desiccant dehumidifiers on the other hand are pretty much consistent and their performance does not change much as temperature falls or rises.


“It used to be the standard fall back (probably started by myself to be honest) that a good rule of thumb was to recommend compressor dehumidifiers above 16°C and desiccant dehumidifiers below this point. This was a good guide but advancements in design have clouded this advice,” says Chris.

The Platinum Range turns the tables on its head

The dehumidifiers that are creating confusion here is the 20L Low-Energy Dehumidifier from the Meaco Platinum Range. This compressor dehumidifier extracts more water at 15°C than a desiccant dehumidifier and uses around a third of the energy.

“At 10°C the Meaco 20L Low Energy extracts between 1.8 and 5.12 liters of water per day which is slightly less than a desiccant but only a little bit less and yet it extracts this water for less than 200 watts,” Chris points out.

Below 10°C below things are more straightforward and the case for desiccant is stronger.

Meaco Desiccant Dehumidifiers- Solenco

“If your application is in the home then the low noise level of the desiccant dehumidifier or the extra heat that they produce might be seen as a positive and might move you towards buying a desiccant. Most cold applications though are outside the home (in a garage, on a boat or in a caravan for example) and in which case all of our desiccants and both of the above models come with auto-restart in case of a power cut,” says Chris.

So when you are looking for a low temperature dehumidifier consider these two compressor models as well and then look at the bigger picture in terms of the extra feature all of the contending models have to offer, for example;

  • The sterilizing ioniser or the daily run timer on the Zambezi
  • The optional HEPA filters on the 12L and 20L Low Energy dehumidifiers.
  • The lightweight of the DD8L Junior.
  • Are you likely to use it in a warmer space in the future?
Previous article Air Quality & Home Heating: Gas vs. Electric, and the Future of Climate Control

Leave a comment

Comments must be approved before appearing

* Required fields