Patent Publication Number: US-10788230-B2

Title: Portable dehumidifier control system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to dehumidification, and more particularly to a portable dehumidifier control system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In certain situations, it is desirable to reduce the humidity of air within a structure. For example, in fire and flood restoration applications, it may be desirable to quickly remove water from areas of a damaged structure. To accomplish this, one or more portable dehumidifiers may be placed within the structure to dehumidify the air and direct dry air toward water-damaged areas. However, current dehumidification systems have proven inefficient in various respects. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to embodiments of the present disclosure, disadvantages and problems associated with previous dehumidification systems may be reduced or eliminated. 
     In some embodiments, a dehumidification system includes an evaporator, a condenser, an air plenum, a fan, a drain pan, a compressor, and multiple support legs. The condenser is positioned proximate to the evaporator. The air plenum is positioned proximate to the condenser so that the condenser is sandwiched between the evaporator and the air plenum. The fan is positioned proximate to the air plenum. The drain pan is disposed partially below the evaporator, the condenser and the air plenum. The compressor is disposed partially below the drain pan. The support legs are disposed below the drain pan and are configured to support the drain pan. The drain pan includes a top piece and a bottom piece disposed partially below the top piece. The top piece of the drain pan includes one or more bottom panels, one or more raised ribs disposed on the one or more bottom panels, a hook configured to hold a float switch, a drainage opening, and a strainer holder positioned proximate to the drainage opening and configured to hold a mesh strainer. The top piece of the drain pan is configured to collect water condensed from the evaporator and drain the condensed water to the bottom piece via the drainage opening. The bottom piece of the drain pan includes a front ledge configured to support an air filter, a central chamber configured to hold the condensed water, and a back shelf configured to support the condenser and the air plenum. The central chamber of the bottom piece includes a base panel, an enclosed wall disposed on the base panel, and a basin positioned proximate to the base panel. The condensed water drained from the top piece is directed into an area of the base panel that is partially surrounded by the enclosed wall. 
     In some embodiments, a portable dehumidifier includes a cabinet, an evaporator, a condenser, a drain pan, multiple support legs, a compressor, and a fan. The cabinet includes an airflow inlet located on a front side of the cabinet, an airflow outlet located on a side of the cabinet, and at least two wheels coupled to a bottom side of the cabinet. The evaporator is located adjacent to the airflow inlet. The condenser is located adjacent to the evaporator and on a side of the evaporator opposite the airflow inlet. The drain pan is located at least partially below the evaporator and the condenser and is configured to support weight of the evaporator and the condenser. The support legs extend from a bottom side of the drain pan towards the bottom side of the cabinet. The compressor is located below the drain pan. The fan is located adjacent to the condenser and on a side of the condenser opposite the evaporator. The fan is configured to generate an airflow that flows into the cabinet through the airflow inlet and out of the cabinet through the airflow outlet, the airflow flowing through the evaporator and the condenser in order to provide dehumidification to the airflow. 
     In some embodiments, a method includes setting, in response to determining that a measured relative humidity (RH) is greater than or equal to a relative humidity set point, a dehumidifier to a first operating mode, wherein a compressor of the dehumidifier is enabled and a fan of the dehumidifier is set to a first fan speed while in the first operating mode. In some embodiments, the first fan speed is a low or minimal fan speed. The method further includes determining whether the dehumidifier has been operating in the first operating mode for a predetermined amount of time, and in response, setting the dehumidifier to a second operating mode if the measured relative humidity is still greater than the relative humidity set point. The compressor is enabled and the fan is set to a second fan speed while in the second operating mode. The second fan speed is greater than the first fan speed. The second fan speed may be a high or maximum fan speed. 
     Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may provide one or more technical advantages. Some embodiments include a unique arrangement of internal components that result in a more compact and efficient portable dehumidifier. For example, some embodiments include a multi-piece drain pan that supports the weight of an evaporator, a condenser, and a filter. In such embodiments, the drain pan may be supported by one or more support legs that extend from a bottom portion of a cabinet upwards towards the drain pan. This allows for a more compact and upright configuration for the portable dehumidifier. In some embodiments, the multi-piece drain pan includes two main components: a top piece and a bottom piece. In such embodiments, the top piece of the drain pan may include raised ribs that prevent air from passing under the evaporator, thereby preventing condensed water from being entrained in the air. This increases the efficiency of the dehumidification system by more efficiently retaining the condensed water in the drain pan. Furthermore, some embodiments of the multi-piece drain pan include a mesh strainer that may be held in place by a strainer holder in the drain pain. The mesh strainer filters the condensed water to prevent debris from reaching the bottom piece of the drain pan and damaging other components (e.g., a pump) of the dehumidification system. In some embodiments, an enclosed wall in the bottom piece of the drain pan is provided to catch any soft particles or sediment that escape the mesh strainer. The enclosed wall provides a second protection mechanism for catching debris or particles in the condensed water and preventing them from damaging other components of the dehumidification system. 
     Some embodiments provide additional technical advantages by employing an advanced control scheme in order to reduce the amount of noise generated by the portable dehumidifier and to reduce the amount of energy consumed by the portable dehumidifier. In such embodiments, if the portable dehumidifier has been running for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., thirty minutes) without achieving a particular relative humidity set point, a fan speed of the portable dehumidifier may be set to a higher fan speed setting. However, if the portable dehumidifier has succeeded in reducing the humidity levels below the relative humidity set point after the predetermined amount of time, the fan of the portable dehumidifier may be set to a low fan speed in order to reduce noise and energy consumption. 
