Dehumidifier

Claim 1

A dehumidifier comprising: (a) a plenum chamber; (b) a fan for delivering warm moist air to said plenum chamber; (c) a dehumidifier chamber mounted adjacent and communicating with said plenum chamber and provided with a condensing surface, said condensing surface being defined by an upwardly tapered passage disposed within said dehumidifier chamber; (d) a device for supplying a refrigerant to said dehumidifier chamber; (e) said dehumidifier chamber including means for maintaining said condensing surface below freezing; (f) means for intermittently delivering short bursts of heat to said condensing surface; (g) said means for maintaining said condensing surface below freezing including an enclosure, a cooling coil disposed in said enclosure and about said condensing surface, said cooling coil communicating via a pipe with said device for supplying said refrigerant thereto, a cooling liquid contained within said enclosure and surrounding said cooling coil, a surface heater arranged about said condensing surface interspersed between the windings of said cooling coil, and insulating means enveloping said enclosure, a temperature control and, a temperature sensor disposed within said enclosure and in communication with said cooling liquid, said temperature sensor being coupled to said temperature control, a solenoid valve provided in said pipe for supplying said refrigerant to said cooling coil and coupled to said temperature control.