Will a bathroom dehumidifier dry my laundry quicker? – At this point, you may be wondering, ‘How long do clothes take to dry with a dehumidifier?’. A dehumidifier for drying clothes may take four to five hours to completely dry clothes. This is longer than a tumble dryer, which can dry clothes in under an hour.
However, there is a catch. Although tumble dryers are faster, they consume a lot of energy. A typical dryer may consume between 1800 watts and 5000 watts of energy per hour depending on the model. A consumes 185 watts of energy in an hour. Even when you leave the Morris dehumidifier running for 5 hours straight, the total is nowhere near that of a tumble dryer in an hour.
You also have to think about the laundry load when determining drying time. A standard tumble dryer can only take a maximum load of 8 kg per cycle. If you have a lot of laundries to dry, it will take time and energy to completely dry them. On the other hand, a has a laundry mode c an dry a big load of laundry hung in a room that is 15 ㎡ to 25 ㎡ in size.
Contents
- 1 Will a dehumidifier dry clothes faster?
- 2 Where do I put my dehumidifier to dry my clothes?
- 3 Is it cost effective to use a dehumidifier to dry clothes?
- 4 Can a dehumidifier make a room too dry?
- 5 Is dehumidifier cheaper than tumble dryer?
- 6 Does a dehumidifier use a lot of electricity?
- 7 Is 20% humidity too dry?
Will a dehumidifier dry clothes faster?
Dry Your Clothes Without A Dryer – Use A Dehumidifier | Ebac Blog During winter months drying laundry indoors can be expensive and slow. In cold wet weather we are often forced to dry laundry indoors. Without the luxury of a dryer, radiators and airers are the only way to get your laundry dry.
- But this can take a long time and lead to a build up of condensation and dampness around the home.
- A dehumidifier is a great economical space saving alternative, reducing drying time substantially and has much lower running costs compared to other methods.
- See the difference an can make.
- Using a dehumidifier to dry your laundry is not only easy to do but will save you money, time and space.
For best results, setting up your dehumidifier in a small room with your laundry will help them dry quicker and will make sure the dehumidifier is working effectively and efficiently. Drying clothes in the cold and wet of winter is a problem faced by many home owners.
- Pegging washing outside isn’t often an option and whilst tumble dryers are convenient and effective they are expensive to run and putting clothes on radiators often creates condensation problems.
- If you currently dry your clothes on a radiator or clothes horse the moisture contained within them is transferred to the surrounding air creating more moisture in your home.
Using a dehumidifier ensures that while your laundry hangs on the clothes horse, radiator or airer, the evaporating water is completely removed from the air by the dehumidifier. This also means drying times are reduced, especially when the “laundry-boost” setting is used.
- The cost of purchasing and running an with Smart Control technology are also significantly less than that of a tumble dryer so it’s a great option if you don’t have the space for a tumble dryer or want to keep your expenses down.
- Ebac, the perfect dehumidifier for your home.
How long do clothes take to dry using a dehumidifier?
Depending on the room temperature, a dehumidifier will take around four to five hours to do the same job as a tumble dryer in one hour. Though much longer, it is worth it to save on expensive heating costs.
Why is dehumidifier not drying clothes?
1. Putting it the wrong way round – We asked Chris whether you should position the dehumidifier so the air coming out of the machine gently moves the clothes, or have it the other way around with the filters facing the clothes, drawing the moisture out.
Where do I put my dehumidifier to dry my clothes?
Best room for drying clothes with a dehumidifier – ‘Place the rack in the smallest room you have,’ advises Chris Michael, founder of Meaco, ‘Close any windows and close the door as well.’ Sectioning off drying laundry like this will allow the dehumidifier to work more efficiently.
So next time you’re in a mad rush to dry clothes quickly, squeeze your drying rack and dehumidifier into a small space and avoid opening the doors. Whether it’s a small spare room, utility room or bedroom, drying clothes in a small space will trap the warm air in and allow the humidity levels to decrease more quickly.
