DESCRIPTION:
The DD122FW-MK3 Dehumidifier by Prem-I-Air is one of the quietest dehumidifiers on the market, and its nano-silver filter [ioniser] kills bacteria on contact and purifies the air. Although it possesses enough power to dehumidify and purify the air in a large 3 bedroom house, it is small enough to be used in smaller flats, caravans, boats or even garages.
Because the DD122FW-MK3 Dehumidifier is a desiccant dehumidifier… meaning that it uses a desiccant wheel to dry the air instead of a compressor, the benefits are vast. Firstly, before I jump to the benefits, I will attempt to explain what a ‘desiccant’ is:
A desiccant is a material which attracts and holds water vapour, and is made up of crystals. Available in a few different forms, such as dried granules that are poured into trays and placed in damp areas, silica gel packs which are inserted inside the packaging of products that are easily damaged by excess moisture [often found inside shoe boxes and packaging containing electronic products such as pc’s and televisions], the desiccant absorbs the moisture in the air and traps it. In the case of granules used in trays, the dry granules liquefy as the moisture is absorbed and can then be tipped out into the sink. Another variant of a desiccant is the ever-popular ‘Odor-Eaters’ which are thin insoles placed inside shoes, boots and trainers in order to absorb moisture and odours.For obvious reasons, the granule and insole forms of desiccant are not appropriate for use in an electrical appliance, therefore the desiccant crystals are embedded in a woven substrate [a substrate is a surface on which an organism grows or is attached] which results in the desiccant being permanently bonded before it is then formed into a tightly wound rotating wheel ready to be used inside electrical appliances such as dehumidifiers and dryers. Used inside a dehumidifier, the process is simple… as the desiccant wheel turns, it absorbs moisture which is then expelled into a container located inside the machine. As simple as that… or not…
The benefits of this type of system are constant water removal from the air regardless of the temperature – the DD122FW-MK3 Dehumidifier will remove 7 litres of water per day regardless of the time of the year or the temperature… this makes it ideal for use in areas that are unheated in winter. Normal dehumidifiers cannot be used in cold areas.
Other benefits of the desiccant, because it uses heat to dry the air as it passes through the wheel, is that the ejected air is warm… meaning that it works a treat if placed in a room where wet clothes have been hung to dry. The desiccant not only dries the clothes by absorbing the excess moisture, but by heating the area as well.
The desiccant wheel dehumidifier is equivalent to a 20 litre industrial compressor dehumidifier, but with the added benefit of being compact [Height 36cm x Length 29cm x Width 16cm] and incredibly quiet.
TECHNICAL INFO AND COSTS:
Easy to use, the DD122FW-MK3 Dehumidifier comes with 3 settings: Low for areas that are less humid, High for very damp areas, and Auto which automatically tests the air and switches, as the need arises, between On/Off and Low/High settings.
Note that if the dehumidifier is set on Low or High, it will not turn itself off once the correct level of humidity has been reached, therefore, if using these settings, it is important to keep track of the level of humidity in the house or wherever the dehumidifier is being used. Indoor humidity levels should be maintained between 30 and 50 percent… the ideal level being around 45 percent. If the level of humidity is too low, it can cause your nose, skin and throat to dry out, crack the skin on your fingertips and the likeliness of catching a cold is increased. As for the consequences around the home, it can dry out wood, damage drywall, cause wood floors to shrink and even cause cracks to appear in wood furniture… not to mention that a low level of humidity will increase static electricity around the house. If the level of humidity is too high, especially if it is accompanied by high temperatures, the body’s ability to cool itself is disrupted and can cause heatstroke, and can also trigger asthma symptoms… in the home, a too high level of humidity causes water condensation and becomes a breeding ground for mould, mildew and rot. Therefore, unless you have a hygrometer [similar in appearance to a thermometer], you should use the Auto setting on the dehumidifier.
