In this video, Matt Risinger discusses the difference between refrigerant and desiccant dehumidifiers. At a job site, Risinger does an unboxing of a new Quest desiccant dehumidifier, discussing the features and capabilities of this new machine. On a job site, it's extremely important to manage moisture content of the air throughout the construction process. Floors, paint finishes and caulking should be able to exist as though they're in a finished home environment, and dehumidifiers can help achieve that state. Also, dry time can add considerably to a project's timeline, and that can be accelerated with dehumidifiers. Risigner likes Quest's refrigerant dehumidifier, which uses a cold coil that condenses moisture and sends air out of the unit via a tube, producing a dry, humidified air. The Quest desiccation dehumidifier looks similar but operates slightly differently. Air comes in from outside and a desiccant wheel (a silicone material that absorbs moisture from the air) mixes the moisture to spin it to the exhaust side. There's no water output with a unit like this, so no risk of flooding, as the water is reenergized in the desiccant wheel and redistributed to the outside. While it's a little less energy efficient, these units can dehumidify in all kinds of weather-in temps below freezing and above 110 degrees. Visit http://www.questonthejob.com/ for more information on their dehumidifiers, and check out Risinger's article on conditioning homes in the Journal of Light Construction http://www.jlconline.com/hvac/conditioning-homes_o.aspx.
