Maintaining the humidity levels in your house is more important than you think. Humidity can lead to multiple problems such as mould, along with rotting wood and peeling paint. Moreover, increased humidity levels can have negative effects on your health as well. So, get rid of the dampness in your home with the help of a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier can suck out the moisture in the air resulting in reduced humidity levels. Whether you need one in your bedroom, living room or basement of the house, dehumidifiers can keep things nice and dry at all times.
What Is The Use Of A Dehumidifier?
The main objective of buying a dehumidifier is to reduce the moisture levels in your home. But knowing when you actually need one is also important.
- People who live in tropical climates and have to deal with humidity all the time definitely need a dehumidifier.
- Areas that get a lot of rain can cause moisture inside the house. It may not feel too humid inside the house especially if it is really cold outside. But rain can cause the moisture levels in the house to go up.
- Washing machines and drying your clothes indoors can also lead to a buildup of humidity within the house.
- Baths and hot steamy showers cause moisture that can linger on and permeate the wooden flooring of your home or the carpet causing rotting and foul smells.
- Damp smells in the house can be avoided with a dehumidifier.
- If you notice a sudden increase in pests around the house such as house flies, cockroaches, silverfish and more, it can be caused due to increased humidity.
- Prolonged coughing, runny nose and persistent allergies caused by too much moisture in the air can be decreased by a dehumidifier as well.
Air Purifier Vs. Dehumidifiers
The essential function of both air purifiers and dehumidifiers is similar, that is, they both get rid of any allergens and bacteria in the environment. However, an air purifier simply gets rid of dust, bacteria, odours, and allergens within a given area. It is great for people who have pets, have really dusty carpets or people with major allergies.
Dehumidifiers on the other hand do little more than reduce the allergens in the room. They can reduce bacteria and allergens but are not as effective as air purifiers. The primary function of dehumidifiers is that they decrease the humidity levels in a room.
Different Types of Dehumidifiers
If you are going to be purchasing a dehumidifier for your home, then you need to know the different options that are available to you. Moreover, each of these types has a unique working style.
Compressor or Refrigeration Dehumidifiers
For People who have to deal with a tropical climate and constant humidity, a refrigeration dehumidifier is perfect for you. They suck in the hot air in their environment, filter and cool it down, and then reheated, clean and dry air is pushed out. Hot air is easy to extract moisture from which is why this type is good for tropical climates. However, if you’re hoping that the dehumidifier will help cool down the room that is not going to happen. We suggest using an air conditioner and a dehumidifier.
Desiccant Rotor Dehumidifiers
These models absorb the moisture present in the air and run it through a fan that dries it and eventually pushes the dry air out. Desiccant rotor dehumidifiers are said to be quieter than the other models making them perfect for the bedroom, study or yoga room (if you have one).
Thermo-Electric Dehumidifiers
If you’re looking for a dehumidifier that can control the temperature within the room as well, then a thermoelectric or Peltier dehumidifier is what you need. It uses the thermoelectric module to cool down or heat up the air it takes in. This is an energy-efficient that is great for maintaining the humidity levels and to some extent the temperature of a room.
Features To Look For…
There are certain features that you should consider when you buy a dehumidifier. Whether it is for the home or your office, you need to note everything you need.
Portability
Usually, dehumidifiers are quite heavy. The machinery within a dehumidifier makes it heavy and harder to move around. This is why we recommend looking for one that has features such as attached wheels or a handle. While not all dehumidifiers will be heavy to carry around, a handle or wheels would still be useful features, even if you’re moving the dehumidifier from one room to another.
Collection Tank
A dehumidifier essentially reduces the humidity levels within a room by sucking in the moisture and pushing out dry air. All the water that has been extracted needs to be collected somewhere. We recommend going for a dehumidifier that has a tank big enough to store roughly 4L of water. This way you won’t have to empty out the tank that often as it will retain more water.
Regular use
Some people tend to run a dehumidifier for longer periods of time. This is common for people living in very humid areas. In such a case, instead of a collection tank, you will need a continuous drain system attached to the dehumidifier. You can opt for models that come with an attached adaptor hose to drain out the water or you can buy one and attach it yourself. Also keep in mind that if you are going for a continuous drain system, the location of the dehumidifier will have to be more or less permanent.
Checking Humidity Levels
Using a dehumidifier in a humid room is good but you can’t rob the room completely of humidity. You need to know the exact levels of humidity in a room to set a target on your humidistat. Just like a thermostat, a humidistat helps you maintain the required amount of humidity in a room. You may be able to set the exact number in the humidistat to maintain humidity or there would be an option to set it within a range of low to high.
Note: 40-60% humidity in a room is considered ideal. You can go slightly higher for more humidity or slightly lower for a dryer feel.
Time To Purchase
Once you have determined which dehumidifier is best for your home, go ahead and order one or three of them. You can have a dehumidifier for every room if you really need it. But make sure that each dehumidifier you buy is ideal for that particular room.
