Why Buy a Dehumidifier?
A dehumidifier can help dry out a damp room, reduce allergy triggers like dust mites and mildew and prevent wood damage. They can also reduce the appearance of mould and condensation on windows.
The best dehumidifiers are easy to use, won’t cost much to run and can recycle the water they extract, reducing waste. They can also help you save energy.
Reduce Allergens
Mold, mildew and dust mites all thrive in damp environments, but a dehumidifier can help to keep your indoor air clean by reducing their numbers. In addition, dehumidifiers eliminate musty odors that are often caused by moisture in the air, making your home smell fresher and cleaner.
Besides reducing allergies, a dehumidifier can also help to electric fan relieve asthma symptoms. This is because the air becomes drier when humidity levels are controlled, which makes it easier for people with asthma to breathe.
A dehumidifier can also lower the spore counts of mold, mildew and dust mites, which are all known to trigger allergy symptoms. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 50% to inhibit allergen growth, and a dehumidifier can help you achieve that goal by removing excess moisture from the air in your home.
Other benefits of a dehumidifier include protecting your sheets, furniture and electronics from the damage that can be caused by high humidity, and reducing the amount of time you spend cleaning your home. Additionally, when the air is dry, it is easier to store items without them getting musty or stale. Finally, a dehumidifier can even reduce your energy costs by helping your air conditioner to run more efficiently. It can do this by removing moisture from the air, which can significantly reduce how hard your unit has to work.
Prevent Mold Growth
Mold and mildew are more than unsightly; they can cause serious health issues, including respiratory problems. These harmful fungi thrive in certain conditions, such as puddles of water or damp materials. Mold spores are also airborne, meaning they can find their way into your home and start to grow wherever they find a hospitable environment.
A dehumidifier can help prevent mold growth by reducing the amount of moisture in the air. This can prevent the spores from taking hold and growing in your home, helping to keep your indoor humidity levels at optimal levels.
The best way to prevent mold and mildew is to ensure that your home’s surfaces are dry, especially in rooms like the basement or bathroom where they may be exposed to more water. Mold spores can thrive on materials such as wood, drywall and carpet, so it’s important to remove them as soon as possible to avoid further damage to your home.
Ventilation is another great way to reduce the amount of moisture in your home. Opening windows and using fans will increase air circulation throughout the house, significantly lowering the risk of mold and mildew growth. A dehumidifier can be used in conjunction with ventilation systems to create an ideal environment for your household, keeping indoor humidity at optimal levels and preventing mold and mildew from growing.
Save Energy
Dehumidifiers burn a lot of energy, but you can reduce this cost by selecting models with energy-saving features. For example, look for timers and auto-restart functions to proactively control energy consumption. Also, consider whether a model has frost sensors that prevent it from freezing on its coils during cold weather. Frost causes the machine to spend time and energy defrosting rather than collecting water, which limits efficiency.
Portable dehumidifiers use adsorbent materials to extract water from the air. When a high voltage passes through porous electrodes in an electrolytic membrane, hydrogen ions on the anode (dehumidifying) side dissociate into water and oxygen. These molecules then drip down a drain or into the bucket, and dry air is blown out of the evaporator coils. Dehumidifiers that recycle the water they collect are also a great way to save energy. The greywater that shows up in the bucket can be used to water plants or washing machines instead of wasting energy and money running your dishwasher or clothes washer.
Excessive moisture in a home can also damage books, wood furniture and clothing. It can also cause metals to rust and even warp doors. A whole house dehumidifier can keep this from happening, as well as help protect pets’ health by eliminating musty odors and making it easier for them to breathe.
Recycle Water
It seems like a waste to just dump the water that your dehumidifier collects down the drain when it’s full. But this water — which is considered grey water, since it’s not potable — does have a few uses that can help save you money and energy.
For starters, it’s a good source of water for household plants. Dehumidifier water is distilled and free of minerals, which makes it ideal for gardening. Just be sure to disinfect the bucket before use. You can also use it to clean surfaces or to run steam irons, since the distilled water is low in dissolved solids.
Using dehumidifier water in this way is especially useful electric fan vendors in areas where fresh water is scarce or expensive. But it’s important to be aware that the water may still contain harmful contaminants, even in trace amounts. This is especially true for plants that are eaten raw, such as herbs or vegetables.
In addition, you should avoid running dehumidifiers near a kitchen or bathroom sink. This could cause a puddle that can drip onto nearby appliances and damage them or create a tripping hazard. Most portable dehumidifiers will have a hose that you can connect to a floor drain or sump, but if you plan to set up your dehumidifier somewhere else, make sure the unit is raised high enough for gravity drainage and to prevent flooding.