     Other technical advantages of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims. Moreover, while specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include all, some, or none of the enumerated advantages. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and for further features and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate perspective views of a dehumidification system, according to certain embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates internal components of the dehumidification system of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , according to certain embodiments; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of a drain pan of the dehumidification system of  FIG. 2 , according to certain embodiments; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate perspective views of a top piece of the drain pan of  FIG. 3 , according to certain embodiments; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate perspective views of a bottom piece of the drain pan of  FIG. 3 , according to certain embodiments; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates support legs that may support the drain pan of  FIG. 3 , according to certain embodiments; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a compressor that may be utilized by the dehumidification system of  FIG. 2 , according to certain embodiments; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a method of controlling the dehumidification system of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments; and 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an example computer system, according to certain embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In certain situations, it is desirable to reduce the humidity of air within a structure. For example, in fire and flood restoration applications, it may be desirable to quickly remove water from areas of a damaged structure by placing one or more portable dehumidifiers within the structure. Current dehumidifiers, however, have proven inadequate or inefficient in various respects. 
     The disclosed embodiments provide a dehumidification system that includes various features to address the inefficiencies and other issues with current dehumidification systems. In some embodiments, the dehumidification system includes a drain pan that is configured to efficiently increase the water removal capacity of the dehumidification system. Specifically, the drain pan in some embodiments includes a top piece and a bottom piece. The top piece of the drain pan includes multiple raised ribs which prevent air from passing under an evaporator, thereby preventing the condensed water from being entrained in the air. This increases the efficiency of the dehumidification system by more efficiently retaining the condensed water in the dehumidification drainage system. Furthermore, the top piece in some embodiments includes a strainer holder that holds a mesh strainer. The mesh strainer filters the condensed water to prevent debris from reaching the bottom piece and damaging other components (e.g., a pump) of the dehumidification system. The bottom piece in some embodiments further includes an enclosed wall to catch any soft particles or sediment that escape the mesh strainer. The enclosed wall provides a second protection mechanism for catching debris or particles in the condensed water and preventing them from damaging other components of the dehumidification system. 
     These and other advantages and features of certain embodiments are discussed in more detail below in reference to  FIGS. 1A-9 .  FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate perspective views of certain embodiments of a dehumidification system;  FIG. 2  illustrates certain embodiments of internal components of the dehumidification system of  FIGS. 1A and 1B ;  FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of certain embodiments of a drain pan of the dehumidification system of  FIG. 2 ;  FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate perspective views of certain embodiments of a top piece of the drain pan of  FIG. 3 ;  FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate perspective views of certain embodiments of a bottom piece of the drain pan of  FIG. 3 ;  FIG. 6  illustrates support legs that may support the drain pan of  FIG. 3 ;  FIG. 7  illustrates a compressor that may be utilized by the dehumidification system of  FIG. 2 ;  FIG. 8  illustrates a method of controlling the dehumidification system of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 9  illustrates an example computer system, according to certain embodiments. 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate perspective views of a dehumidification system  100 , according to certain embodiments. In some embodiments, dehumidification system  100  includes a cabinet  102 , an airflow inlet  104 , one or more airflow outlets  106 , a control panel  108 , and two or more wheels  110 . While a specific arrangement of these and other components of portable dehumidifier  100  are illustrated, other embodiments may have other arrangements and may have more or fewer components than those illustrated. 
     In general, dehumidification system  100  provides dehumidification to an area (e.g., a room, a floor, etc.) by moving air through dehumidification system  100 . To dehumidify air, dehumidification system  100  draws in a moist airflow  101  that enters cabinet  102  via airflow inlet  104 , travels through the internal components of dehumidification system  100 , and then exits cabinet  102  via one or more airflow outlets  106 . Water removed from airflow  101  may be captured within a water reservoir (e.g., a drain pan) of dehumidification system  100 . Certain embodiments of a drain pan that may be utilized by dehumidification system  100  are described in more detail below in reference to  FIGS. 3-5B . 
     Cabinet  102  may be of any appropriate shape and size. In some embodiments, cabinet  102  includes multiple panels (or sides). For example, some embodiments of cabinet  102  include a top panel  112  and multiple side panels. In some embodiments as illustrated, airflow inlet  104  is on a front panel  114  of cabinet  102 , airflow outlets  106  are on a left side panel  116  and a right side panel  118  of cabinet  102 , respectively, and control panel  108  is on top panel  112  of cabinet  102 . Wheels  110  are located on a bottom panel  120 . 
     Airflow inlet  104  is generally any opening in which airflow  101  enters dehumidification system  100 . In some embodiments, airflow inlet  104  is located on a front panel  114  as illustrated, but may be in any other appropriate location on other embodiments of dehumidification system  100 . In some embodiments, airflow inlet  104  is square or rectangular in shape. In some embodiments, airflow inlet  104  is oval or circular in shape. In other embodiments, airflow inlet  104  may have any other appropriate shape or dimensions. In some embodiments, airflow inlet  104  includes a grate or grill that is formed out of geometric shapes. For example, some embodiments of airflow inlet  104  includes a grill formed from hexagons, octagons, and the like. In some embodiments, a removable air filter may be installed proximate to airflow inlet  104  to filter airflow  101  as it enters dehumidification system  100 . 
