Dehumidifiers: a profitable add-on

Majed Daiyoub, Area Sales Manager at Condair Limited, reviews the sales potential dehumidification offers the ACR contractor.

For any air conditioning and refrigeration contractor looking to expand its range of services and differentiate its offering, dehumidification represents a clear and often overlooked opportunity. Closely aligned with existing skills in refrigerant-based cooling, airflow and environmental control, dehumidifiers allow contractors to solve a wider range of client problems and unlock new revenue streams.

Recently, there has been a significant increase in media and public interest on the topic of combatting damp and mould, following the introduction of Awaab’s Law in 2025. Damp and mould problems are now categorised as a Category 1 hazard, and landlords are required to fix reported issues within strict timeframes. Although most domestic humidity issues can be resolved through rectifying structural problems and enhancing ventilation, there can be times when physical removal of moisture is a cost-effective solution. When operating dehumidifiers to lower humidity uses less energy than heating the air and ventilating, it can be a practical solution to residential humidity issues.

But outside of the housing market, there are many higher value opportunities for the ACR contractor offering dehumidification. Drying room installation is one such possibility. These are purpose-built areas in a building used to rapidly dry clothing and equipment. Many offices now incorporate a drying room, as staff are encouraged to walk to work. They are seen as an added benefit for employees. Other buildings that frequently need dedicated drying rooms are fire stations, to maintain kit readiness after training, construction sites, to improve worker comfort and safety, and any water sports facility, to protect valuable equipment from mould damage.

An effective drying room installation will incorporate a suitably sized dehumidifier for the space, alongside air movement to encourage rapid evaporation of moisture. The dehumidifier technology used in this application is normally a condensing system, which uses a refrigerant loop to condense moisture on a cooling coil. The heat generated in the process can be a welcome benefit to the area, or if not, systems can be installed with an external condenser. This is like a split AC system and allows the heat to be dissipated remotely from the space. This type of dehumidifier can maintain the internal humidity without impacting the temperature.

For contractors, these projects are attractive because they are fast to install, and easy to replicate across sites, making them ideal for both new build and retrofit work.

For refrigeration contractors, dehumidification is a natural extension of existing work in cold environments. Dehumidifiers are a huge benefit in freezer and chill store operations to reduce ice and mist, improving visibility, safety and system efficiency.

Any cold store environment will naturally experience moisture ingress whenever the door is open. This will inevitably lead to condensation around entrances, that in-turn results in ice formation on floors, walls and ceilings. High internal humidity in a cold store will result in mist that impairs visibility and presents a health and safety risk to employees.

Using specialist desiccant dehumidifiers to lower the humidity of cold stores and freezers will eliminate these issues. It will also reduce ice build-up on chillers, improving energy efficiency and the need for defrost cycles. This alone can provide rapid return on investment, as the cold store has lower operating costs and longer periods without shutdowns for maintenance. Lower energy use, less downtime and safer working environments all resonate hugely for clients and provide beneficial add-ons for the refrigeration contractor.

Swimming pools and spas are fundamentally humidity driven spaces and present another opportunity. Without proper humidity control, condensation leads to corrosion, structural damage and uncomfortable conditions for occupants. Dehumidifiers are needed in many pool facilities outside of public and private swimming pools, for instance hotel pools and spas, health clubs, gyms and fitness centres, colleges and universities, as well as rehabilitation and healthcare facilities.

Contractors with experience in ventilation, ductwork and heat recovery already have the core skills required, making this a logical step into high value projects with long operating hours and strong demand for efficiency.

Beyond comfort applications, dehumidifiers are frequently needed in manufacturing facilities that need to control humidity to protect products, processes or equipment. Sectors such as food and drink, pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles and packaging all rely on stable humidity to avoid defects and downtime.

These projects often carry high budgets and are driven by operational productivity rather than comfort alone, making them particularly attractive commercially. Contractors who can integrate dehumidification with existing cooling and ventilation systems are well placed to win this work.