Works as described, but is that enough?

Before one is thinking about buying a dehumidifier, you should a little deal with the issue humidity. At 22 ° C, a cubic meter of air is already taking on almost 20 ml of water. This small dehumidifier will probably be bought mainly for small rooms, such as bathrooms. But even a very small bathroom like ours has about 10 m³ (1.5m x 2.8m x 2.5m), so that 200 ml in the air when these (z. B. after showering) is saturated with water. In a bath then just adds that towels, shower curtain, shower etc. still "save" a lot of water, which is then made in the course of the day. Do not expect, therefore, that we connect a small dehumidifier like the Elro DH600 for an hour or two and then everything is dry. Even with the described maximum drainage capacity of 600 ml per day, only 25 ml per hour are taken out of the air, but this 600 ml / day tropical temperatures and humidity are so only with "optimal conditions" thus achieved.

I wanted to buy a dehumidifier because our bathroom (particularly in the transitional seasons) is very humid (despite prolonged ventilation stages) and therefore the towels after 24 h (ie in the morning) are not rudimentary dried. I opted for the purchase of Elro DH600, because I knew that a chemical dehumidifier will bring anything with just a few ml per day. On the other hand we wanted in Bathroom also do not have a large unit with compressor. However, I have at the same time even such a "big" dehumidifiers purchased for our cellar: The TROTEC TTK 25 E, which I have also written a detailed review. The benefits that I had hoped from the Elro DH600 over a larger device like the TROTEC TTK 25 E, were (1) much smaller type, (2) significantly less noise and (3) much lower power consumption. All three points stood out though to be accurate, but the difference to the "large" devices falls in all respects from quite small and is therefore out of proportion to the difference in drainage performance.

(In the following I will always cite comparisons to TROTEC TKK25 E, because I have this device. However, I think that other dehumidifiers with compressor similar specifications have)

The Elro DH600 is quite compact (B = 22cm, T = 15cm, H = 35cm; the information in the product description is based on the box!) And distinguished by its more elegant shape well for a prettier useful space as a bathroom. But the difference in the size falls against the TROTEC TTK 25 E of less than I would have previously expected. In addition, the device is not exactly quiet. Compared to the "big" TTK 25 E the sound is similarly worded, only that the TTK with its compressor is 25 E a deep fridge like noise, which might penetrate in surrounding areas, while about Elro DH600 a significantly higher fan noise ( the quality and quantity approximately midway between laptop fan and hairdryer) are by themselves. Who is accustomed to the fan noise of windowless bathrooms, will disturb this noise hardly, because it's not really loud, but just now louder than I had previously thought. In the first few times turning there is a certain odor. The smell is not particularly uncomfortable (just like a new appliance smell). I'm currently on the assumption that it is better from time to time, may far but say nothing about it, because I have the power only a week. The device has a water tank. This actually sits relatively fixed (as in other reviews described), but (for me) not so strong that it would have prevented me on removal. The unit turns itself off supposedly once the tank is full. I could not test, because the tank is oversized in relation to the right dehumidification (enough for about a week in continuous operation).

The conditions under which I operated the equipment: 20-22 ° C, 75-85% humidity, it creates about 13-15 ml / h. The area corresponds to 300-350 ml per day, and thus more than 50% of maximum power. That may sound bad, but since these "maximum" indication is always in tropical conditions, 50% are not bad. Nevertheless, this is only about 6% of what my "big" device creates (TROTEC TTK 25 E). On test days, where the unit was running, the air and the towels in the bathroom after 24 h were certainly somewhat drier than usual, but an extreme difference did not make it. If it again too cold in autumn for continuous ventilation, the air dryer will but surely coming back into use.

The power consumption was just under 90 Watt (2.1 kWh per day). This is, after all, almost 50% of electricity consumption of the TTK 25 E (4.5 kWh / d). In other words, per liter of water consumed the Elro DH600 6.3 kWh almost 8 times as much as the TKK 25 E 0.82 kWh per liter. In continuous operation of Elro DH600 thus about 55-60 cents a day costs (ie more than 200 EUR a year - and if you do not order green electricity also involves a lot of CO2).

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CONCLUSION:
The device operates indeed as described, however, are 300 ml per day (realistic dehumidification) not the world, and in many cases is worth the purchase of a larger unit that for a few euros more for one-eighth (!) The power consumption, the same amount of water in 6% of the time (?) obtained from the air. Only in very small spaces where something more bulky equipment would attract negative attention or were completely exaggerated, the Elro DH600 can be used wisely. Since this is reasonably accurate with us, I do not regret the purchase in person. Theoretically it makes no sense but actually to create such a device. In addition, noise and odor is (the latter probably only at the beginning) is not quite as low as the one at home at room would like to have! For basement rooms of Elro DH600 is anyway not suitable because it freezes first, below 15 ° C and stops working properly and since the dehumidification performance in typical cellar sizes and conditions is simply inadequate.