The Gurin DHMD-110 is a renewable wireless mini dehumidifier. Note that calling this dehumidifier “wireless” is a bit of a misnomer as it isn’t completely wireless. It will adsorb moisture and actively dehumidify without needing to be plugged in, but, once it reaches capacity, it will need to be plugged in for several hours to recharge.
How It Works
The way the DHMD-110 works is quite simple. Its outer plastic shell is just that, a shell. Like a turtle shell protects its inhabitant from the elements and predators so the DHMD-110′s plastic shell serves to protect the dry chemical desiccant that it houses. It’s this desiccant that allows for dehumidification. The desiccant adsorbs (this isn’t a spelling error – the scientific term for the process by which it “absorbs” moisture is called adsorption) moisture from the air surrounding the dehumidifier. Note that this type of dehumidifier doesn’t come equipped with any fans which is a good thing in that it makes the dehumidifier essentially noiseless but a bad thing in that there’s no means by which air can be pulled or drawn into or over the dehumidifier. It will only dehumidify the air that’s immediately surrounding it.
In any case, the desiccant adsorbs moisture from the air over the course of several weeks, even months. At a certain point it becomes completely saturated with moisture. At this point the “moisture meter crystals” on the front of the DHMD-110 will change color from blue to pink. When the desiccant crystals are pink you’ll need to plug in the dehumidifier into a wall outlet for several hours. The electricity from the wall outlet will provide the energy needed to warm the desiccant. As the desiccant heats up it will release all of the moisture it had previously adsorbed. Once all of the previously adsorbed moisture is released the moisture meter crystals will change color from pink to blue, indicating that the desiccant crystals are once again completely unsaturated and that the dehumidifier is ready to dehumidify once again.
Moisture Removal Rate
Gurin states that the DHMD-110 can remove up to 10 ounces of moisture per recharge. They also state that the dehumidifier will take approximately 6 to 8 weeks to reach this capacity.
Area of Coverage
Gurin doesn’t state a specified area of coverage for the DHMD-110. We actually commend them for doing so. As we discuss in much greater detail in our Eva-Dry E-333 review, specifying an area of coverage for this type of dehumidifier really isn’t something that any manufacturer should do. This type of dehumidifier removes very little moisture over a very long period of time. As we mentioned earlier in this review, it also doesn’t come equipped with any fans to move around the volume of air that would be over of any sizable area. To say that it can remove moisture in an area as large as 500 sq ft (as is the case for the very popular E-500) or even 333 sq ft (for the E-333) is at least partly insincere. This type of dehumidifier should only be used in very small spaces (we recommend that you don’t use it in any space larger than approx. 50 sq ft). It should also only be used in very mildly humid spaces. If you can feel the humidity in the space you need to dehumidify this type of dehumidifier simply won’t be sufficient. For more of our thoughts as to which type of applications this type of dehumidifier is best suited for see our Eva-Dry E-500 review here.
Value
The Gurin DHMD-110 is the least expensive rechargeable mini dehumidifier we’ve reviewed. Retailing for a mere $13 (approx.), it’s over $10 (approx.) less expensive than the Eva-Dry E-500 and about $5 cheaper than the Eva-Dry E-333.
Final Thoughts
In other reviews we recommend the E-333 as the best option among all other rechargeable mini dehumidifiers we’ve reviewed. Is it also a better option than the Gurin? Well, yes, maybe.
The Gurin is less expensive than the E-333, but only by a few dollars. It has a larger capacity than the E-333 (10 oz. vs 6 oz. for the E-333) but it does take longer than the E-333 to extract any particular quantity of moisture from the ambient air. Taking the maximum capacity for both units and dividing it by the minimum specified period of time between required recharges, the E-333 removes a maximum of 6 ounces of moisture per every 2 weeks while the Gurin removes a maximum of 10 ounces of moisture every 6 weeks. This translates into a “normalized” maximum moisture removal rate of 18 ounces per 6 weeks for the E-333 and 10 ounces per 6 weeks for the Gurin. Thus, theoretically, the E-333 has a greater maximum moisture removal rate than the Gurin.
Does this theoretical difference actually manifest itself in practical application? Maybe. Due to the fact that both units remove moisture at a very low rate we didn’t subject either to our own hands-on testing (we limit our own testing to dehumidifiers that can be tested and subjected to multiple trials within a reasonable time frame of a few hours – we don’t consider the several months it would take to properly test this type of dehumidifier a reasonable time frame). We therefore can’t say for sure that you’ll be able to see a noticeable difference between the rate at which the E-333 removes moisture as compared to the rate at which the Gurin can remove moisture. In full disclosure our recommendation is only based on theoretical values. That being said, our bottom line recommendation is the E-333 as we feel that it does remove moisture more quickly than the Gurin and removing moisture is, after all, the reason you’re buying a dehumidifier to begin with. We feel that its faster moisture removal rate is worth the few extra dollars you’re going to need to spend to get it. For our full E-333 review which includes a long detailed discussion of this type of dehumidifier’s proper applications click here.
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