     Airflow outlet  106  is generally any opening in which airflow  101  exits dehumidification system  100 . In some embodiments, airflow outlet  106  is located on one or more side panels of cabinet  102  as illustrated, but may be in any other appropriate location on other embodiments of dehumidification system  100 . Similar to airflow inlet  104 , airflow outlet  106  may include a grate or grill that is formed out of geometric shapes such as hexagons, octagons, and the like. In some embodiments, airflow outlet  106  may be square or rectangular in shape, but may have any other appropriate shape or dimensions. 
     Control panel  108  provides various controls for an operator to control certain functions of portable dehumidifier  100 . While control panel  108  is located on top panel  112  of cabinet  102  in some embodiments, control panel  108  may be located in any appropriate location on cabinet  102 . 
     Embodiments of dehumidification system  100  may include two or more wheels  110 . In some embodiments, portable dehumidification system  100  includes two wheels  110  on bottom panel  120  as illustrated that permit portable dehumidification system  100  to be tilted towards a back side of cabinet  102  and easily transported to a new location. Wheels  110  may be of any size and be made of any appropriate materials. 
     Dehumidification system  100  includes various internal components to provide dehumidification to airflow  101 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , some embodiments of dehumidification system  100  include an evaporator  202 , a condenser  204 , an air plenum  206 , a fan  208 , a drain pan  210 , an electrical box  212 , a compressor  214 , and multiple support legs  216 . In some embodiments as illustrated, condenser  204  is sandwiched between evaporator  202  and air plenum  206 . In some embodiments, evaporator  202  is located approximate to airflow inlet  104 . In some embodiments, a removable air filter (not illustrated) may be provided between evaporator  202  and airflow inlet  104  to filter airflow  101  before it enters evaporator  202 . In some embodiments, fan  208  is located adjacent to air plenum  206  as illustrated. In some embodiments, drain pan  210  is located at least partially below evaporator  202 , condenser  204 , and air plenum  206  as illustrated. In some embodiments, three or more support legs  216  are located below drain pan  210  to provide support for drain pan  210  as illustrated. In some embodiments, compressor  214  is located partially below drain pan  210  in an area surrounded by support legs  216  as illustrated. This may provide cooling for compressor  214  and further improve the efficiency of dehumidification system  100 . In some embodiments, electrical box  212  is located partially below drain pan  210  and adjacent to compressor  214 . 
     In general, the internal components of dehumidification system  100  are uniquely arranged to minimize the size of dehumidification system  100 . For example, some embodiments of drain pan  210  may be a multi-piece drain pan that supports the weight of evaporator  202 , condenser  204 , and a filter installed proximate to evaporator  202 . In such embodiments, drain pan  210  may be supported by one or more support legs  216  that extend from a bottom portion of  102  cabinet upwards towards drain pan  210 . This allows for a more compact and upright configuration for the portable dehumidifier. 
     Evaporator  202  is configured to absorb heat from airflow  101  and condense the moisture in airflow  101 . In some embodiments, evaporator  202  includes a finned-tube evaporator comprising tube coils covered with fins. The fins added to the tubes extend into the spaces between the tubes to permit more of airflow  101  to come into contact with cold evaporator  202 . This design allows evaporator  202  to be made dimensionally smaller while still providing a reasonable heat transfer capability. During operation, evaporator  202  gets cold enough (close to the dewpoint) to pull water out of airflow  101 . Water will drip down the coils of evaporator  202  to drain pan  210 . In some embodiments, the tubes and the fins of evaporator  202  are made of copper or aluminum. In yet other embodiments, evaporator  202  may be any type of evaporators such as bare tube evaporator, plate evaporators, etc., and may be made of any appropriate material such as steel. 
     Condenser  204  is configured to heat and dry airflow  101 . In some embodiments, condenser  204  includes a microchannel condenser comprising condenser coils that are made of aluminum. In general, a microchannel condenser provides numerous features including a high heat transfer coefficient, a low air-side pressure restriction, and a compact design (compared to other solutions such as finned tub exchangers). These and other features make microchannel condensers good options for condensers in air conditioning systems where inlet air temperatures are high and airflow is high with low fan power. In some embodiments, condenser  204  includes one condenser coil. In other embodiments, condenser  204  includes two or more condenser coils to achieve a reasonable temperature. In yet other embodiments, condenser  204  may be any type of condensers, and may be made of any appropriate material. 
     Evaporator  202  and condenser  204  make it possible to complete the heat exchange process. Cold evaporator  202  condenses the water in airflow  101 , which is removed, and then airflow  101  is reheated by the condenser coils of condenser  204 . The now dehumidified, re-warmed airflow  101  is vented out of cabinet  102  via the one or more airflow outlets  106 . 
     Air plenum  206  is any appropriately-sized and shaped duct to guide the re-warmed airflow  101  to flow into a desired direction. In some embodiments, air plenum  206  includes a sheet metal box that provides a pathway for airflow  101 . In yet other embodiments, air plenum  206  may be any type of plenum, and may be made of any appropriate material. In general, air plenum  206  is located between condenser  204  and fan  208  in some embodiments. 
     Dehumidification system  100  further includes a fan  208  that, when activated, draws airflow  101  into dehumidification system  100  via airflow inlet  104 , causes airflow  101  to flow through components of dehumidification system  100  (e.g., evaporator  202  and condenser  204 ), and exhausts airflow  101  out of one or more airflow outlets  106 . In some embodiments, fan  208  is located within cabinet  102  adjacent to air plenum  206  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In some embodiments, fan  208  is a backward inclined impeller configured to generate airflow  101  that flows through dehumidification system  100  for dehumidification and exits dehumidification system  100  through one or more airflow outlet  106 . Fan  208  may be any other type of air mover (e.g., axial fan, forward inclined impeller, etc.) in other embodiments of dehumidification system  100 . In some embodiments, fan  208  is a variable-speed direct current (DC) impeller. 
