You want to know how dehumidifier benefits you, read this and find out if you need one or not.
Both high and low humidity levels can be an issue in the home. Depending on the weather condition where you live and the season of the year, you can be faced with one or even both of these issues at different times of the year. If the humidity level in your home is too high, one wise investment that will ensure that can help keep it under control is a dehumidifier.
There are plenty of reasons why you should try to keep the humidity level in your home under control. First, allergy triggers like dust mites and mildew thrive under high humid conditions. Also, keeping humidity in your home under control is essential if you want to protect your properties from damage. That’s not to mention the fact that you simply feel more comfortable when the humidity level is normal than when it isn’t.
What Is A Dehumidifier?
As the name implies a dehumidifier removes humidity (or moisture) from the air. What this household appliance basically does is to suck in air from one end of your home, remove moisture from it and blow the dehumidified air back into the room. This is done either by cooling the air to remove the moisture or simply by absorption or adsorption. Either way, the goal is to bring down humidity levels to a comfortable and safe level for human health and for your home.
Types Of Dehumidifiers
Generally, dehumidifiers are grouped into 5 basic types. These include:
a. Heat Pump Dehumidifiers: these types of dehumidifier uses a combination of fan, heat exchange coils and heat pump to reduce moisture in the air. The fan drives the humid air towards the extremely cold heat exchange coils which cause the air to condense and the water is collected.
b. Dehumidifying ventilator: this type of dehumidifiers has an exhaust fan which is used to expel air that has been collected from the interior of the home to the exterior. They are commonly used in crawlspaces, attics, and home basements.
c. Chemical Absorbent Dehumidifier (desiccant dehumidifiers): these types of humidifier use a gets rid of moisture in the air by making use of a hydrophilic material which absorbs air from the surrounding air.
d. Homemade Dehumidifier: DIY enthusiasts can easily build their own dehumidifiers using a wide range of technics depending on the materials they have available. Materials used for making these types of dehumidifiers include charcoal or road salt.
e. Whole home dehumidifier units: although they cost more to install and run than the other types of dehumidifiers discusses, a whole home dehumidifier system is your best bet for removing or even adding humidity to your home. They are inbuilt with sensors that monitor humidity levels in the home and will adjust humidity levels accordingly.
Dehumidifier; How It Works
Typically, Dehumidifiers works either by refrigeration (i.e. by cooling air to remove moisture from it) or adsorption/absorption (by absorbing or adsorbing moisture using a drying material).
Refrigeration: dehumidifiers that work by refrigeration are very much similar in operation to regular refrigerators or air-conditioning units. The humid moist air is sucked into the appliance through a grille. An electric fan in the machine draws air inward and the air is passed over cold pipes containing a coolant. Cooling the air leads to condensation of all the moisture it contains and this is removed through pipes in the unit and passed into a tray or bucket located at the base of the machine. With the moisture removed, the dehumidified air is passed over a heating element which returns it back to normal temperature. The now warm air is then blown back into the room. The tray where the water is contained has to be emptied regularly. Most dehumidifiers have indicator light showing when the machine needs to be emptied and switches that automatically go off once the tray is full.
Absorption or adsorption: these types of dehumidifiers work by mopping up water from the air using a material that holds water effectively and then squeezing out the water from this material. The process of removing water from the air is either by absorption (which means the water soaks directly into the material) or by adsorption (the material has a surface that picks up water).
A duct in the machine draws in warm air and the air is passed over a rotating wheel which contains the material that absorbs moisture from the air. Once the moisture is removed, the dry air is blown back into the room after it must have been warmed by an electric heating element underneath the machine.
Benefits Of A Dehumidifier
Health: allergens like mildew, dust mites and mold thrive under humid conditions. If you are prone to allergies, installing a dehumidifier will help protect your health by altering the humidity level in your home. With a dehumidifier installed it will prevent or reduce the chances of skin irritations and respiratory discomfort due to allergens.