It’ll also make it easier to tell if clothes are actually dry rather than just cold. (Image credit: Quiet Mark) Chris Michael shared a few other top tips for getting your laundry dried quickly:
Take the clothes and hang them up or put them onto a clothes horse making sure that the clothes are not lying on top of each other. Don’t let any water drip over the dehumidifier. Rotate the rack after an hour or so to dry all clothes evenly Use a cooling fan (the MeacoFan is very energy-efficient) that you might have spare from the summer to dry the dry air over the clothes faster
(Image credit: Quiet Mark) ‘Usually, I use my dehumidifier in the living room to dry clothes and prevent condensation on the windows,’ says Ideal Home Ecommerce Editor Molly Cleary. ‘But I’ll try putting it in my small hallway next time I’m drying bathroom towels to see if it speeds things up.’ Molly is the Ecommerce Writer for Ideal Home and is always on the lookout for the next must-buy product for your home. Covering all things appliance related, with an emphasis on floorcare and air fryers, she regularly visits Future’s Test Facility in Reading to thoroughly put products through their paces.
The best heated airers will also help to get clothes dry in winter but they do make the air in your home more humid. If you do put your dehumidifier in the smallest room in your home, avoid a common dehumidifier mistake and make sure houseplants are well out of the way (something we had to learn the hard way, sorry rubber plants).
Sign up to our newsletter for style and decor inspiration, house makeovers, project advice and more.
Will clothes dry in 100% humidity?
When should you hang out the washing? – Rain is clearly the most important factor here. Check the forecast for choosing a dry day to hang out your clothes. A small amount of precipitation may be okay if given long enough to dry, but generally rainfall rates are measured in whole millimetres per hour, whereas evaporation rates are typically around a tenth of that.
Solar radiation, (also known as irradiance or just sunshine), is the next most important factor. It takes energy to evaporate water, and the best source is direct solar radiation. Some energy will come from the long-wave radiation emitted from the ground, especially if the ground has been already warmed by the sun.
Other energy is also conducted across from the ambient air temperature. However, the most significant source of energy is radiative energy direct from the sun. Thirdly, humidity is important. The moisture in your clothes has to evaporate into the air, requiring it to be less than 100% relative humidity (saturated).
The lower the relative humidity, the faster clothes will dry. Relative humidity is simply the amount of water vapour in the air, relative to how much vapour the air holds at saturation. Wind is also very useful. On a still day, the air around your clothes can saturate, slowing down or even stopping evaporation.
On a windy day, the humid air is transported away, and fresh air below saturation brought in. Temperature is important, but not as important as humidity. A warmer day enables the air to hold more moisture, but if it is already saturated it won’t help. A cold, dry day will dry clothes faster than a warm humid day, especially if the clothes are in direct sunlight.
Is it cost effective to use a dehumidifier to dry clothes?
Sign up for our free IndyBest email – Whether it’s investing in an, cosying up with an or discovering innovative ways to dry clothes, with the soaring cost of living, we’re all looking for ways to live more economically. In an, the MoneySavingExpert dubbed tumble dryers – which cost up to £1 per hour to run – a “demon appliance” and instead suggested that you use a,
- He has also about the devastating effects that further energy price hikes could cause.
- Though admittedly an initial investment, these machines extract moisture and dampness from your surroundings and, in turn, potentially halve your laundry drying time.
- Depending on the model’s extracting power and wattage, a dehumidifier can cost anything from 30p to just 10p an hour to run, making them cheaper to use, compared with a tumble drier.
“Many dehumidifiers have different wattages, the one I checked out was 200W,” Lewis on his podcast. “Once we know it’s 200W and we know a kilowatt is 1,000W, which is how electricity tends to be priced, we know this is a fifth of a kilowatt. “And you pay roughly 34p per kilowatt per hour.
- A fifth is 7p, so you’re going to pay roughly 7p per hour to run a dehumidifier at 200W, assuming it uses full power the whole time.
- Which is generally far, far cheaper than putting the heating on,” he continued.
- The multipurpose machines are great for allergy sufferers, tend to be noise-free and have the added benefit of neutralising harmful bacteria in your home.
