Are low temperature dehumidifier for real?

[james]

I'm shopping for a crawlspace dehumidifier and come across units that claim to work under low temperature, as well as units that do not mention anything about low temperature.

Are low-temperature dehumidifiers constructed differently than non low-temperature dehumidifier, or is it just hype?

[Ralph Mowery]

I don't know the differance, but many regular dehumidifiers only operate to about 70 deg. The one my basement would freeze over when it got much below

1. The low temperature ones operate down to around 45 deg. Some may operate slightly higher or lower.

[Paul Franklin]

I believe the true low temp units sense when the evaporator coils ice up and enter a defrost cycle. You can do an active defrost (more expensive but faster) or passive (just shut off the compressor while keeping the fan running to melt the ice; cheap but slow) It's likely the design is also tuned to reduce the tendency to ice up, probably at the expense of dehumidification capacity.

Paul F.

[terry]

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Just a comment.

Our very ordinary dehumidifier does not have any de-frosting features and does have tendency when operated in our cool basement and set 'too aggressively' to ice up.

At this time of the year, where here in North America it is winter, it doesn't operate very much anyway because the air is dryer in cold weather.

One modification am thinking of making is to have the fan run all the time it is plugged in.

So if it does ice up the contnuous air flow will melt the ice more quickly.

[Stormin Mormon]

I've seen some dehum with a freeze stat. Temperature sensor, turns off the compressor if the evaporator freezes. That might very well be the difference.

[Chris Hill]

I think I'd find a way to ventilate it. It sure beats buying dehumidifiers that don't last and paying for the electricity which won't be insignificant.

[ransley]

They work but what they actualy remove in cold air compared to the rating and what your power consumption will be I think will suprise you unhappily. Buy from a place you can return it after you verify what it does and what it costs to run.