     Drain pan  210  is configured to collect water condensed from evaporator  202 . Drain pan  210  is located at least partially below evaporator  202  and condenser  204  and provides physical support to these components. In some embodiments, drain pan  210  is any appropriate tank, basin, container, or area within cabinet  102  to collect and hold water removed from airflow  101 . Particular embodiments of drain pan  210  are described in more detail below in reference to  FIGS. 3-5 . 
     Electrical box  212  is configured as an enclosure housing electrical connections for other electrical components of dehumidification system  100  to protect the connections as a safety barrier. In some embodiments, electrical box  212  is a metal box. In yet other embodiments, electrical box  212  may be made of any appropriate material such as plastic. In some embodiments, electrical box is located proximate to bottom panel  120  of cabinet  102  as illustrated. 
     Compressor  214  is configured to circulate the refrigerant in dehumidification system  100  under pressure. In some embodiments, compressor  212  is located partially below drain pan  210  as illustrated. In some embodiments, compressor  214  compresses refrigerant that travels through the coils in dehumidification system  100  to cool them down. For example, compressor  214  may pump the refrigerant to the coils of evaporator  202  to cool down the coils of evaporator  202 . In some embodiments, compressor  212  is a rotary compressor that includes a shaft with multiple blades. The bladed shaft of the rotary compressor rotates inside the cylinder of the compressor and pushes the refrigerant through the cylinder of the compressor to compress it. Rotary compressors are small in size and quiet, which makes them a good candidate for compressors used in a portable dehumidifier. In some embodiments, compressor  212  may be any other type of compressor (e.g., reciprocating compressor, scroll compressor, screw compressor, centrifugal compressor, etc.). 
     Support legs  216  are configured to provide support for drain pan  210 . In some embodiments, three or more support legs  216  are located below drain pan  210  and are attached to a bottom side of drain pan  210 . In some embodiments, support legs  216  have multiple apertures  218  as illustrated. Apertures  218  permit airflow  101  to flow within dehumidification system  100  and not be blocked or significantly altered by support legs  216 . In some embodiments, support legs  216  are made of metal. In yet other embodiments, support legs  216  may be made of any other appropriate material such as plastic. In some embodiments, apertures  218  are rectangular in shape. In yet other embodiments, apertures  218  may have any other appropriate shape and size. An enhanced view of support legs  216  is provided in  FIG. 6 . 
     In operation, moist airflow  101  is drawn into dehumidification system  100  via airflow inlet  104  by fan  208 . Airflow  101  may travel through an air filter (not shown) before it reaches evaporator  202 . The air filter may be used to remove solid particles such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacterial from airflow  101 . The filtered airflow  101  then enters evaporator  202  where airflow  101  is cooled and water is condensed and removed from airflow  101 . The water removed from airflow  101  drips down the coils of evaporator  202  and falls into drain pan  210 . Next, the dry airflow  101  passes through condenser  204  and is reheated by the coils of condenser  204 . The now dehumidified, re-warmed airflow  101  is drawn into air plenum  206  where it is directed downwards and exits dehumidification system  100  via one or more airflow outlets  106 . In some embodiments, a hose (not shown) connected to drain pan  210  may be used to guide the water out of dehumidification system  100 . 
     In some embodiments, dehumidification system  100  may be communicatively coupled to a remote server or computer system via a network such as the Internet in order to provide remote status and control functionality for dehumidification system  100 . For example, dehumidification system  100  may connect wirelessly (e.g., Wifi, Bluetooth, etc.) or via a wired connection to the Internet or a computing device. In such embodiments, a computer system within dehumidification system  100  (e.g., computer system  900 ) may provide the functionality to connect to the network or the computing device. A user may then access settings and status of dehumidification system  100  using a client system that is connected to the network or directly to dehumidification system  100 . For example, a user may utilize a smartphone running an app that communicates with dehumidification system  100  (either directly or via one or more intermediate servers) to display status of dehumidification system  100  (e.g., current relative humidity, etc.) and to control features of dehumidification system  100  (e.g., to turn dehumidification system  100  on or off). In some embodiments, a user may connect a client system such as a smartphone directly to dehumidification system  100  in the absence of a network (e.g., a direct connection to dehumidification system  100  via Bluetooth). 