So, if you’ve noticed mould, condensation or a musty, it may be time to invest in a dehumidifier. In our review of the, one machine stood out for its ability to dry a full range of items very quickly. If you’re looking to invest in an energy-efficient and cost-cutting dehumidifier for the colder months, read on for the lowdown on IndyBest’s top-rated machine.
Can a dehumidifier make a room too dry?
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.
Is dehumidifier cheaper than tumble dryer?
The verdict If – like most households – your budget is tight, investing in a dehumidifier is a good option to consider as it is cheaper to buy and run than a tumble dryer.
How long should you dehumidify?
How Often Should You Use a Dehumidifier? – Should you keep your dehumidifier running all summer long? Not necessarily. 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.
Does a dehumidifier use a lot of electricity?
Do Dehumidifiers Use a Lot Of Electricity? – In order to understand how much electricity a dehumidifier uses, consideration has to be made to how one works. Dehumidifier energy cost and therefore their energy efficiency, when switched on will obviously vary in the amount of electricity used.
This is due to them cycling through various stages while activating different components while they remove moisture from the air. Consider that the compressor, fan, and refrigeration coil will also use varying amounts of electricity. Moreover, the size of the room and the degree of humidity that needs to be removed will also play a role in even the most energy-efficient dehumidifier.
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.
Should I close the door when using a dehumidifier?
10 Rules for Using a Dehumidifier 10 Rules for Using a Dehumidifier Dehumidifiers solve the condensation problem by removing excess moisture from the air. This deters it from sabotaging the structural integrity of your home. Follow these 10 rules to ensure you’re getting the most out of your dehumidifier.
Prevent Before You Have to Cure
It’s easy to assume your home doesn’t suffer from condensation. Especially if there’s none on your windows and no mould on your walls. But you create moisture every day, just through living, breathing, cooking and showering. And in winter, this moisture has nowhere to go but the cold surfaces.
- Prevention is better than cure.
- Save yourself the money and stress, and get a dehumidifier.
- We all wish for a moisture-free home, but dehumidifiers can be expensive to run.
- Ebac’s Smart Control system saves you time and money.
- It assesses the moisture in the air, turning your dehumidifier off when the moisture levels are low and switching it back on when they rise.
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.
Empty Your Dehumidifier’s Container
When your dehumidifier sucks in the moisture-filled air, it turns it into condensation and stores it in a container. This needs to be emptied regularly. Emptying it daily ensures your dehumidifier is always working at its best.
Use Your Ebac Dehumidifier While Air-Drying Laundry
On average, 5 litres of water evaporate from your laundry while it dries. Air-drying your laundry without your Ebac dehumidifier can lead to extreme condensation build-up. So, switch it on, and save yourself the hassle of mould and dampness later! While your dehumidifier’s on, keep your doors ajar.
Protect Your Easterly-Facing Walls
Easterly-facing walls get less sunlight, so they suffer most from condensation. Move your dehumidifier between rooms with easterly-facing walls to fully protect your house from damp and mould. Dehumidifiers need to be cleaned. This is especially the case for the filter, which cleans the air. When your dehumidifier is dirty, its efficiency is reduced.
Keep Your Dehumidifier Away from the Walls
It’s easy to assume the best place to put your dehumidifier is against the wall. But it’s not! Dehumidifiers suck in and expel air using vents. Blocking any of these vents can reduce your dehumidifier’s effectiveness.
Check the Safety Precautions
Remember, water and electricity don’t mix. Dehumidifiers work with both, so you have to take special care when around them! Check your dehumidifier’s safety precautions, and follow them!
How long does a dehumidifier take to dry a room?
Dehumidifier Frequently Asked Questions 1. What does a dehumidifier do? A dehumidifier removes water from the air in your home until relative humidity is reduced to the level you choose. Once it has reached this level a good dehumidifier should automatically maintain that comfortable level with no interference from you! 2.
- What is relative humidity? Relative humidity is a measure of how much water is in the air relative to the amount that air could hold if it was saturated.
