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Dehumidifiers help control household humidity. Humidity that is too high for too long creates an environment prone to various household problems and medical issues. Dehumidifiers can assist in correcting such problems by preventing a build up of air moisture.
Dehumidifiers are used anywhere improper ventilation or environmental influences causes a buildup of air moisture. This location is often the basement of a house, but can also include bedrooms and attics. -
Dehumidifiers can be found as stand-alone appliances or as part of other household devices. For example, air conditioners are also inherently dehumidifiers by default, as their process of condensing air moisture to cool room temperatures automatically dehumidifies the room's air.
Stand-alone dehumidifiers can be separated into two types: Mechanical and desiccative dehumidifiers. While both dehumidify the air, desiccative dehumidifiers work more efficiently in small, enclosed areas. -
There are significant health reasons for using dehumidifiers in areas with high air moisture content. High levels of humidity can promote the growth of both mildew and mold, which can damage household goods and also cause allergies. By lowering humidity levels, dehumidifiers dry out the air and effectively destroy the environment that mold and mildew need to thrive.
Similarly, dehumidifiers are often used to eradicate dust mites. Dust mites can cause allergies and is one of the greatest allergens for humans. Dust mites do not react to insecticides and other common methods of pest removal, thus making the process of killing them difficult. However, dust mites need a humid environment to live and feed. Dehumidifiers resolve dust mite problems by drying the air, thus drying out the dust mites and killing them. -
All dehumidifiers work through a process of condensation or mechanical air moisture filtering. Both stand-alone refrigerative dehumidifiers and air conditioners work by using a cooling coil. This coil drops air temperature to the point of condensation. The moisture in the air condenses and turns into tiny droplets which fall into a collecting tank. This collecting tank usually connects to a drain or an outlet that drips the water outside of the home. The post-condensation air is then pushed by a fan back into the home.
Desiccative dehumidifiers work in a similar fashion. Instead of passing the air over a cooling coil, the humid air is instead pushed through a mechanical filter that pulls the moisture out of the air. The dehumidified air is then returned to the room. -
When searching for a dehumidifiers, keep in mind the dehumidifying needs of your home. Households with high relative humidity work best with mechanical dehumidifiers, which are able to process larger volumes of air. Homes that suffer a less severe case of airborne moisture can use a desiccative dehumidifier, which is usually more economical.
Homeowners shopping for dehumidifiers also need to know their size and capacity needs. If you only need to decrease humidity levels in specific rooms, small capacity dehumidifiers are sufficient. Those wishing to cover a larger area, such as a basement, should purchase larger dehumidifiers accordingly.
