Although humidity is invisible, it plays a significant role in our lives. A little moisture in the air is essential for good indoor air quality (IAQ). However, too much humidity can have a number of adverse effects. Therefore, it is important to maintain indoor humidity at an optimal level; You can also learn more about indoor air quality at United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Let’s help you explore the basics of the dehumidifier and guide you through its benefits. This way, you make an informed decision whenever you wish to invest in it.
Table Of Content
- How does Dehumidifier work?
- Types of a Dehumidifier
- Signs that you need a Dehumidifier
- What does a Dehumidifier do? Benefits of a Dehumidifier
How Does a Dehumidifier Work?
Learning what a dehumidifier does and how it operates can help you boost IAQ if the indoor humidity levels are higher then required. This useful appliance helps maintain healthy levels of humidity within a space by removing excess moisture from air.
Main Functionality
- A dehumidifier pulls in the surrounding air, removes moisture from it, and then blows it back into the room.
- The condensed water drips into a container unit that you have to empty periodically.
- Some advanced models pump out the moisture via a drainage tube.
- Regarding the exact mechanism through which the moisture is stripped off from the air, most dehumidifiers use either refrigeration or absorption.
Refrigeration
Most dehumidifiers utilize refrigeration technology. They come with two grills on their sides. They use an electric fan to draw air in through one of the grills and pass it over a set of coolant-cooled coils. Water vapor condenses out of the cooling air and drains into the collection basket or tank.
Thereafter, the dried air passes over hot coils that make it warmer as it’s circulated back into the room via the second grill. Suitable for any type of climates.
Absorption
Some dehumidifiers operate through absorption. These models also use a grill and fan to suck air into them. However, once the air is inside, the water vapor in it is extracted and absorbed by a desiccant such as silica gel.
In the absorption method, there’s no cooling of air before the dehumidification process. For that reason, it’s only suitable for cold climates.
Types of Dehumidifiers
There are many different sizes and styles of dehumidifiers available. The ideal dehumidifier for your needs is determined by the space you’re planning to use it in as well as the humidity levels.
Home Dehumidifiers
No matter the type of house you live in—be it an apartment, condominium, or any other kind of house—home dehumidifiers rid the space of excess moisture. Generally, they tend to have a pint capacity of 50 or less.
There are mini home dehumidifiers available for smaller spaces like bathrooms, RVs, and boats.
Note: The pint capacity refers to the amount of water vapor that a dehumidifier can remove from an area per day.
Basement and Crawlspace Dehumidifiers
These areas are usually extraordinarily dark and damp—providing the perfect conditions for mold growth, wood rot, unpleasant odors, and water stains on the ceiling or walls. Basement dehumidifiers are specially designed to counter these conditions.
They can run even in temperatures as low as 40 degrees and remove up to 168 pints a day. They usually feature the auto defrost function to enhance their efficiency and longevity.
Industrial Dehumidifiers
These dehumidifiers are excellent for use in warehouses, factories, and restoration projects. They have sturdy steel exteriors and highly efficient compressors.
They can withstand very harsh conditions like ambient temperatures of -4°F to 104°F and can filter out as much as 562 pints of water in a day.
Pump dehumidifiers
Pump dehumidifiers are suitable for buildings with multiple levels. They come with internal drain pumps that expel the extracted moisture away both horizontally and vertically.
You can use them to pump the condensate upwards from the basement or downwards from your home’s second floor. They save you from having to drain the condensate tank manually.
Visual Signs That Indicate You Need a Dehumidifier
A simple visual scan can reveal some obvious indications of excessive humidity in certain rooms or areas of the house. They include:
- Wet stains on the ceiling or walls
- Windows covered with condensation
- Unpleasant stuffiness in a room
- Rotting wood
- Musty odors
- Peeling wallpaper
- Green or black blotches that show the presence of mold
The Numerous Benefits of Dehumidifiers
Here’s a closer look at the benefits that you stand to gain by introducing a dehumidifier into your living space.
1. Mold Growth Prevention
Mold requires moisture to grow. High humidity is the major cause of mold infestation in indoor spaces. It can be such a costly and challenging task that some people even choose to move out.
Other than severe allergy, mold can also trigger asthma attacks. And let’s not forget that rotten smell that usually accompanies it.
A dehumidifier removes surplus moisture from the air, preventing mold growth and the problems associated with it.