- Relative humidity is expressed as a percentage.
- When relative humidity reaches 100% it is at the “dew point”.
- In other words the air is “full” of water and that water will start to condense onto any surface.
Warm air holds more water than cool air so as air cools relative humidity rises even though the physical quantity remains constant. For every fall in temperature of 20°F/10°C the capacity of the air to hold water is halved. For example air at 80°F with a relative humidity of 50% will reach the dew point, 100% RH when it has cooled to 60°F.3.
- Where does the water come from? Water is always in the air, inside and outside the home.
- The amount inside the home varies and is increased by many routine daily life activities such as cooking, washing, showering, making tea and breathing.
- If you have uncovered water containers in the home like fish tanks etc, then these will also add to the amount of water in the air.4.
What is the ideal humidity level for my home? Generally a relative humidity of 50% is comfortable for your home. This will protect your home and belongings, prevent mold growth and control the dust mite population. There is no real need to reduce humidity below the 45-50% mark.
- To do so will simply cost more in energy while serving no useful purpose.5.
- How does a dehumidifier work? Most dehumidifiers work by drawing air from the room over a coil cooled to a very low temperature by a refrigeration system.
- These are commonly known as,
- The water vapor condenses on the cold surface and the liquid water drips into the water collection bucket underneath.
More and more dehumidifiers are now using an alternative method known as, The desiccant dehumidifiers pass the air over a wheel coated with a water absorbing material ( called desiccant). The water is removed from the desiccant by passing a stream of warm air through it whereby it is dried and re-generated to collect more moisture on its next pass.
The collected water is collected in the units water collection tank.6. 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.
This timescale does not apply if the room has been flooded, in which case one or more dehumidifiers will be needed and possibly supplemented by air movers and other specialist equipment. This work is usually undertaken by specialised water damage specialists.7.
- How much water does a dehumidifier remove? The answer to this depends on three specific factors.
- The power of the dehumidifier, the room temperature and also the relative humidity of the air in that room.
- A 12 litre dehumidifier will rarely, if ever, remove 12 litres in a single 24 hour period.
- Once relative humidity has been reduced to your chosen level the dehumidifier should only be operating intermittently to maintain that level so the amount of water collected in the bucket will be lower still.
As a general rule of thumb you may need to empty your dehumidifiers bucket at intervals ranging from once every two days to twice a day, depending on the conditions. It is only in exceptional circumstamces that a properly sized dehumidifier will need emptying more frequently than this, unless of course you have placed it in a very damp room for the first time.8.
Can I use the water that collects in the bucket? The water collected in the dehumidifiers tank is called condensate, you can use this in your iron or to water the plants! However, it should not be drunk by humans or animals as it may contain traces of substances that could make you, your pets ill.9.
How do I know how big a dehumidifier I need? This is basically down to the size of the room and how wet it is. But in general you will find most dehumidifiers on our site are classed by house size to make the job easier for you to choose. For instance our smallest dehumidifiers are ideal for anything up to a 3 bedroom house.
- Our larger units are ideal for homes with up to 5 bedrooms.
- In general terms we would always recommend that you err on the side of caution and if in any doubt buy a dehumidifier a size larger than you may appear to need.
- Larger dehumidifiers remove more water per energy pound spent and run for fewer hours in a given space than smaller ones.
The energy saving will almost certainly be greater than the difference in purchase price.10. How does a dehumidifier prevent mold and mildew? A dehumidifier prevents mould and mildew growth in two ways. First it dries out the room, drawing damp from the contents and fabric of the room on which mould and mildew will inevitably form and prevents that damp from recurring.
- Secondly, providing the dehumidifier is set to maintain relative humidity at 50% or slightly below, the air is too dry for mold and mildew spores to develop.
- Fungi need airborne water as well as surface water to grow! 11.
- Where is the best place to site my dehumidifier? In an ideal world a dehumidifier would be silent and invisible.
The next best thing is to be out of sight and earshot. Unfortunately the first is impossible and the second, while achievable in some cases, be more expensive in cost and effort. If you need to lower humidity throughout your house a is the best option.
