If you're concerned about spending too much on your electricity bill, you can try calling your energy company and asking about the “best times.” Usually, the best times to run your unit, that will save you money, is between 10 pm and 7 am — this is when less people are consuming energy, which drives down the rates.
Can I leave the dehumidifier running at night? Yes, we recommend using a dehumidifier 24hrs, however, be aware that there will always be a noise generated from the machine when it is operating.
Set the Right Humidity
To get your manually-controlled dehumidifier up and running, set its humidity level. You want it set at 30 – 50%. If there's too much moisture, you'll get dampness and mould. If there's too little moisture, your home will be too dry and attract bacteria.
That's why the best time of day to use a dehumidifier is between 10 PM in the evening and 8 AM in the morning. Within these hours of the day, we have this perfect triplet of factors that make running the dehumidifier effectively: Relative humidity is the highest.
How often you should use a dehumidifier will depend on your home, climate and other factors. To achieve the highest energy efficiency, run a dehumidifier for at least 12 hours a day. This will allow you to remove moisture from the air without racking up the energy costs.
A dehumidifier typically needs between 24 and 72 hours to completely dry out a room. It's critical to continue using the dehumidifier until the humidity levels are normal.
Although the energy consumption for small and medium-sized dehumidifiers is relatively low, long-term usage (especially older, less energy-efficient models) can add up to be quite a substantial amount. This is compounded by the fact that most dehumidifiers run 12 to 24 hours daily.
Once temperatures drop to around 65 degrees, it's best to turn the dehumidifier off.
Yes it is perfectly safe to sleep in the same room as a dehumidifier. If you are particularly interested in a dehumidifier for the bedroom the noise level will be particularly important to you.
How long will it take to get the moisture under control? As long as the dehumidifier you choose is large enough for the area it is working in, and there are no specific damp problems, then a dehumidifier will normally reduce the humidity to the chosen level within a few days to a week.
Can you dehumidify too much? There is a chance of dehumidifying your home too much with a dehumidifier, especially if you are leaving your dehumidifier running for several hours on a timer unattended. Over-dehumidifying your home can lead to an increased chance of respiratory illnesses and dry and cracked skin.
We do not recommend placing a dehumidifier directly against a wall or piece of furniture. Instead, put it at least six inches away from these vent-blocking surfaces. For dehumidifiers that cover large areas, it's a good idea to place them somewhere central such as a hallway or landing.
A dehumidifier should collect a certain amount of water each day - generally, around 10-20 pints of water per 24-hour period. This should require you to empty most dehumidifiers daily or bi-daily when in operation.
If your dehumidifier's water basin is filling up too quickly, you probably have extra water in the air due to an issue like a cracked pipe, water leak or open crawl space. If you're hardly getting any water in the basin, you may need to simply turn the control to a drier setting.
Depending on the size of the dehumidifier, some can cost as little as 8p an hour to run, according to Chris Michael, managing director of Meaco.
While a dehumidifier cannot directly address the underlying cause of rising damp, it can help reduce the moisture levels in the air and prevent mould growth on affected surfaces.
Most definitely. In fact, having a dehumidifier running while you are sleeping is a good idea if the humidity levels in your bedroom are high. High humidity can affect the way you sleep in three different ways. Comfort, breathing, and allergies can all be affected by high humidity.
“Do dehumidifiers add heat to a room?” It's one of our most commonly asked customer questions. The answer is your comfort level won't change. Yes, dehumidifiers naturally create a small amount of heat as they operate.
For now, we leave you with this simple one: use a dehumidifier during the spring, summer and early fall to keep moisture at bay, but unplug and stow it away during the winter to prevent damage to your unit.
As you debate whether or not to use a dehumidifier in winter, you should always watch the humidity levels in your home. If your relative humidity levels stay high, it might be a good idea to run your device. In fact, if your humidity levels remain above 50 percent, your room will benefit from a basement dehumidifier.
A dehumidifier makes the external conditions less welcoming to mold; by removing moisture, they reduce the chances of mold growth. An air purifier, however, removes mold spores from the air, making it harder for mold and mildew to create new colonies.
The windows in a room should be kept closed when running a dehumidifier. As open windows let moisture in from the outside, they can work against the dehumidifier and keep the room from drying out because the continuous flow of air can be counterproductive.
The bottom line
Running your dehumidifier can help you feel cooler. However, this is because it lowers your room's relative humidity level, not because it changes the room temperature.