According to my faithful and extremely trustworthy ‘Owl’ electricity monitor, the cost between using the Low and High settings is quite substantial. Using the Low setting costs £0.003 per hour in electricity… using the High setting costs £0.0821 per hour in electricity. Therefore, using the dehumidifier on the Low setting over a period of 24 hours will cost £0.07, while as the High setting, over the same 24 hour period, will cost £1.97. Used non-stop over a 30 day period, the Low setting will cost £2.16, while as the High setting will cost £59.11. Needless to say that the High setting is quite costly… something I discovered when I received my first electricity bill after having used the dehumidifier on High the first two weeks after receiving it because I wanted to speed-up the dehumidifying process! I wish I’d had the ‘Owl’ electricity monitor back then.
The DD122FW-MK3 Dehumidifier also comes with an Ion setting which kills bacteria and purifies the air. This function, according to my ‘Owl’ monitor, adds an additional £0.0021 per hour to the cost of dehumidifying which adds up to £0.12 per day [24 hours] or £3.75 per month [720 hours/30 days] on the Low setting, or £2.02 per day [24 hours] or £60.62 per month [720 hours/30 days] on the High setting.
There is also a timer which can be set to 2, 4 or 6 hours of dehumidifying, and a Saving and Turbo setting for drying laundry. I cannot actually comment on these two settings as I have never used them [I use a tumble dryer in winter and when it rains], however, the manufacturer states that it takes only a few hours for the dehumidifier to dry wet clothing. I have just tried the ‘laundry mode’ in order to calculate electricity usage, and my ‘Owl’ monitor tells me that the Saving mode costs £0.
05132 per hour [£1.23 per day/24 hours], and that the Turbo setting costs £0.05337 per hour [£1.28 per day/24 hours]. Now, if what the manufacturer says is true [that it only takes a few hours to dry a load of wet clothes hung in an average-sized room] then I calculate that this dehumidifier could potentially cost less than my tumble dryer which costs just over £0.28 per hour on a normal setting per load of laundry. Of course, this would all depend on just how long it takes to dry a load of laundry using the dehumidifier. If I had enough space in the house for hanging up the laundry, I’d definitely experiment…
The DD122FW-MK3 Dehumidifier comes with a handy 2 litre container that holds the moisture [water] the desiccant has removed from the air. This container is located on the bottom right-hand side of the machine, and is quite easy to pull out. There is also a nice tight-fitting lid on the container which assures that the water can’t be spilled when you’re pulling it from the machine or carrying it to the sink, and a flip-up handle makes it easy to carry. There is also a warning light on the settings panel which warns you when the water container is full or if it has been put in wrong… also, there is never any need to worry that the container might overflow because the dehumidifier will shutdown once the container reaches its 2 litre capacity.
Selling on Amazon for £139.99 with free shipping, the DD122FW-MK3 Dehumidifier by Prem-I-Air is not only cheaper, smaller and quieter than the average ‘compressor’ dehumidifier, but cheaper to use as well [in terms of electrical consumption and cost]… it also has the added benefits of working in cold temperatures [ideal for garages], purifying the air you breathe, and drying your laundry!
OPINION/COMMENT:
I received this as a gift last winter from my husband’s parents after I complained that the house was damp following the installation of new doors and windows – everyone should be so lucky to have such wonderful in-law’s – and I have to say that it did the job.
Apart from my stupendous electricity bill, which would have been much lower had I not been so darned impatient and used the High setting during the first month instead of the Low or even the Auto, I absolutely love this dehumidifier because it not only purifies the air in the house, but it also dehumidifies and warms the air… meaning that I can turn down the heating in winter when the dehumidifier is on.
Also, because it is so powerful [surprising considering its size], I don’t have to carry the dehumidifier from room to room. I leave it on the landing at the top of the stairs, and it dehumidifies the bedrooms and washroom, and even dehumidifies the lounge and kitchen/diner situated downstairs.
I only use the dehumidifier during those months when the windows are closed against the cold [mid-September to early-April], and use the Auto setting. I find that turning the dehumidifier on just a few hours a day makes all the difference… the quality of the air in the house [when the windows are shut] is amazing, and because the ioniser kills airborne bacteria, the house always smells nice and fresh and the lack of dust floating in the air makes it all the easier to breathe.
Multi-Purpose Dehumidifier, Air Purifier And Dryer! 