- It is easy to fit, virtually silent and is the cheapest solution for whole house control.
- If you are using a portable dehumidifier in a small to medium sized room, a laundry room or a bedroom for example, it is not particularly important where you position it.12.
- What is Continuous Drainage? All portable dehumidifiers have a water collection container, often called a tank or a bucket, to collect the water extracted from the air.
These buckets are quite small, to keep the overall size of the dehumidifier down, and need to be emptied at least once a day. Because it may not be convenient, or possible, to empty the bucket daily almost all portable dehumidifiers for home use are designed to allow the water to be drained directly as it is collected.
or
: Dehumidifier Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use water from dehumidifier to wash clothes?
This water can be used for watering plants or gardens. If you have a top loading washing machine, it can be emptied there to wash your clothes.
Is 10% humidity too dry?
Let’s talk about what humidity levels you should keep in your home year-round, and different techniques to do so. Ideal in-home humidity levels should hover around 45%. Anything under 30% is too dry, and over 50% is too high.
Is 20% humidity too dry?
6 Ways Dry Air Affects Your Home – The ideal relative humidity level for maximum comfort and health is between 40% and 50%, and anything below 30% is considered too dry. Humidity levels naturally drop along with outdoor temperatures as cold air can’t hold the same amount of moisture as warm air. Common effects of dry air include:
Increased risk of illness: Dry air is the perfect breeding ground for viruses, as the membranes that line the nose and throat lose the moisture they require to trap bacteria and viruses before they can travel through the upper respiratory system and into the lungs. With adequate humidity, airborne particles carrying these types of diseases are lower to the ground, weighted down by drops of moisture, but in a dry climate, they float freely. Irritated nasal passages: Low humidity levels rob the inside lining of your nose of much-needed moisture, allowing it to become dry and irritated, and potentially leading to nosebleeds. Dry, itchy skin: Dry air hastens the evaporation of moisture on the surface of the skin, which is over 60% water. In the absence of adequate humidity, skin begins to dry out and may crack, itch, or flake while exacerbating pre-existing conditions such as acne, chapped lips, or eczema. Structural damage: Dry air zaps the moisture from everything in its path, including structural wood components of your home, such as framing, wooden windows, hardwood floors, and wooden doors. Just as wood swells when saturated, it shrinks when it’s too dry, which can lead to gaps, air leakage, creaking, and squeaks. Static electricity: If you receive a shock each time you touch metal or fabrics are clinging to one another, that may mean your indoor air is too dry. Damage to your belongings: Organic materials such as wood and paper can become damaged when the air is too dry. They can become brittle and possibly crack, break, or warp.
What should I wear in 70% humidity?
1. Wear Clothing that Hangs Slightly off Your Body – The single most important thing you can do to improve your comfort in high humidity is to wear lightweight clothing that won’t cling to your skin. Woven fabrics or those with some texture, and a looser fit, usually do a good job.
- Clothing that does cling to your body will soak up sweat and then stay close to your skin, which will amplify the discomfort.
- To limit this, find clothing that provides a physical separation from your body, even just a slight one, rather than hugs it.
- Certain fabric constructions are more adept at providing distance.
Often times, lightweight woven fabrics will naturally drape off your body a bit better than knits. You can also look for fabrics with some texture to lift the fabric off your skin slightly, such as seersucker or pique.
Is A dehumidifier better than a dryer?
Laundry dryers: 5 reasons to use a dehumidifier for drying clothes When most people think about ways to dry clothes at home, their minds immediately turn to the tried-and-tested tumble dryer. For decades, these have been the benchmark for fast, straightforward clothes drying, particularly during the colder and wetter winter months, and are used in millions of homes across Europe.
- While the rapid results of a tumble dryer are undeniable, it often comes at a big cost.
- Tumble dryers are typically big energy consumers, over time costing significant sums of money and projecting plenty of carbon emissions into the environment.
- So, is there an alternative? Yes – using a dehumidifier for drying clothes.
