FAQ About Dehumidifiers
Have you ever descended into a basement and immediately felt that sticky, damp feeling? That's a sign of too much moisture in the air and it can be both uncomfortable and damaging to your home and belongings. A dehumidifier is an effective way to reduce that excess moisture in the air while maintaining an ideal humidity level, so your basement, laundry room, or cellar isn't a damp, musty place you want to avoid. Let's answer a few common questions about dehumidifiers and see if this appliance is right for your home.
Do I need a dehumidifier?
The surest evidence of excess moisture in your home is the appearance of condensation, in the form of water beads or vapour, on your windows. This moisture buildup can lead to moulding on your window sills or rotting in your home's wood. Another unpleasant result of mould is a musty odour that can permeate your home, in places like a basement or garage. Also worth considering is the protection of your belongings in these moisture-vulnerable areas. For example, if you're storing books, records, photos, or family archives, these items can be irreparably damaged by excess moisture.
What should I look for before buying a dehumidifier?
Before buying a dehumidifier, familiarize yourself with the size of the space where you plan to use it. Dehumidifiers range by size and what's called pint capacity. This means the amount of water removed from the air, collected in pints. A 75-pint dehumidifier, for example, is on the large-capacity end of the spectrum, as it can collect 75 pints of water per day from a very damp room. For medium or smaller rooms, you can go with a 50-pint or 25-pint capacity, respectively. Dehumidifiers also feature coverage measured in square footage, giving you another measurement of what kind of unit is best suited for your home.
What are other important dehumidifier features to consider?
They say rust never sleeps and that goes the same for mould. Because a dehumidifier needs continual operation to combat excess moisture, you'll want to consider energy consumption. If you buy a dehumidifier that is ENERGY STAR certified, it will save you money on power bills in the long run. Features like auto shutoff and restart, and timers, will also help reduce wasted energy. Dehumidifiers also require the removal of water, so consider one that is built with convenient handles for transport and a simple-to-use water removal system.