2. Elimination of Dust Mites
Dust mites are microscopic creatures that usually occupy carpets, rugs, beds, mattresses, curtains, and even clothing. They require food and moisture to survive. Therefore, indoor humidity affects the dust mite population in your home significantly.
Mite droppings have the protein that can trigger allergies in some people, even after the mites have died. Wheezing, sinusitis, dermatitis, and eczema are just some of the irritations that can occur when the droppings crumble and are inhaled.
A dehumidifier keeps the humidity levels in your home at optimal levels, thereby eliminating the warm, humid environment the dust mites need to survive in as well as the possible ailments they can cause.
3. Improved Home Comfort
Excessive humidity makes the air feel damp and muggy. The sensation downgrades indoor comfort. Dry air makes moisture evaporate easily. The cooling effect that evaporation has on your skin makes you feel cool and comfortable.
By helping maintain proper humidity levels, a dehumidifier helps you feel comfortable without cranking up the air conditioner.
NOAA’s Heat Index Chart reports that humidity can make people feel 3-18 degrees hotter.
4. Lower Energy Bills
It may sound counter-intuitive because a dehumidifier is an electrical device, so it consumes electricity. If your home’s air is humid, your air conditioner cools the air while eliminating the moisture in it.
If your home lacks a dehumidifier, your A/C will have to work harder and slower as it removes the excess moisture in the air, wasting power. That will also make the A/C wear out quicker, meaning it will need repairs more often.
A typical dehumidifier removes moisture from indoor air more efficiently than a typical air conditioning unit.
Let’s not forget that excessive moisture makes the air feel warmer than it really is. Therefore, you may crank up the air conditioner to feel more comfortable, driving up your utility bills.
With a dehumidifier, you could even raise the thermostat setting and make your house more energy-efficient. The device goes a long way toward not only making you more comfortable but also saving you money during the warmest periods of the year.
5. Protect Your Home
Moisture can make the structural support beams of your house warp, crack, or split over time. Metal fittings can also rust. When there’s too much moisture in your house, you’ll see a foggy vapor or water beading on the inside glass surface of windows.
Excessive moisture can shorten the lifespan of furniture drastically, fading photographs, and peel wallpaper and paint. Electronics can also rust.
A dehumidifier brings down the humidity to favorable levels, enabling your household items to last longer.
6. Faster Drying of Laundry
In a very humid environment, laundry can take a whole day or more to dry. That’s because high humidity generally reduces the rate at which clothes dry up. Running a dehumidifier helps speed up the drying process.
Some dehumidifiers even come with a laundry mode to facilitate quicker drying of wet clothes. They come in handy if you lack a dryer or when the weather outside isn’t conducive for hanging laundry.
7. Prolonged Food Shelf Life
Mold can grow on dry foods like cereals, bread, grains, and cake mix if they become excessively moist. The foods can also develop stickiness, mottling, and crystallization due to high humidity. When they dry out, they can split, crack, or become crumbly, making them inedible.
By removing excess moisture from the air, a dehumidifier boosts the shelf life and edibility of foodstuffs.
8. Keep Pests Out
High humidity is a prime condition for small insects to thrive.That’s why millipedes and other pesky insects love basements, crawl spaces, and bathrooms. Cockroaches and spiders also gravitate to damp environments.
With a dehumidifier, you can make the environment inhospitable for these annoying critters. Having a basement dehumidifier in place will help deter their activity.
9. No Disruptions
Dehumidifiers don’t disrupt your daily life. They work quietly in the background. Most people won’t notice them while they’re running.
Dehumidifiers with the auto-start feature restart themselves and operate at the previously configured settings once power is restored after an outage. For added convenience, the automatic shutoff function shuts off dehumidifiers once the collection tank is full or space has been dehumidified to the desired level.
10. Variety of Sizes
There are many differently-sized dehumidifiers available, making it easy for you to find one that fits into your home.
- Miniature dehumidifiers work well for lightly humid or single small rooms such as laundry rooms and bathrooms. These are easy to use and move from room to room.
- Larger capacity dehumidifiers are also available for rooms with excessive moisture or large spaces like basements and open floor plans. They’re also usually portable, with features like easy-roll casters for increased mobility.
- A whole-house dehumidifier for people who suffer from severe allergies, have large homes or live in very humid climates. It’s built into a home’s heating and cooling system, making it a good option for people that want a device that works out of sight.
Edited: Corrected Link to EPA (May 12, 2021)