While these can’t match the speed of a tumble dryer, laundry dryer dehumidifiers can produce the exact same (if not better) results for your clothes, in a way that is more cost-efficient and that provides additional benefits for the quality and condition of your home.
Is it cheaper to run heating or dehumidifier?
A dehumidifier is a great investment for your home – especially if you are living somewhere with high humidity problems, condensation, damp or any of the other signs that there’s too much moisture in the air. Homeowners are often worried, though, by the question ‘how much does a dehumidifier cost to run?’.
- The real cost of running a dehumidifier It’s a fair question – and one we get asked a lot.
- There’s obviously a cost to buying the dehumidifier in the first place, and that will vary depending on the size and type of dehumidifier you choose.
- However, you can buy a good quality dehumidifier for under £150 and, when you consider how it could save money in the long run, it’s a great investment.
Once you’ve bought your dehumidifier, you’ll need to run it. This just requires access to an electricity point so you can plug it in. It’s hard to talk about exact running costs – this will depend on how long you run a dehumidifier – just a few hours a day? 12 hours? 24 hours? It’s likely that you’ll mostly run the unit during the colder months, because that’s when you need to reduce humidity caused by warm, moist air from showers, tumble dryers, drying washing indoors and cooking.
- So the cost of running a dehumidifier 24/7 will obviously be higher than just running it when you are drying the washing, or for a couple of hours in the morning after everyone’s showered.
- We estimate that, on average, the running costs of a standard dehumidifier work out at less than £1 per day.
- How dehumidifiers can save energy in your home Buying or hiring a dehumidifier is not just about the initial investment, or daily cost to run.
It’s also about where a dehumidifier can actually help you to save money:
- Cheaper heating bills – because the dehumidifier removes the moisture from the air in your home, it also removes the ‘chill’ factor, so you can run the heating less and at a lower temperature.
- No need to buy or run a tumble dryer – a dehumidifier is a really cost effective alternative to a tumble dryer. It’s cheaper and has multiple functions, so you are getting two units for the price of one.
- A healthier home environment – a dehumidifier doesn’t just deal with humidity, it also removes dust mites from carpets and soft furnishings, creating a drier, purer air environment in your home. This has a positive effect on allergies and health issues, meaning less time off work or school with ill health.
- Save money on expensive cleaning products – people who struggle with mould and condensation problems will find that a dehumidifier can sort things out. So no more time or money spent on deep cleaning, repainting or replacing soft furnishings.
A dehumidifier can cost less to run than a tumble dryer Counting the cost of running a dehumidifier – behind the problem We spend far more hours a day indoors than we do outside, especially in the winter months. And we want a clean, hygienic and comfortable environment to live in.
So it should come as no surprise that homeowners are not prepared to put up with damp problems. We are working out that not only is this bad for our health but it is also bad for our wallet. Mould spores that originate from the black mould you find in build in wardrobes, behind furniture and in shower rooms can trigger allergic reactions or respiratory problems which in turn can mean time off work and increased childcare costs.
Dust mites love damper conditions and reproduce at a higher rate when the relative humidity is high. Counting the cost of running a dehumidifier – behind the problem We spend far more hours a day indoors than we do outside, especially in the winter months.
- And we want a clean, hygienic and comfortable environment to live in.
- So it should come as no surprise that homeowners are not prepared to put up with damp problems.
- We are working out that not only is this bad for our health but it is also bad for our wallet.
- Mould spores that originate from the black mould you find in build in wardrobes, behind furniture and in shower rooms can trigger allergic reactions or respiratory problems which in turn can mean time off work and increased childcare costs.
Dust mites love damper conditions and reproduce at a higher rate when the relative humidity is high. Dust mite statistics are pretty grim: • Your mattress can hold as many as 10 million dust mites • 10% of a two year old pillow’s weight can be a mixture of dead and alive dust mites • They love nothing more than feeding on our dead skin • We produce enough to feed around 1.5 million of them per year. The costs of running a dehumidifier are small compared to the benefits. Condensation and ventilation Condensation on windows on a winter’s morning is irritating, especially when mopping it up becomes a daily chore. For those with wooden frames it will also mean a reduced lifespan for the windows and more regular replacement costs.
