The
rotor is the most important part of the dehumidifier.
It is the rotor that determines the capacity and the lifetime
of the unit. Hence you want a dependable, stable and efficient
rotor. The following things are important to consider when
choosing.
1
The desiccant material
Back in the fifties, when the desiccant rotor dehumidifier was
invented, lithium chloride salt was used as the desiccant.
Lithium chloride absorbs the moisture through a chemical
reaction. The disadvantage of a salt impregnated rotor is that
it can't withstand high humidity. Saturated air will cause the
salt to partially leave the rotor and thereby decrease the
capacity and cause corrosion of the dehumidifier. Today more
and more dehumidifiers use silica gel rotors. The silica gel
adsorbs the moisture, the water molecules adhere to the
surface of the silica gel. The advantage is that it can
withstand saturated air and, if the silica gel is chemically
bonded to the rotor, it has a very long lifetime, up to ten
years if taken well care of.
2
Will there be dust from the rotor?
Both lithium chloride and silica gel rotors containing loose
desiccant will cause some dust to leave the rotor with the dry
air. Apart from possible damage of dried materials the
capacity of the rotor will deteriorate. Only rotors with
chemically bonded silica gel will have no desiccant carry-over
to the dry air.
3
Washability
If the rotor is contaminated by accident or used in
applications with contaminated air, for example oil mist, it
is important that the rotor is washable, and that you can wash
it yourself! Having to leave the rotor away for washing is
costly and causes a longer downtime.
4
Bacterial growth
Tests on a silica gel rotor used in a water sewage plant shows
no bacteria formation on the rotor. This is thanks to the high
temperature (above 120°C) when regenerating the rotor and to
the low relative humidity in the dry air.