Before buying any dehumidifier, a question is, can a dehumidifier get rid of the moisture in your house? There are many kinds of moisture, and not all of them can work with a dehumidifier. However, by using one, tackling some forms of damp can be considerably improved.
If you are in the market to purchase a dehumidifier maybe this article can help more with your decisions.
A dehumidifier can help get rid of certain kinds of moisture. They are only equipped to assist with condensation, however. If condensation is not the cause of the dampness in your house, then a dehumidifier may not be the best remedy. So, if tackling condensation deals with the dampness, this will be a good buy, but if your dampness is caused in other ways, maybe not.
So, What Is Condensation?
Condensation occurs when a cold surface is contacted by the humidity in the air. It tends to occur when the air is not active. Corners of a room is a prime example, where the air is trapped. But just looking at your windows could be the easiest way to establish condensation.
Heating water from a kettle or pan, may cause condensation if it has a cool surface to lay. This can then lead to dampness or possibly mould on your paint.
- You could Install an extractor fan in the kitchen to reduce moisture.
Of course, reducing the condensation you create solves the problem, too. So, allowing fresh air to circulate, say leaving a window open when having a hot shower, or using a lid on the pan in the kitchen can reduce the moisture output right at the start.
- An extractor fan in the bathroom can also help reduce condensation.
So, to clarify, you should buy a dehumidifier to reduce condensation and humidity in the air if you can’t fix the underlying issue. If your dampness is caused from other sources such as through the walls, rising damp or a pipe has burst etc.
- Have a look at your outside guttering and ensure they are not leaking, and all excess water goes down the drain and does not go down your walls.
A dehumidifier will help dry out the room, but not take away the dampness, until the root of the problem is fixed. A common indication is peeling wallpaper, where the dampness is coming from within the walls or behind.
- Smells are also a common factor of dampness, with either a musty smell or strong odour.
How Does A Dehumidifier Work?
This is how a dehumidifier works by drawing in air from the room at one end, extracting the moisture, and then blowing it back out into the room again, adding warmth in the process, it will reduce the amount of humidity in the air.
- Often, they come with an extendable pipe than can be fixed through the wall, or or an open door or window.
Buying A Dehumidifier for Flooding
With the mass flooding that has occurred through Britain in recent years, a dehumidifier has been the key too to dry out rooms. Of course, they can only be plugged in when water levels have dropped and if done quickly enough, may prevent future dampness or water penetrating walls and floors permanently.
Clearly power is a key feature, the bigger the power the larger the room it can handle. Added features could be a timer.
There are sometimes, trays to empty after catching some of the water, so they cannot be left unattended permanently, say for a week whilst living somewhere else. Take notice of the size in litres, the dehumidifier can handle.
The more expensive models will likely have some automated features, to switch off and on appropriately when needed.
There are Two Types of Dehumidifier, Refrigerant and Desiccant
The refrigerant dehumidifier works better in warmer temperatures, are probably cheaper to run and add more heat to your house. It works with a compressor, maybe similar workings to a fridge, but doesn’t work that well in the cold.
The desiccant dehumidifier is more suited in colder temperatures, where absorbent materials capture the moisture. Maybe for garages, cold warehouses or sheds, these types of dehumidifier may be more useful.
Both versions do have relatively small motors and shouldn’t cost a lot to run for the year, when compared to an electric fire for instance. We are taking may around 250w, versus just a one bar fire of 1000w.
Some Examples of Humidifiers To Buy
It is relatively easy to source the right humidifier for from, top retailers such as B&Q, Screwfix, Wickes and don’t forget the Amazon.
Dimplex EverDri14EL 14L Domestic use Dehumidifier B&Q
A 14L dehumidifier that is designed to tackle damp within the home and has achieved the Quiet Mark accreditation for being one of the quietest dehumidifiers on the market.
- Guarantee – 3 years
- 15 Hr Run-back time with start delay
- Electronic humidistat
DSP (Dual Safety Protection) - Tank full indicator
Auto defrost function
Blyss 25L Large Room Dehumidifier B&Q
The Blyss dehumidifier is ideal for removing excess moisture and controlling damp and condensation in large rooms. With its 4L capacity tank, it’s capable of extracting up to 1L of water per hour, and features an automatic shutdown to switch off the machine when full.
Guarantee – 2 years
Washable Filter & Drain Hose
- Suitable for rooms from 50-55m²
- Using new gas R-290 – A cooling gas which is better for the environment, low-polluting with a minimal impact on the ozone layer
- 4 castors – It’s easy to move the unit around your home.
- LED display – The integrated thermostat has an LED display.
EBAC POWERDRI 18LTR Dehumidifier Unit Screwfix
- Suitable for commercial and domestic use.
- Supplied with cleanable filter.
- Removes 18Ltr/Day
- 2-Speed
Humidistat Setting - Continuous Drainage Facility
- 3.5Ltr Tank
- 1 Year Guarantee
- CFC-Free
Meaco MeacoDry Dehumidifier ABC Range 12LB Amazon
Transform the comfort of your home with the Quiet Mark award dehumidifier.
The MeacoDry ‘ABC’ 12L dehumidifier makes a huge difference to houses and flats that suffer from damp or condensation. It removes up to 12 litres of moisture per day from inside the property.