- Poorly ventilated bathrooms are more likely to suffer from mould growth as the moisture from the shower and bath starts to build up excess humidity within the room.
- Bathroom ceilings and untiled walls will have to be washed down on a regular basis, sealant and grouting cleaned or replaced as they turn first brown and then black as the mould takes hold.
Drying laundry indoors during the winter – or all year long if you do not have access to an outside line – creates a build-up of moisture that will also create mould growth. This is most likely to form on colder north-facing outside walls and in poorly ventilated spaces – sofas pushed up against external walls, and built in wardrobes are most likely to show signs of mould first.
- How much should a dehumidifier cost? We’d always recommend getting the best dehumidifier as you can afford.
- Dehumidifier hire costs are affordable, but hiring is usually best for a one-off event like a natural flood, or excess water from a broken washing machine or dishwasher.
- A good quality dehumidifier, like the dedicated home dehumidifiers at Meaco, will cost an average of £200, and we think you will make that money back within just a few months of ownership.
Using a dehumidifier will help to keep your energy bills down. Helping to improve the air quality in your home, helping to dry your washing faster and more economically, helping to reduce condensation, and helping to manage problems with mould and more, it’s definitely an investment rather than a cost.
Once you have started using the dehumidifier – and you’ll see results straight away – you’ll be able to measure the costs for yourself. And with extra features like timers so that the dehumidifier turns itself off automatically when it reaches the right relative humidity point, we’ve made our units as energy efficient and cost effective as possible, so that all you get is a drier, healthier home.
The new Platinum Range from Meaco offers exactly that with independent tests proving that the Meaco 12L and Meaco 20L Low Energy Dehumidifiers are cheaper to run than anything else on the market whilst still providing excellent performance. More details on the Platinum Range can be found here.
Do dehumidifiers heat up room?
Yes, dehumidifiers naturally create a small amount of heat as they operate. But most customers don’t notice it for a few reasons: (1) it’s a very slight increase and (2) since dehumidifiers remove moisture from rooms, they naturally make rooms feel cooler and more comfortable.
Are dehumidifiers good for drying laundry?
Can you dry clothes using a dehumidifier? – The short answer is yes, you can. Dehumidifiers for drying applications can be a great choice, simply place your wet clothes in a room with a dehumidifier and allow it to do its work. This will of course take longer than a traditional tumble dryer but it will be much more energy efficient and will reduce your running costs drastically.
The way dehumidifiers dry your clothes is fairly simple, if you understand how dehumidifiers work. Essentially, the dehumidifier draws in humid air and runs this past its refrigerated coil which causes the moisture from the air to condense onto the coil and the heat energy from the air is stored for later use in the refrigerant.
The cool air from the dehumidifier then blows over its condenser coils and is vented back out as dry heat. This type of dehumidifier is called a compressor dehumidifier and you can read more about them in our blog “What is the Difference Between Compressor & Desiccant Dehumidifiers?”
How long does a dehumidifier take to dry a room?
Dehumidifier Frequently Asked Questions 1. What does a dehumidifier do? A dehumidifier removes water from the air in your home until relative humidity is reduced to the level you choose. Once it has reached this level a good dehumidifier should automatically maintain that comfortable level with no interference from you! 2.
What is relative humidity? Relative humidity is a measure of how much water is in the air relative to the amount that air could hold if it was saturated. Relative humidity is expressed as a percentage. When relative humidity reaches 100% it is at the “dew point”. In other words the air is “full” of water and that water will start to condense onto any surface.
Warm air holds more water than cool air so as air cools relative humidity rises even though the physical quantity remains constant. For every fall in temperature of 20°F/10°C the capacity of the air to hold water is halved. For example air at 80°F with a relative humidity of 50% will reach the dew point, 100% RH when it has cooled to 60°F.3.
Where does the water come from? Water is always in the air, inside and outside the home. The amount inside the home varies and is increased by many routine daily life activities such as cooking, washing, showering, making tea and breathing. If you have uncovered water containers in the home like fish tanks etc, then these will also add to the amount of water in the air.4.