Bad odor: typically, the growth of mold and mildew on your walls will lead to an unpleasant rotting or musty smell, using a dehumidifier will help prevent and reduce this bad odor.
Comfort: high humidity environments are generally uncomfortable to stay in. high humidity will make the transfer of heat from your body to the air around you very difficult. Sweat will not evaporate as fast as it should and you will generally feel hotter than you are meant to. a dehumidifier will help bring balance to the humidity level in your home and ensure optimum comfort.
Property damage: a dehumidifier helps to reduce the chances of mold growing on your furniture, clothing, bed sheets and curtains. High humidity can also damage wooden floors and roofs thus compromising the structural integrity of your building. High humidity can also damage your electronics like computers and TVs and make fresh food like bread and cereals go stale too quickly.
Disadvantages Of A Dehumidifier
Yet another appliance to clean and maintain: if you are already tired of the stress associated with keeping your household appliances clean and maintained, you might be skeptical about adding yet another one to the mix.
Energy cost: although installing a dehumidifier does not necessarily drive your energy costs sky high (since it also means your air conditioner will run less), however, you can expect it to still reflect slightly on your bills.
Noise: a dehumidifier is not really a quiet appliance. While this doesn’t mean it is outright noisy, you might find the sound it makes a little irritating especially if you are one of those people easily affected by noise. The noise the machine makes also depends on the type of humidifier you have purchased. If you will be placing the dehumidifier in your room and not somewhere like the attic or basement, be sure you purchase one with the minimal noise level. Also, correct placement can reduce how much the sound affects you.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Are dehumidifiers worth it?
A: Considering the pros and cons you might want to ask whether buying a dehumidifier is really worth it or not. There is really no direct answer to that question. First, you need to know if you really need a dehumidifier. This depends largely on the humidity level and temperature in your home. If the humidity level and temperature are low, then you don’t need a dehumidifier. While some may argue that installing a dehumidifier will drive your energy costs high, this might not be a valid reason not to install one. The energy costs of using a dehumidifier are conveniently balanced by the fact that your air conditioning unit will not have to run for as long as it would normally.
Q: Where to put dehumidifiers
A: The purpose of a dehumidifier is to remove excess moisture from highly humid areas of the home. This means the most important factor that determines placement is finding the areas of your home where humidity is a problem. This includes:
Basement or crawl spaces: most times, the basement is usually damp and wet as a result of humidity it receives from the surrounding soil. Placing a dehumidifier in your basement will help reduce moisture level and prevent the growth of mold that may damage your structure
Bathroom: without adequate ventilation, you might have a humidity problem in your bathroom. Placing a dehumidifier in your bathroom will help combat this problem and keep humidity levels under check
In-room placement: you can also place a dehumidifier in your room. If you are easily affected by noise, you might not find this comfortable. In such cases, you should try to install it as far away as possible while still as close as possible to the source of moisture. Also, be sure to leave enough clearance from walls to ensure easy flow of air into and out of the dehumidifier
Q: Are dehumidifiers effective?
A: The answer to this depends mostly on the type of dehumidifier you want. Be sure to only purchase top quality units that are energy efficient and are capable of effectively handling the size of your home.
Q: What are the Side effects of a dehumidifier?
A: Dehumidifiers are a highly useful household appliance but using one might also have some side effects. Some might find them too noisy for comfort although in most cases the noise level is most conducive. Also, removing moisture from the air might be unsafe for electronics. Dry air can cause a spark of electricity which can damage a computer or any other household appliance. Some airborne germs also thrive in dry air. This might lead to cold and flu.
Wrapping it up
In this article we were able to look at what is a dehumidifiers regarding the definition, types, pros and cons. And also the health benefits of dehumidifiers and why is necessary for homes of high humidity levels. So coming this far, we believe with guide how to pick a dehumidifiers for different home sections can be achieved. You may check some unit for basement humidity removing here.