     In some embodiments, a remote sensing unit may be utilized by dehumidification system  100  to remotely sense environmental conditions. For example, a remote sensing unit may connect to dehumidification system  100  either via a wired connection (e.g., RJ12) or a wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth). The remote sensing unit may include an onboard relative humidity (RH) sensor that may be used by dehumidification system  100  to sense the humidity levels at a location that is away from dehumidification system  100 . For example, the remote sensing unit may be placed in one area of a house while dehumidification system  100  is placed in another. This may allow dehumidification system  100  to more accurately detect the overall humidity levels of a living space (as opposed to an internally-mounted RH sensor). In some embodiments, dehumidification system  100  may automatically detect that a connection to a remote sensing unit has been established and use the readings from the sensor within the remote sensing unit instead of an internally-mounted sensor. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of drain pan  210  of dehumidification system  100 , according to certain embodiments. Drain pan  210  is generally used to collect water condensed from evaporator  202 . In some embodiments, drain pan  210  is any appropriate tank, basin, container, or area within cabinet  102  to collect and hold water removed from airflow  101 . In some embodiments, drain pan  210  is located at least partially below evaporator  202 , condenser  204 , and air plenum  206 . In some embodiments, drain pan  210  includes a top piece  310 , a bottom piece  320 , a float switch  330 , and a mesh strainer  340  as illustrated. In some embodiments, top piece  310  is configured to support evaporator  202 , collect condensed water from evaporator  202 , and funnel the condensed water into bottom piece  320 . In some embodiments, bottom piece  320  is configured to hold the condensed water funneled from top piece  310 . Bottom piece  320  further provides support for condenser  204  and an air filter (not shown). In some embodiments, a mesh strainer  340  is coupled to top piece  310  to filter the condensed water to prevent debris from reaching bottom piece  320  as illustrated. Mesh strainer  340  filters the condensed water to prevent debris from reaching bottom piece  320  and damaging other components (e.g., a pump) of dehumidification system  100 . In some embodiments, a float switch  330  is coupled to top piece  310  as illustrated. Float switch  330  is used to toggle/activate a pump (not shown) that is used to drain the condensed water out of drain pan  210 . During operation, once the condensed water accumulated in bottom piece  320  reaches the level of float switch  330 , the pump activates and drains the condensed water out of bottom piece  320 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , top piece  310  of drain pan  210  may include multiple bottom panels  402 , multiple raised ribs  404 , a hook  406 , a strainer holder  408 , and a drainage opening  410 . In some embodiments, top piece  310  is made of plastic and is manufactured using an injection molding process. In yet other embodiments, top piece  310  may be made of any other appropriate material. 
     In general, top piece  310  of drain pan  210  is configured to physically support evaporator  202 . During assembly of dehumidification system  100 , top piece  310  of drain pan  210  is coupled, affixed, or otherwise placed on top of bottom piece  320  of drain pan  210 . Multiple features (e.g., apertures, protrusions, etc.) may be included on top piece  310  and bottom piece  320  to properly align and couple the two pieces together. Once top piece  310  of drain pan  210  is coupled, affixed, or placed on top of bottom piece  320 , evaporator  202  may then be placed on top of top piece  310 . In some embodiments, one or more ribs  404  of top piece  310  may be taller than other ribs  404  as illustrated to guide the placement of evaporator  202  onto top piece  310 . 
     In some embodiments, bottom panels  402  are sloped to allow condensed water to flow towards drainage opening  410 . In some embodiments, multiple rows of raised ribs  404  are placed on bottom panels  402  as illustrated. In some embodiments, raised ribs  404  are positioned to be underneath the lowest tube of evaporator  202  and are configured to restrict an area between evaporator  202  and top piece  310  through which air may pass. Raised ribs  404  minimize a gap between evaporator  202  and top piece  310 , which prevents airflow  101  from going underneath evaporator  202  and picking up the condensed water. In this way, raised ribs  404  prevent condensed water from being entrained in airflow  101 . 
     Hook  406  is configured to hold float switch  330 . In some embodiments, hook  406  is located on a side of top piece  310 . Hook  406  may be made of any appropriate material and has any appropriate shape to hold float switch  330 . Strainer holder  408  is configured to hold mesh strainer  340 . In some embodiments, strainer holder  408  is located on a same side of top piece  310  as hook  406  and proximate to drainage opening  410 . In some embodiments, strainer holder  408  has a horseshoe shape as illustrated. In yet other embodiments, strainer holder  408  may have any other appropriate shape. Drainage opening  410  is located on a same side of top piece  310  as hook  406  and strainer holder  408 , in some embodiments as illustrated. Drainage opening  410  may be any appropriate size and have any appropriate shape to allow condensed water to flow out of top piece  310  and down to bottom piece  320 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , bottom piece  320  of drain pan  210  may include a front ledge  502 , a central chamber  504 , and a back shelf  506 . Central chamber  504  is sandwiched between front ledge  502  and back shelf  506 . In some embodiments, bottom piece  320  is made of plastic and is manufactured using an injection molding process. In yet other embodiments, bottom piece  320  may be made of any other appropriate material. 
     In general, bottom piece  320  of drain pan  210  is configured to physically support condenser  204  and in some embodiments, air plenum  206  and an air filter. During assembly of dehumidification system  100 , top piece  310  of drain pan  210  is coupled, affixed, or otherwise placed on top of bottom piece  320  of drain pan  210 . Once top piece  310  of drain pan  210  is coupled, affixed, or placed on top of bottom piece  320 , condenser  204  may then be placed on back shelf  206  of bottom piece  320 . In addition, an air filter may be placed on front ledge  502  and air plenum  206  may be placed on back shelf  506 . As a result, bottom piece  320  physically supports condenser  204  and in some embodiments, air plenum  206  and an air filter. 
     Front ledge  502  is configured to support a filter (not shown) placed proximate to evaporator  202 . In some embodiments, front ledge  502  is mechanically coupled to support legs  216  at the bottom of front ledge  502 . In some embodiments, front ledge  502  is attached to central chamber  502  as illustrated. 