What is the ideal humidity level for my home? Generally a relative humidity of 50% is comfortable for your home. This will protect your home and belongings, prevent mold growth and control the dust mite population. There is no real need to reduce humidity below the 45-50% mark.
To do so will simply cost more in energy while serving no useful purpose.5. How does a dehumidifier work? Most dehumidifiers work by drawing air from the room over a coil cooled to a very low temperature by a refrigeration system. These are commonly known as, The water vapor condenses on the cold surface and the liquid water drips into the water collection bucket underneath.
More and more dehumidifiers are now using an alternative method known as, The desiccant dehumidifiers pass the air over a wheel coated with a water absorbing material ( called desiccant). The water is removed from the desiccant by passing a stream of warm air through it whereby it is dried and re-generated to collect more moisture on its next pass.
- The collected water is collected in the units water collection tank.6.
- 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.
This timescale does not apply if the room has been flooded, in which case one or more dehumidifiers will be needed and possibly supplemented by air movers and other specialist equipment. This work is usually undertaken by specialised water damage specialists.7.
How much water does a dehumidifier remove? The answer to this depends on three specific factors. The power of the dehumidifier, the room temperature and also the relative humidity of the air in that room. A 12 litre dehumidifier will rarely, if ever, remove 12 litres in a single 24 hour period. Once relative humidity has been reduced to your chosen level the dehumidifier should only be operating intermittently to maintain that level so the amount of water collected in the bucket will be lower still.
As a general rule of thumb you may need to empty your dehumidifiers bucket at intervals ranging from once every two days to twice a day, depending on the conditions. It is only in exceptional circumstamces that a properly sized dehumidifier will need emptying more frequently than this, unless of course you have placed it in a very damp room for the first time.8.
Can I use the water that collects in the bucket? The water collected in the dehumidifiers tank is called condensate, you can use this in your iron or to water the plants! However, it should not be drunk by humans or animals as it may contain traces of substances that could make you, your pets ill.9.
How do I know how big a dehumidifier I need? This is basically down to the size of the room and how wet it is. But in general you will find most dehumidifiers on our site are classed by house size to make the job easier for you to choose. For instance our smallest dehumidifiers are ideal for anything up to a 3 bedroom house.
- Our larger units are ideal for homes with up to 5 bedrooms.
- In general terms we would always recommend that you err on the side of caution and if in any doubt buy a dehumidifier a size larger than you may appear to need.
- Larger dehumidifiers remove more water per energy pound spent and run for fewer hours in a given space than smaller ones.
The energy saving will almost certainly be greater than the difference in purchase price.10. How does a dehumidifier prevent mold and mildew? A dehumidifier prevents mould and mildew growth in two ways. First it dries out the room, drawing damp from the contents and fabric of the room on which mould and mildew will inevitably form and prevents that damp from recurring.
- Secondly, providing the dehumidifier is set to maintain relative humidity at 50% or slightly below, the air is too dry for mold and mildew spores to develop.
- Fungi need airborne water as well as surface water to grow! 11.
- Where is the best place to site my dehumidifier? In an ideal world a dehumidifier would be silent and invisible.
The next best thing is to be out of sight and earshot. Unfortunately the first is impossible and the second, while achievable in some cases, be more expensive in cost and effort. If you need to lower humidity throughout your house a is the best option.
- It is easy to fit, virtually silent and is the cheapest solution for whole house control.
- If you are using a portable dehumidifier in a small to medium sized room, a laundry room or a bedroom for example, it is not particularly important where you position it.12.
- What is Continuous Drainage? All portable dehumidifiers have a water collection container, often called a tank or a bucket, to collect the water extracted from the air.
These buckets are quite small, to keep the overall size of the dehumidifier down, and need to be emptied at least once a day. Because it may not be convenient, or possible, to empty the bucket daily almost all portable dehumidifiers for home use are designed to allow the water to be drained directly as it is collected.
or
: Dehumidifier Frequently Asked Questions