07-00283 C 12-02 Copyright 1999, Dri-Eaz Products, Inc.
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Never
allow any materials, such as draperies, to obstruct
the air inlet or outlets. This could cause the unit to overheat
and result in a fire or electrical hazard.
Never
allow children to play on or around the unit. Be
sure the unit is inaccessible to children when left unattended.
Children could seriously injure themselves or others by play-
ing with or around the unit.
Never
operate or store the unit outdoors, or otherwise
expose the unit to water. The housing is not waterproof, and
water allowed inside the unit could cause an electrical shock
hazard or damage to the unit. If electrical components be-
come wet, allow the unit to dry thoroughly before operating.
Never
insert any implement or device into the unit when
it is operating, which could cause an electrical shock or
damage to the unit.
Never
operate the unit with a damaged electrical cord or
plug, which could cause a severe electrical shock or fire haz-
ard. Visually inspect the electrical cord and plug for damage
before each use.
Never
direct fogged chemicals or chemicals of any type
into the unit, which could cause a fire hazard or damage to
the unit.
Never
operate the unit in temperatures above 105
F
(41
C), which could cause damage to the desiccant rotor or
electrical components.
Never
allow condensate water which may collect in the
reactivation ducting during operation to run back into the
unit. This could cause a shock hazard or damage to the unit.
Keep at least part of the ducting lower than the reactivation
outlet at all times.
Never
operate the unit without the air filter, which could
cause damage to the desiccant rotor from contaminants.
Never
open the unit cover with the power connected,
which could cause an extreme electrical shock hazard. The
power source provides enough voltage and current to cause
death or severe burns. Always turn off the power before you
work inside the unit. Do not work with the electrical parts
unless you are a trained electrician.
Never
wash the rotor with any solvent. This could per-
manently damage the rotor.
Always
ensure that correct voltage is used. Failure to do
so could cause an electrical shock or fire hazard.
Always
secure the unit to prevent sliding when transport-
ing in a vehicle, which could cause injury to vehicle occu-
pants, or damage to the vehicle or unit.
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
DriTec Desiccant Dehumidifiers are designed to reduce
humidity by removing moisture from the air. This helps to
dry wet carpets, cushions, floors, walls, contents and struc-
tural materials. It also prevents mold and mildew growth
caused by moist or humid conditions.
Figure 1 shows how DriTec Desiccants remove moisture
from the air. The heart of the system is the rotor, which has a
series of air passages or channels. Air can be forced through
these channels in either direction.
The passages inside the rotor are coated with a special
silica gel substance which is a "desiccant," a material with a
unique affinity for water. When damp air passes through
rotor, the desiccant material "adsorbs" or captures the water
vapor, thus drying the air. The DriTec's desiccant material
employs rare metal technology to increase the attraction of
water to the silica gel.
Process Air
When in use, the DriTec Dehumidifier draws in air from
a room through the air inlet. This air passes through the hon-
eycomb channels of the rotor. As this happens, the desiccant
material captures most of the moisture present in the air.
Once this "process air" has been dried out, it is vented back
into the room.
As the rotor captures water vapor from the air, it be-
comes saturated with water. The saturated rotor eventually
loses its ability to capture additional moisture. The process
of removing this water from the rotor is called "reactiva-
tion."
DriTec 325 shown (dual air outlets)
Reactivation Air
During operation, a portion of the rotor is constantly be-
ing dried or "reactivated." In the DriTec, heated air is di-
rected to the reactivation sector and is forced through the
channels in that portion of the rotor. The heated air releases
the moisture captured in the desiccant material. The moisture
is discharged into the heated "reactivation air stream" and is
then vented from the unit to the outdoors. As the DriTec
operates, the rotor slowly turns so that only a portion of the
whole rotor is exposed to the heated reactivation air at any
one time.
At this point, the moisture has been removed from the
room, stored on the rotor, and then released from the rotor
into the outside air. The desiccant dehumidification process
cycle is complete.
