Flooded homes, basements and garages: Recent floods have devastated large parts of Europe, causing severe storm and water damage. Following the catastrophic floods, the task is now to set about repairing the damage. Sales of submersible pumps, heaters and, in particular, dehumidifiers are currently booming in DIY stores and online market places. However, the high demand for dehumidifiers with powerful compressor technology has also seen a spike in the number of misleading offers on the market. Necessity is the mother of invention! Sellers who do not have dehumidifiers which protect against mould on offer are quick to claim that their devices, unsuitable to combat excessive air humidity, provide a silver bullet to the problem.
Reading the product description of some Peltier dehumidifiers (also known as semiconductor, electric or mini dehumidifiers), you are lead to believe that these devices can work wonders, rendering compressor devices redundant in many areas of application. However, doubt then soon creeps in when, weeks after having made your proud purchase, your damp cellar refuses to dry out and mould thrives despite the Peltier dehumidifier.
With this guidebook series, we would like to debunk the myths about Peltier dehumidifiers, spread by untrustworthy suppliers, by providing you with the facts so that you can make an informed decision when it comes to purchasing a dehumidifier.
Myth 3: “Peltier/semiconductor dehumidifiers are highly efficient and consume very little power”.
When reading the technical data of Peltier dehumidifiers, their power consumption immediately catches the eye. Consuming only 40, 30 or even 20 watts per hour, they appear much more energy-efficient than compressor devices, which consume upwards of 200 watts per hour.
It sounds to good to be true. That’s because it is, or at least it only tells half the story. It is not the dehumidifiers hourly power consumption that matters here, it’s the effective power. Put simply: “How much power needs to go into it to get what you want out of it?”
All of a sudden, the calculation is a completely different. To condense one litre of water from the air, an average Peltier dehumidifier usually consumes about 2,400 watts of power! A compact compressor device, in comparison, only needs about 493 watts.
That means a semiconductor dehumidifier requires almost five times more power to deliver the same dehumidification performance!¹
¹2,400 watts of power (80 x 30). Typical compressor dehumidifier with power consumption 290 W/h and dehumidification performance 14 l/24h (at 30 °C/80 % RH). To condense one litre of water from the air, the compressor humidifier therefore requires 1.7 h and 493 watts of power (1.7 x 290). ² Calculation basis: 40 euros purchase price of typical Peltier dehumidifier with 300 ml/24 h dehumidification capacity, 100 euros purchase price of typical compressor dehumidifier with 14 litres/24 h dehumidification capacity. This equates to a purchase price per litre of dehumidification capacity of: Peltier 133 euros (40 ÷ 0.3), compressor dehumidifier 7.14 euros (100 ÷ 14).
So when it comes to choosing a dehumidifier, don’t be fooled by the hourly power consumption mentioned in the product name and instead pay attention to the effective power.
Fact: Peltier dehumidifiers are useful “niche” products
And that, in the truest sense of the word: Semiconductor dehumidifiers are indeed well suited for use in small enclosed rooms with very small dimensions. That is why Trotec, as a long-standing market leader in mobile dehumidification, also has semiconductor dehumidifiers on offer in its product range.
These devices are ideal for keeping wardrobes and shoe cabinets, pantries or windowless bathrooms dry. Nothing more, nothing less.
When nothing short of dry will do – dehumidifiers with compressor technology are the answer
Only adsorption dehumidifiers or condensation dehumidifiers with compressor technology are suitable for keeping rooms larger than 10 m² dry and drying out rooms after water damage.
Discover our extensive range of dehumidifiers:
TTK series mobile comfort dehumidifiers
TTK series industrial dehumidifiers
TTK series industrial dryers
VPR+ wall-mounted dehumidifiers
DS series swimming pool dehumidifiers
Use our convenient online tool to calculate what dehumidification capacity you need.
By entering the intended use of your device on our easy-to-use online tool, you receive a personalised dehumidifier recommendation, ensuring you find the right dehumidifier for your needs – from the compact Peltier dehumidifier to the large comfort dehumidifier!
