Dehumidifiers are great for removing excess moisture from your indoor air and achieving relative humidity levels. By making the air less moist, dehumidifiers can help to get rid of problems such as sinuses, skin problems, mold and mildew, rotting furniture etc. But in order to benefit from a dehumidifier, you first need to buy the right one for your home.
This buying guide lists all the important criteria that need to be considered when buying a dehumidifier.
Criteria For Selecting Dehumidifiers
1) Dehumidifier Size: It is important to buy the right sized dehumidifier for your home so that you can dehumidify air adequately and also do not end up wasting money with a larger-than-needed dehumidifier. So, here are the factors to consider for sizing your dehumidifier.
You have to measure the area of the room or your home, which needs to be dehumidified. Once you know the area in square feet, you have to select a unit which has the capacity to effectively dehumidify areas of that size. Remember that the capacity mentioned on the dehumidifier is what can be achieved in optimum test conditions, which are not likely to be present in your home. Thus, to be on the safe side, you should choose a dehumidifier with a moisture removal capacity that is slightly more than what is required by you.
Another important factor for sizing is the moisture content of your indoor air. Some rooms may be small in area but could have high moisture levels, thus needing a larger unit. Whereas some larger rooms with lower humidity levels could make do with a smaller dehumidifier. Thus, you should check the humidity levels in your home, ascertain how much moisture needs to be removed to obtain the desired humidity, and then choose a dehumidifier that has the capacity to remove that much moisture.
2) Outdoor Humidity: In addition to the humidity levels inside your home, you also have to consider outdoor humidity levels. If you live in areas with high natural humidity, you will require a larger unit than those who live where there is lower natural humidity (area being the same).
3) Standard v/s Low Temperature Dehumidifiers: If you live in areas where the temperature of the air that needs to be dehumidified is less than 60 degrees F, a standard dehumidifier is likely to be ineffective as its coils can frost up due to the low temperatures. In such a case, you will need to buy a unit that is a Low Temperature model. Such units are meant for use where temperatures can go as low as 45 degrees F, with no damage to the coils, and effective dehumidification.
4) Automatic Shut Off: With this option, your dehumidifier will automatically shut down when the water reservoir is full so that there is no overflowing of water. Thus, if you do not want to constantly keep checking the water bucket, you should choose a model with automatic shut off.
5) Continuous Drainage: Once the water bucket gets filled in your dehumidifier, you have to manually empty it out before starting the unit again. As large dehumidifiers can have water buckets with high capacities, it can get quite difficult to lift the heavy buckets and empty them. Thus, you should choose a unit with a continuous drainage system, or where you can attach a hose to the drain, especially if you require a large dehumidifier.
6) Built-in Hygrometer/ Humidstat: A hygrometer measures the exact humidity in the indoor air, whereas a humidstat helps to control humidity levels and maintain them within the desired range. Thus, if you want to ensure that relative humidity (from 45%-50%) is achieved, and if you wish to automatically maintain the achieved humidity levels, you should choose a dehumidifier with a built-in hygrometer and humidity control.
7) Ease of Use: Having a dehumidifier that is easy to use and can conveniently be moved from place to place is an important feature for many people. If you too wish to have ease of use, you should select a dehumidifier that has an automatic restart option, automatic defrost, castor wheels, and an overflow protection valve.
8) Energy Star Rating: It is all very well to keep your dehumidifier running continuously so that you can achieve proper moisture levels in your indoor air and be free from health problems, mold, fungi, etc. But when the inflated electricity bill arrives, that's when your problems return. So, wouldn't it be great if you could get a unit that works at its best and most effectively, that too by consuming as less energy as possible? Well, that is what the Energy Star rating is all about. Thus, if you do not want to worry about high electricity costs, it may well be worth your while to buy an Energy Star rated dehumidifier.
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