Where I live, the summer months are tortuous to say the very least. The air is hot and sticky. Our air conditioner runs constantly. Our electric bill can grow out of hand very quickly. However, I found one tool that’s very effective in keeping the air dryer and minimizing the need for running the air conditioner too much – a dehumidifier.
Why a Dehumidifier is Important
A dehumidifier is very important during humid weather. If a house is left in humid conditions, costly problems can arise. A household relative humidity above 50 percent can breed mildew, dust mites, and mold that exacerbate allergies and asthma. Mildew and mold can thrive on and discolor cloth or natural-wood furniture and grow on clothes, books, and other items stored in your basement or elsewhere. An increasingly common household problem in this country, mold can also cause drywall and wood to rot, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in structural damage. (Consumer Reports)
Even if you have an air conditioner, a dehumidifier is important. Ridding the air of some of the moisture in humid conditions can actually increase the life of your air conditioner. This is because the air conditioner does not have to work as hard to cool your air. Furthermore, when temperatures are a little warm, but not really all that hot, a dehumidifier can make your living space comfortable. You may not even have to run your air conditioner!
How to Choose a Dehumidifier
Now that I got you sold on why you need a dehumidifier, I would like to share with you the steps in choosing a dehumidifier.
1) Make sure your dehumidifier is energy efficient. Look for appliances with the energy star logo. Energy star appliances consume 10-20% less energy than their counterparts. Dehumidifiers are no exception to this rule! According to Consumer Reports, dehumidifiers can use up to $150 in energy annually. Using an energy star appliance is therefore the wisest choice.
2) Make sure you purchase a dehumidifier with the largest capacity you can afford. Larger capacity dehumidifiers work quicker and more efficiently than smaller dehumidifiers. The added capacity will come in handy, as you will have to empty the bucket less.
3) Get a dehumidifier with a hose connection. If you buy a dehumidifier with a hose connection you won’t have to empty the bucket. The water will drain from the dehumidifier by itself. This is really useful when you go on vacation. It would not be good to come home from vacation, only to find that you accidentally left the dehumidifier running and it overflowed. When you get a dehumidifier with a hose connection, you may have to buy an additional pump if you need to move the water against gravity.
4) Make sure the dehumidifier has an on/off switch. Using an on/off switch is more efficient to turn the unit on or off than adjusting the humidistat.
5) Make sure to comparison shop. Do your research. Go to a couple of stores and get the input from a couple of different sales people. Once you have decided on a model that works for you, go to the web and comparison shop for price. It is very likely that a website will offer the same unit for a significant savings off the retail price.
6) Make sure the sound level of the dehumidifier is satisfactory. You don’t want a dehumidifier that is too noisy, so try to make sure you can see how a dehumidifier sounds before you buy it.
7) Make sure the tank on the dehumidifier is easy to empty. If you cannot drain your tank, make sure the pan is easy to get to in your dehumidifier. If you have to practically take the dehumidifier apart to get to the water pan, chances are eventually the dehumidifier will break.
8) Make sure the dehumidifier has an automatic shut-off feature. If you cannot drain the tank using a hose, you need to make sure that the dehumidifier will shut off automatically when the tank fills. If it doesn’t, you risk overflow!
9) Try to buy your dehumidifier in the spring. The spring is when dehumidifiers are on sale. This is because many people will need dehumidifiers in the summer. During the summer months, demand is higher so you will have to pay higher prices.
10) Make sure you like the dehumidifier you choose. This may seem like silly advice. However, if you go to a store and get talked in to a dehumidifier by a sales person, you may find that you don’t like it. Make sure you choose the one that you want, and not the one the sales person tells you that you need. Read the consumer reports and reviews if you are feeling leery about a model. It’s better to do your research than to buy something you ultimately don’t like.
In conclusion, I have informed you of the reasons why a dehumidifier is an important tool to own in humid climates. I have also told you ten things to remember when shopping for the dehumidifier that is right for you.
Resources:
Consumer Reports
