How to make a DIY air dehumidifier?

Changing the percentage of humidity in the room or outside can create not very comfortable living conditions in an apartment or house. The most reasonable way out of this situation is to install a special device that would control these drops. An air dehumidifier can serve as such a device, and in this article we will talk about how to make it yourself.

Before starting to think about the device of a new device, it is worth paying attention to the following fact. Almost any modern air conditioner is capable of becoming a dehumidifier to some extent. There are two ways to configure it this way.

The first method is suitable for older models. To dry the air in the room, set the “cold” mode on the condenser and set the lowest fan speed. Due to the temperature difference between the room and the plate inside the air conditioner, all the water in the air will begin to condense in the colder area.

Many modern appliances have a dedicated DRY button that performs a similar function to the method described above. The only difference is that when using the special mode, the air conditioner will be able to reduce the fan speed as low as possible. Of course, this method is the most convenient and practical.

There is a big plus in using an air conditioner instead of a dehumidifier: no need to spend money on two separate devices, as all functions fit in one. For many people, this means the least amount of noise and the largest amount of free space.

So, the simplest homemade air dehumidifier for a house or apartment is a bottle system. Such a dehumidifier will be an adsorption dehumidifier. Below are two similar methods for creating a desiccant. It is worth noting that each of them is good under the conditions necessary for this.

In order to make an adsorption air dryer using bottles and salt, the following components are required:

• salt, it is better to take stone;
• two plastic bottles, their volume should be 2-3 liters;
• small fan, the role of this part can be played, for example, by a computer cooler, which cools all the components of the unit.

After preparation, you can proceed to the creation process. To do this, you should use the instructions.

1. Take the first bottle and make small holes in its bottom. This can be done with a nail, but it is best to use a red-hot knitting needle.
2. Using the same method, you need to make holes in the lid.
3. Cut the bottle into two equal parts and place the top half in the bottom with the neck down. It is important that the lid with the holes drilled in it is closed.
4. The so-called absorbent should be placed in the resulting vessel. In this case, salt is used.
5. The bottom of the second bottle must be cut off. After that, at a distance of about 10 cm from the resulting hole, you need to attach a prepared cooler or fan.
6. After completing all the above steps, insert the bottle with the cut-off bottom into the bottle with the lid down and the cooler up.
7. All joints and connections should be tightly wrapped with electrical tape or tape.
8. The resulting homemade device will start working after connecting the fan to the network. The peculiarity of such a dehumidifier is that it does not require a lot of costs, both money and time.

You can improve your previous homemade desiccant by changing the absorbent from salt to silica gel. The principle of operation will not change from this, but efficiency may well change. The thing is that silica gel has a higher moisture absorption coefficient. But it is worth noting: you will have to pay more for such a substance than for ordinary salt.

The process for creating this dehumidifier will be the same as the above method. The only difference is that at stage 4, instead of salt, silica gel is placed in the bottle. On average, about 250 g of this substance is required.

The desiccant dehumidifier is good in its own way, but there is another type - the condensing dehumidifier. The air conditioner works in a similar way in a state of dehumidification. You can make such a device at home with your own hands. For this, an old, but working refrigerator will be used.

• So the bottom line is that the refrigerator compartment is itself a kind of dehumidifier. This can be used. The first step is to remove all doors from the refrigerator or freezer. Then you should take a large sheet of plexiglass and cut the desired part out of it along the contour of the refrigerator. The thickness of the plexiglass should not be less than 3 mm.
• Having made such a simple step, you can proceed to the next point, namely: it is necessary to cut a small round hole in the plexiglass, while stepping back from its edge about 30 cm. It is important to make a hole of such a diameter that would coincide with the diameter of the fan or cooler being mounted. Once this step is completed, you can insert and attach the fan itself. The main thing is to put this device on "blowing", that is, so that the air is taken from the outside and enters the inside of the refrigerator.
• The next step can be done in two different ways. The first is that you need to cut several small holes in the plexiglass on top. In this case, it is very important not to make a mistake: do not cut holes, the diameter of which is larger than the hole with the fan. The second way is more difficult. It implies the use of one more cooler, but only for "blowing out". Such a fan is mounted in the same way as the one that works for "blowing". It is worth noting that this method may require a little more effort, and will also be more demanding in terms of electricity.
• After setting up the air circulation system, it is necessary to equip a condensate collection point. Inside the refrigerator or freezer, you need to put a special container of a small size, in which all the condensed moisture will be collected. But this moisture needs to be removed somewhere. To do this, you can use a compressor that will pump water from the condensate container into the drain. In this case, it is enough just to connect these two components with a hose and turn on the compressor from time to time.
• The very last step is to mount the plexiglass to the refrigerator. Ordinary sealant and tape can help with this. After starting the refrigerator and coolers, the whole system will start working.

Here is some analysis of this unit.

Pros:

• low price;
• easy assembly;
• easily accessible components.

Minuses:

• bulkiness;
• low efficiency.

If you know how to handle electronics, you can make your own household dehumidifier using Peltier elements. The main component in such a desiccant is obviously the Peltier element itself. This detail looks very simple - in fact, it is a small metal plate connected to wires. If you connect such a device to the network, then one of the sides of the plate will begin to heat up, and the other - to cool. Due to the fact that the Peltier element can have a temperature close to zero on one of its sides, the dehumidifier presented below works.

So, to create, in addition to the element itself, you will need the following details:

• small radiator;
• cooler (you can use any other small fan instead);
• thermal paste;
• power supply 12V;
• self-tapping screws, screws and a screwdriver with a drill.

The bottom line is as follows. Since it is very important for us to create the lowest possible temperature on one side of the element, we need to effectively remove warm air from the other side. A cooler will do this work, the simplest thing is to take a computer version. You will also need a metal heatsink, which will be located between the element and the cooler. It is worth noting that the element is attached to the air outlet structure with thermal paste.

Very convenient is the fact that the Peltier element and the fan operate from a voltage of 12V. So, you can do without special adapter converters and connect these two parts directly to the power supply.

After arranging the hot side, you need to think about the cold side. Good air removal from the hot side will cool the back side down to a very low temperature. Most likely, the element will be covered with a small layer of ice. Therefore, for the device to work, it is necessary to use another radiator with a large number of metal fins. In this case, cooling will be transferred from the element to these fins, which can condense the water.

Basically, by doing these simple steps, you can get a working dehumidifier. However, the final touch remains - a container for moisture. Everyone decides whether or not to do it, but you need to understand that it is very important to prevent new evaporation of already condensed water.

The Peltier dehumidifier is a versatile device. In addition to being used in the home, it can be used to dehumidify air, for example in a garage. It is very important that the humidity in this place is not very high, otherwise many metal parts will rust. Also, such a dehumidifier is perfect for a cellar, since high humidity has a negative effect on such a room.

An air dehumidifier is a very handy and useful device, the installation of which in many homes would not hurt. But there is not always the opportunity or desire to buy such units in the store. Then ingenuity comes to the rescue.