     Central chamber  504  is configured to hold condensed water drained from top piece  310 . Central chamber includes a base panel  508 , an enclosed wall  510 , and a basin  512 , in some embodiments as illustrated. Base panel  508  may be positioned horizontally in an area under strainer holder  408  of top piece  310 . In some embodiments, enclosed wall  510  is located on base panel  510  in an area directly underneath mesh strainer  340  held by strainer holder  408 . In some embodiments, enclosed wall  510  has a rectangular shape as illustrated. In yet other embodiments, enclosed wall  510  may have any other appropriate shape (e.g., circular). Enclosed wall  510  is configured to catch any soft particles or sediment that escape mesh strainer  340 . During operation, condensed water in top piece  310  flows out of top piece  310  via drainage opening  410 , passes through mesh strainer  340 , and is directed to an area within enclosed wall  510  of base panel  508 . After enough condensed water accumulates within enclosed wall  510 , the condensed water flows over enclosed wall  510  to base panel  508  and into basin  512 . Enclosed wall  510  provides a second protection mechanism for catching debris or particles in the condensed water and prevents the debris and particles from damaging other components of the dehumidification system in addition to mesh strainer  340 . In some embodiments, basin  512  is located adjacent to base panel  508 . In some embodiments, basin  512  is any appropriate tank, container, or area within central chamber  504  to collect and hold water. In some embodiments, basin  512  has a sloped bottom as illustrated. Basin  512  may further include a hose connection  514  at a lower portion of basin  512 . A hose may be connected to hose connection  514  in order to drain condensed water out of basin  512 . 
     Back shelf  506  is configured to physically support condenser  204  and air plenum  206 . In some embodiments, back shelf  506  is a flat piece attached to central chamber  504 . In some embodiments, back shelf  506  is disposed partially above electrical box  212 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates enhanced views of support legs  216  that may support drain pan  210 , according to certain embodiments. In general, support legs  216  connect drain pan  210  to the lower portion of cabinet  102 , thereby providing an area for compressor  214  and other components of dehumidification system  100 . In some embodiments, dehumidification system  100  includes three support legs  216  as illustrated. In such embodiments, two support legs  216  may be coupled to a bottom surface of front ledge  502  of drain pan  210 , and one support leg may be coupled to a bottom surface of back shelf  206  of drain pan  210  as illustrated. In other embodiments, any number of support legs  216  may be utilized. Furthermore, support legs  216  may be coupled to any appropriate location on drain pan  210 . 
     In some embodiments, support legs  216  include one or more apertures  218 . Apertures  218  may be in any appropriate shape, have any appropriate dimensions, and be in any location on support legs  216 . For example, apertures  218  may be square, rectangular, or circular in shape. In general, apertures  218  permit airflow  101  to flow throughout dehumidification system  100  without being impeded by support legs  216 . In other words, apertures  218  permit airflow  101  to flow through support legs  216  but still permit support legs  216  to support the weight of drain pan  210  and the components resting on drain pan  210 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a compressor  214  that may be utilized by dehumidification system  100 , according to certain embodiments. In some embodiments, compressor  214  may be located below drain pan  210  in an area created by support legs  216 . In some embodiments, compressor  214  may be affixed or coupled to cabinet  102  using a metal plate  710 . To reduce noise, some embodiments may utilize two layers of grommets  720  to couple compressor  214  to cabinet  102  and to isolate the vibration of compressor  214  from cabinet  102 . For example, a first layer of grommets  720 A may be included between metal plate  710  and cabinet  102 , and a second layer of grommets  720 B may be included between compressor  214  and metal plate  710 . Any number or type of grommets  720  may be used. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a method  800  of controlling dehumidification system  100 , according to certain embodiments. In general, method  800  may be utilized by dehumidification system  100  to reduce the amount of noise generated by dehumidification system  100  and to reduce the amount of energy consumed by dehumidification system  100 . Method  800  may begin in step  810  where an RH set point is determined. In some embodiments, a user may set the RH set point using control panel  108 . In some embodiments, the RH set point is accessed or otherwise retrieved from memory (e.g., within dehumidification system  100 ). An example RH set point may be anywhere between 35 and 50%. 
     At step  820 , method  800  compares a measured RH to the RH set point of step  810 . In some embodiments, the measured RH level of incoming airflow  101  may be retrieved from any appropriate sensor (e.g., a humidistat) that is located within airflow  101  as it enters dehumidification system  100 . If the measured RH is greater than the RH set point (or, in some embodiments, is equal to the RH set point), method  800  may proceed to step  830 . If the measured RH is less than the RH set point (or, in some embodiments, is equal to the RH set point), method  800  may proceed to step  870 . 
     At step  830 , method  800  sets dehumidification system  100  to a first operating mode. In some embodiments, compressor  214  of dehumidification system  100  is enabled and fan  208  of dehumidification system  100  is set to a first speed in the first operating mode. In some embodiments, the first speed of step  830  is a low or minimum fan speed. 
     At step  840 , method  800  determines whether dehumidification system  100  has been operating in the first operating mode for a predetermined amount of time. If method  800  determines in step  840  that dehumidification system  100  has been operating in the first operating mode for at least the predetermined amount of time, method  800  may proceed to step  850 . Otherwise, if method  800  determines in step  840  that dehumidification system  100  has not been operating in the first operating mode for at least the predetermined amount of time, method  800  may proceed back to step  830  or step  840 . For example, if dehumidification system  100  has been operating in the first operating mode for thirty minutes, method  800  may proceed to step  850 . In some embodiments, the predetermined amount of time is a setting that may be set by a user using control panel  108 . 
     At step  850 , method  800  compares a measured RH to the RH set point of step  810 . If the measured RH is greater than the RH set point (or, in some embodiments, is equal to the RH set point), method  800  may proceed to step  860 . If the measured RH is less than the RH set point (or, in some embodiments, is equal to the RH set point), method  800  may proceed to step  870 . 
