There are many reasons that you may need a dehumidifier in your home. The excess moisture build up in the home may be the cause of many problems such as mold build up and numerous health issues. First you need to determine if you actually need a dehumidifier, and if you do, do you want to have one permanently installed or do you want to purchase one of many portable dehumidifiers that are on the market? No matter what choice you make, you want to purchase one of the most energy efficient dehumidifiers that you can.
Excessive moisture in the home is one of the most damaging problems that can occur. It can be the cause of mold and mildew and help speed up the deterioration of the structural elements of the home. If used when needed, a dehumidifier can help you avoid damages that are caused by the moisture. If you attack the moisture problem from the structural areas first you can determine if a dehumidifier is going to help. If your moisture problem is not structural related, then an energy efficient dehumidifier will help remove the excess moisture from your home. You will notice that you have excess moisture because you will begin to notice musty smells, water droplets on your windows or you may see mold starting to develop in your bathroom.
The size of the dehumidifier depends on the size of your home and if you are using it to remove moisture from the whole house or just certain rooms. Portable dehumidifiers are excellent choices if you only have moisture problems in certain rooms. If you suffer from asthma, you may want to put a portable dehumidifier in your bedroom to ensure that you get a good night sleep. The other people in the home may not be affected by the humidity level at all. Basements tend to hold much more moisture than any other place in the house and are usually great places for energy efficient dehumidifiers.
Portable dehumidifiers come in many different shapes and sizes. There are some that are very small for one room that have a tub built into them that you manually empty, and there are those that need to be drained out through another source such as a hose connected to a drain. The most energy efficient dehumidifiers are one that have a fan with multiple speeds. The speed of the fan of course determines how hard the dehumidifier is working and how much energy is being used. The lower the speed the less energy. According to Energy Star, energy efficient dehumidifiers with an energy factor of 3.56 are the best, 1.2 are the worst, with the middle ground being 1.62.
To make sure that you are getting the right size portable dehumidifier you need to know the total square footage of the room it will be in. If the room is damp to you while you are in it, needs a dehumidifier that will remove at least 10 pints of moisture for every 500 feet of space. Rooms that are very wet and smell wet will need something that has a larger capacity dehumidifier.
So, if you are looking for an energy efficient dehumidifier, take into consideration the Energy Star rating and the amount of water that it will remove within a 24 hour period of time.
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