The Benefits of a Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier reduces the moisture in your home’s air, helping to prevent mildew, mold and musty odors. They pull air over refrigerated coils to condense moisture, which is collected in a tank and replaced with cool, drier air.
A dehumidifier also helps to prevent allergies and asthma by reducing dust mites and their allergens. This keeps you and your family healthy.
Energy Efficiency
Dehumidifiers consume electricity to remove moisture from the air. A typical unit eats up about 160 kilowatt hours per month (kWh), which is a lot more than your refrigerator does, but less than the average air conditioner consumes. The more moisture a dehumidifier removes from the air, the less energy it uses.
The amount of moisture a dehumidifier removes per day, or its capacity, is listed on the label. Most dehumidifiers have warning lights that indicate when it’s time to empty the water bucket, and some have a hose port for draining into a sump or floor drain. Some models use a built-in pump to move the water away, but others require you to manually pull the bucket out and replace it.
You can save energy by choosing a dehumidifier with a high EF rating, which means that it extracts more water per kWh of electricity consumed. You can also reduce your energy consumption by keeping the room temperature as low as possible while still maintaining indoor comfort.
Excessive humidity is a breeding ground for allergens like mold and mildew, and it can cause damage to furniture, walls, and other items. It can also irritate allergies, make skin feel dry and itchy, and contribute to musty odors. A dehumidifier helps decrease the moisture in the air, preventing these problems and improving overall indoor air quality.
Moisture Removal Rate
Excess moisture in a home can cause everything from walls to furniture to warp, and can lead to other issues such as a musty smell or the presence of pests like silverfish. Dehumidifiers work to reduce the amount of moisture in air by either condensing or absorbing it. Ideally, relative humidity in a home should be between 30 and 50 percent.
While a dehumidifier will not cure your actual water problem, such as a faulty drain or leak, it will help keep your belongings in electric fan better condition while you find the right solution. For example, a dehumidifier placed in a garage can prevent tools from rusting and bikes and cars from being damaged by excess moisture.
Moisture extraction rate is one of the most important factors when choosing a dehumidifier. It’s the dehumidifier’s ability to remove water vapor from the air at specified test conditions. This can be measured with a psychrometric chart or the “wet bulb” and dry bulb temperature readings, and is reported in pints per day.
Most dehumidifiers feature a removable bucket that collects the moisture, and most have warning lights to let electric fan vendors you know when it is full. They also come with a hose attachment that can be used to drain the collected water directly into a sink or drainage pipe. This can be a great convenience, but be sure to place your dehumidifier where it will not block walkways or present a tripping hazard.
Noise Levels
Unlike other household appliances like washing machines, dryers and blenders, dehumidifiers typically don’t generate significant amounts of noise. However, some models have been found to be loud enough to drown out conversation.
Generally, the primary source of noise in any dehumidifier comes from its compressor and fan. The compressor is what allows it to reduce humidity levels by absorbing and condensing moisture from the air. Dehumidifiers with quieter compressors produce less noise and are better for bedroom use. The rotating fan and swirling airflow also create some noise. The best dehumidifiers for bedrooms have quiet fans and are Energy Star rated so that they don’t use much power and operate at low volumes.
Some manufacturers have even gone as far as to insulate the compressor and fan and add noise-reducing mechanisms to their units. The GE APER50LZ, for instance, is one of the quietest dehumidifiers we have ever tested, producing only 51 decibels on its lowest setting.
Besides reducing the likelihood of mold and mildew growth, low noise industrial dehumidifiers promote better indoor air quality and can help ease allergies or respiratory issues. When purchasing a new industrial dehumidifier, consider the capacity it offers and its maximum noise level to ensure it will be quiet enough for your office. Additionally, make sure it is placed in an area with adequate space to allow air to freely flow in and out.
Warranty
A dehumidifier is a good choice for many homes and businesses because high humidity levels promote mildew and mold growth and can cause furniture to rot. Dehumidifiers help reduce these problems and can make rooms more comfortable. Dehumidifiers can also lower allergy triggers like dust mites and help prevent microbial infections.
These devices vary in size and strength. Portable dehumidifiers are typically plastic, inexpensive and designed to work best in smaller spaces. Restoration dehumidifiers are much larger and heavier-duty machines used to repair heavy water damage caused by hurricanes or other natural disasters. Some are built into the air conditioning system while others can be mounted on the wall or floor.
While most dehumidifiers are durable and fairly simple to operate, they do need occasional maintenance to keep them working at peak efficiency. They may need to be emptied and cleaned to prevent clogging of air filters or condensation collection tubes, and they should also have their drain passages checked to ensure they are free from blockages.
Some units require more extensive maintenance, especially if they are used frequently in very humid environments. For example, the coils in refrigerant models can become covered with ice if the unit is turned on too often in such an environment. Better-quality units feature a frost or ice sensor that shuts off the unit once it senses a buildup of ice so the coils can warm and melt.