     At step  860 , method  800  sets dehumidification system  100  to a second operating mode. In some embodiments, compressor  214  of dehumidification system  100  is enabled and fan  208  of dehumidification system  100  is set to a second speed in the second operating mode. In some embodiments, the second speed of step  860  is greater than the first speed of step  830 . In some embodiments, the second speed of step  860  is a high or maximum speed. After step  860 , method  800  may end or proceed back to step  850 . 
     At step  870 , method  800  sets dehumidification system  100  to a third operating mode. In some embodiments, compressor  214  of dehumidification system  100  is disabled and fan  208  of dehumidification system  100  is disabled in the third operating mode. After step  870 , method  800  may end or proceed back to step  810 . 
     Particular embodiments may repeat one or more steps of method  800 , where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates particular steps of method  800  as occurring in a particular order, this disclosure contemplates any suitable steps of method  800  occurring in any suitable order. Moreover, although this disclosure describes and illustrates an example method for controlling dehumidification system  100  including the particular steps of method  800 , this disclosure contemplates any suitable method for controlling dehumidification system  100  including any suitable steps, which may include all, some, or none of the steps of method  800 , where appropriate. Furthermore, although this disclosure describes and illustrates particular components, devices, or systems carrying out particular steps of method  800 , this disclosure contemplates any suitable combination of any suitable components, devices, or systems carrying out any suitable steps of method  800 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an example computer system  900 . In particular embodiments, one or more computer systems  900  perform one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein. In particular embodiments, one or more computer systems  900  provide functionality described or illustrated herein. In particular embodiments, software running on one or more computer systems  900  performs one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein or provides functionality described or illustrated herein. Particular embodiments include one or more portions of one or more computer systems  900 . Herein, reference to a computer system may encompass a computing device, and vice versa, where appropriate. Moreover, reference to a computer system may encompass one or more computer systems, where appropriate. 
     This disclosure contemplates any suitable number of computer systems  900 . This disclosure contemplates computer system  900  taking any suitable physical form. As example and not by way of limitation, computer system  900  may be an embedded computer system, a system-on-chip (SOC), a single-board computer system (SBC) (such as, for example, a computer-on-module (COM) or system-on-module (SOM)), a desktop computer system, a laptop or notebook computer system, an interactive kiosk, a mainframe, a mesh of computer systems, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a server, a tablet computer system, an augmented/virtual reality device, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, computer system  900  may include one or more computer systems  900 ; be unitary or distributed; span multiple locations; span multiple machines; span multiple data centers; or reside in a cloud, which may include one or more cloud components in one or more networks. Where appropriate, one or more computer systems  900  may perform without substantial spatial or temporal limitation one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein. As an example and not by way of limitation, one or more computer systems  900  may perform in real time or in batch mode one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein. One or more computer systems  900  may perform at different times or at different locations one or more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein, where appropriate. 
     In particular embodiments, computer system  900  includes a processor  902 , memory  904 , storage  906 , an input/output (I/O) interface  908 , a communication interface  910 , and a bus  912 . Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular computer system having a particular number of particular components in a particular arrangement, this disclosure contemplates any suitable computer system having any suitable number of any suitable components in any suitable arrangement. 
     In particular embodiments, processor  902  includes hardware for executing instructions, such as those making up a computer program. Processor  902  may be any appropriate processing unit, microprocessor, computer, computing system, and the like. As an example and not by way of limitation, to execute instructions, processor  902  may retrieve (or fetch) the instructions from an internal register, an internal cache, memory  904 , or storage  906 ; decode and execute them; and then write one or more results to an internal register, an internal cache, memory  904 , or storage  906 . In particular embodiments, processor  902  may include one or more internal caches for data, instructions, or addresses. This disclosure contemplates processor  902  including any suitable number of any suitable internal caches, where appropriate. As an example and not by way of limitation, processor  902  may include one or more instruction caches, one or more data caches, and one or more translation lookaside buffers (TLBs). Instructions in the instruction caches may be copies of instructions in memory  904  or storage  906 , and the instruction caches may speed up retrieval of those instructions by processor  902 . Data in the data caches may be copies of data in memory  904  or storage  906  for instructions executing at processor  902  to operate on; the results of previous instructions executed at processor  902  for access by subsequent instructions executing at processor  902  or for writing to memory  904  or storage  906 ; or other suitable data. The data caches may speed up read or write operations by processor  902 . The TLBs may speed up virtual-address translation for processor  902 . In particular embodiments, processor  902  may include one or more internal registers for data, instructions, or addresses. This disclosure contemplates processor  902  including any suitable number of any suitable internal registers, where appropriate. Where appropriate, processor  902  may include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs); be a multi-core processor; or include one or more processors  902 . Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular processor, this disclosure contemplates any suitable processor. 
     In particular embodiments, memory  904  includes main memory for storing instructions for processor  902  to execute or data for processor  902  to operate on. As an example and not by way of limitation, computer system  900  may load instructions from storage  906  or another source (such as, for example, another computer system  900 ) to memory  904 . Processor  902  may then load the instructions from memory  904  to an internal register or internal cache. To execute the instructions, processor  902  may retrieve the instructions from the internal register or internal cache and decode them. During or after execution of the instructions, processor  902  may write one or more results (which may be intermediate or final results) to the internal register or internal cache. Processor  902  may then write one or more of those results to memory  904 . In particular embodiments, processor  902  executes only instructions in one or more internal registers or internal caches or in memory  904  (as opposed to storage  906  or elsewhere) and operates only on data in one or more internal registers or internal caches or in memory  904  (as opposed to storage  906  or elsewhere). One or more memory buses (which may each include an address bus and a data bus) may couple processor  902  to memory  904 . Bus  912  may include one or more memory buses, as described below. In particular embodiments, one or more memory management units (MMUs) reside between processor  902  and memory  904  and facilitate accesses to memory  904  requested by processor  902 . In particular embodiments, memory  904  includes random access memory (RAM). This RAM may be volatile memory, where appropriate. Where appropriate, this RAM may be dynamic RAM (DRAM) or static RAM (SRAM). Moreover, where appropriate, this RAM may be single-ported or multi-ported RAM. This disclosure contemplates any suitable RAM. Memory  904  may include one or more memories  904 , where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates particular memory, this disclosure contemplates any suitable memory. 
     In particular embodiments, storage  906  includes mass storage for data or instructions. As an example and not by way of limitation, storage  906  may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive, flash memory, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive or a combination of two or more of these. Storage  906  may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media, where appropriate. Storage  906  may be internal or external to computer system  900 , where appropriate. In particular embodiments, storage  906  is non-volatile, solid-state memory. In particular embodiments, storage  906  includes read-only memory (ROM). Where appropriate, this ROM may be mask-programmed ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), electrically alterable ROM (EAROM), or flash memory or a combination of two or more of these. This disclosure contemplates mass storage  906  taking any suitable physical form. Storage  906  may include one or more storage control units facilitating communication between processor  902  and storage  906 , where appropriate. Where appropriate, storage  906  may include one or more storages  906 . Although this disclosure describes and illustrates particular storage, this disclosure contemplates any suitable storage. 
     In particular embodiments, I/O interface  908  includes hardware, software, or both, providing one or more interfaces for communication between computer system  900  and one or more I/O devices. Computer system  900  may include one or more of these I/O devices, where appropriate. One or more of these I/O devices may enable communication between a person and computer system  900 . As an example and not by way of limitation, an I/O device may include a keyboard, keypad, microphone, monitor, mouse, printer, scanner, speaker, still camera, stylus, tablet, touch screen, trackball, video camera, another suitable I/O device or a combination of two or more of these. An I/O device may include one or more sensors. This disclosure contemplates any suitable I/O devices and any suitable I/O interfaces  908  for them. Where appropriate, I/O interface  908  may include one or more device or software drivers enabling processor  902  to drive one or more of these I/O devices. I/O interface  908  may include one or more I/O interfaces  908 , where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular I/O interface, this disclosure contemplates any suitable I/O interface. 
     In particular embodiments, communication interface  910  includes hardware, software, or both providing one or more interfaces for communication (such as, for example, packet-based communication) between computer system  900  and one or more other computer systems  900  or one or more networks. As an example and not by way of limitation, communication interface  910  may include a network interface controller (NIC) or network adapter for communicating with an Ethernet or other wire-based network or a wireless NIC (WNIC) or wireless adapter for communicating with a wireless network, such as a WI-FI network. This disclosure contemplates any suitable network and any suitable communication interface  910  for it. As an example and not by way of limitation, computer system  900  may communicate with an ad hoc network, a personal area network (PAN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), or one or more portions of the Internet or a combination of two or more of these. One or more portions of one or more of these networks may be wired or wireless. As an example, computer system  900  may communicate with a wireless PAN (WPAN) (such as, for example, a BLUETOOTH WPAN), a WI-FI network, a WI-MAX network, a cellular telephone network (such as, for example, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network), or other suitable wireless network or a combination of two or more of these. Computer system  900  may include any suitable communication interface  910  for any of these networks, where appropriate. Communication interface  910  may include one or more communication interfaces  910 , where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular communication interface, this disclosure contemplates any suitable communication interface. 
     In particular embodiments, bus  912  includes hardware, software, or both coupling components of computer system  900  to each other. As an example and not by way of limitation, bus  912  may include an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a front-side bus (FSB), a HYPERTRANSPORT (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an INFINIBAND interconnect, a low-pin-count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCIe) bus, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association local (VLB) bus, or another suitable bus or a combination of two or more of these. Bus  912  may include one or more buses  912 , where appropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates a particular bus, this disclosure contemplates any suitable bus or interconnect. 
     Herein, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium or media may include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (such, as for example, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application-specific ICs (ASICs)), hard disk drives (HDDs), hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical discs, optical disc drives (ODDs), magneto-optical discs, magneto-optical drives, floppy diskettes, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tapes, solid-state drives (SSDs), RAM-drives, SECURE DIGITAL cards or drives, any other suitable computer-readable non-transitory storage media, or any suitable combination of two or more of these, where appropriate. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium may be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile, where appropriate. 
     Herein, “or” is inclusive and not exclusive, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A or B” means “A, B, or both,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Moreover, “and” is both joint and several, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A and B” means “A and B, jointly or severally,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. 
     The scope of this disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. The scope of this disclosure is not limited to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein. Moreover, although this disclosure describes and illustrates respective embodiments herein as including particular components, elements, feature, functions, operations, or steps, any of these embodiments may include any combination or permutation of any of the components, elements, features, functions, operations, or steps described or illustrated anywhere herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. Furthermore, reference in the appended claims to an apparatus or system or a component of an apparatus or system being adapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to, enabled to, operable to, or operative to perform a particular function encompasses that apparatus, system, component, whether or not it or that particular function is activated, turned on, or unlocked, as long as that apparatus, system, or component is so adapted, arranged, capable, configured, enabled, operable, or operative. Additionally, although this disclosure describes or illustrates particular embodiments as providing particular advantages, particular embodiments may provide none, some, or all of these advantages.